Header Graphic
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Safe notes, safe passing & passing notes in blues?
Safe notes, safe passing & passing notes in blues?
Login  |  Register
Page: 1

duganderson
11 posts
Jan 30, 2022
9:56 AM
I have primarily been learning harmonica via David Barrett's site and I like it a lot.

I read this article about safe notes, safe passing notes and passing notes in 2nd position and it was VERY helpful....

https://harmonicalearning.com/second-position-harmonica-lesson.html

In this article they have an image of all of the harp notes and which notes are safe, safe passing or passing for the major scale.

Does anyone know of a source that lists the safe notes, safe passing notes and passing notes for the blues (instead of the major scale) while on the I, IV or V chords in the progression? If not, would anyone be willing to sketch this out.

Thank you, Doug
WinslowYerxa
1742 posts
Feb 01, 2022
1:20 PM
Safest notes are the notes of the three note triad, the most basic type of chord.

Notes that may or may not be safe include notes that extend the chord, like the 7th in a 7th chord, or neutral sounding color tones added to the chord, like the 6th.

Any note that isn't a chord tone, extension, or color tone, and is used to pass between such tones is a passing note.

Some passing tones may pass chromatically between scale tones that aren't both chord tones, for instance from 4B to 4 Db to 4D, but the target note is usually a chord tone.

Safe passing notes are passing notes that don't conflict with the overall feel of the music. For instance, if you went 2D 3Dbbb 3D, that 3Dbbb passing note would probably sound weird in the blues but might be perfectly at home in snake charmer music.
----------
Harmonica lessons with one of the world's foremost experts
Check out my blog and other goodies at winslowyerxa.com
Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition with tons of new stuff

Last Edited by WinslowYerxa on Feb 01, 2022 1:24 PM
snowman
747 posts
Feb 10, 2022
9:09 AM
One reason people don't care to have harp players sit in
is;

If a songs is minor they assume the harp person doesn't know the difference between Major N minor and most times they are right.

When u hit and 'sustain' a major 3rd over a minor chord IT SOUNDS TERRIBLE.

Thrill Is Gone is in Bm normally
U can play third pos or a natural minor harp---but for sake of argument use a standard E harp in cross

play the song and in 'crossharp' continually hit 3 draw
over all chord changes ---U will here the bad

Now Thrill is gone----do 1st bend on 3 draw----hay it sounds good----thats the difference in a major 3rd and a minor third---OVER A MINOR CHORD

I belong to Barrets sight as well ---good stuff---trying to finish level 5---

Im glad yr open to guys like Adam, barret Winslow etc
u will be glad u did down the road.

with my fingers going arthritic I was forced to learn more theory. I have to play chords on guitar different and I have to know where the same chord exists in different fingering. I applied what I learned to Harp

I have played with a bunch of different harp players from ages 20-70---

the ones who said " I dont need that theory crap or lessons" Im creative, Ij ust do my own thing-- Never improved after a certain point. I see them years later. They want sit in, I say ok---afterwards the band says 'no more for him". They seldom get past 4 draw bend and a couple trills.

keep pluggin

Last Edited by snowman on Feb 10, 2022 9:13 AM
snowman
748 posts
Feb 10, 2022
8:49 AM
Forgot to mention;

If u dont play another instrument buy $30 used keyboard. learn a scale on it ----do re --me etc

Find and listen to the major 3 and minor 3-----maj7 b7 I always forget if yr suppose to call it b7---someone will correct me

ON A PIANO KEYBOARD [CHEAP] u CAN SEE AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT OCTAVES-
--DIFFERENT RELATION SHIP BETWEEN MAJOR AND MINOR THIRD ETC-----ITS VERY VISUAL AND EASILY UNDERSTOOD ON A KEYBOARD----MORE SO THAN ON A GUITAR FOR EXAMPLE

Last Edited by snowman on Feb 10, 2022 8:50 AM


Post a Message



(8192 Characters Left)


Modern Blues Harmonica supports

§The Jazz Foundation of America

and

§The Innocence Project

 

 

 

ADAM GUSSOW is an official endorser for HOHNER HARMONICAS