TOM PETTY HARP KEY(PLEASE HELP)

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:42 pm

A band I just joined wants me to play harmonica on MARY JANE'S LAST DANCE. I can play the part, but need to know what key the harp is. Anybody?
By the way, the chords under the harp part are Am-G-D-Am. Didn't know where else to post this!

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:40 pm

Steve, I can't help you about the harmonica, but you probably should post this under "The Others", which is the catch-all for items that don't fall into any other category.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:44 am

Hi Steve.

I don’t play harp but I know that this is a more complicated question than it seems. It depends on what kind of harp it is, which position to start in and what type of song it is.
There are some online guides and web applets to help you.

Here are a couple:

http://www.harmonicalessons.com/overview_chart.html

http://www.harmaniac.com/key_table.htm

By the way, I (finally) answered your Jorma/Airplane/lead/sharp question over in the Byrds thread.

Regards, - Mark

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:43 am

Hi Mark- Thanks for asking Jorma. Bet he was a little miffed, as I'm sure he's been asked that before, and probably isn't too wild about the subject.
BTW, the harp question is a simple one, certainly not answered by the directive to 'harmonica lessons'! But thanks for responding.
I'll re-post it under 'the others', although I can't think of a better place to put a Petty reference (on a Rick forum)than under the Byrds.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:44 am

Steve: Can you send me an mp3? Your question should be very straightforward.

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:58 am

Hi Peter- Thanks, but I'm sorry to say I haven't the slightest idea how to send an mp3! I re-posted the question on THE OTHERS, BTW.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:08 am

Steve, don't worry about Jorma. I've asked him lots of those type of questions over the past 3 1/2 years or so. I think he's come to expect them from me and he's always gracious enough to answer.

Did you look at the links. Even though one of the sites says "lessons" the actual page is a harmonica key table.
It's just a tool to help me dis-mystify why, when our band is doing a blues song in C, our harp players doesn't use a C harmonica.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:57 am

Peter, I could send you an mp3 - do you want the whole song, or just a snippet with the harmonica part?

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:27 am

Thanks Gary and Peter. Hope you can help.

Mark- I'm what I call a 'wheezer'. I just use harmonica to flavor a song, a la Dylan (but not quite as good).
But i do know enough to know that for blues, one usually uses a 'cross harp'approach, which is a 4th up. In other words, if you're doing a blues in C, you'd use a F harp. You can access the 7ths better, which is more dominant in blues.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:20 am

OK, Steve, gotcha.

"More dominant in blues," huh?
Pun intended?

qmoder · Post by **qmoder** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:38 pm

Normally since the songs is nominally Am then the key should be C for Harmonica. But I found a listing for minor key harmonica's on musicians friend. So I bought and Am harmonica to do the little parts in MJ's Last Dance with.
I don't if it will work yet as I have'nt actually tried it. What ever you find out please post it. I had to use a C harmonica for I Should Have Known Better. So keys on harmonicas don't always mean you've got a match.

ataritoobin · Post by **ataritoobin** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:56 pm

Steve-

I accidentally found this out once. Strange as it sounds, I believe I was able to replicate the Mary Jane's Last Dance part with a G harmonica. If you've got one lying around, give it a try!

-Steve

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:13 pm

Hi Steve- I tried a G. No go. See, the thing is harmonicas are like $25 apiece or more, and I don't use one that often, so I need to know (no pun intended). I've tried G and A. That's all I have laying around.
I'm thinking C or D.

chingnchime · Post by **chingnchime** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 6:57 am

WAIT!! SUCCESS! It CAN be done w/ a G harp. Still not sure that's what they're using, but i can access the notes.
Turns out my G harp (which I'd tried before) has a couple of missing notes i hadn't noticed, but when I tried it on the A harp, i could play the song in Bm. Since the song is in Am, a G harp will work.
Thanks to all who tried to help.

wiggle_finger · Post by **wiggle_finger** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:35 pm

Hey Steve,
Get a D harp. My Harp mentor taught me to "Cross-Harp".
Song is in G, use a C Harp.A/D, B/E, F/Bb, E/A, D/G etc...

You use this technique so that the first note your playing is a note you are inhaling. That way you have enough breath to play the rest of the solo and don't faint onstage.
Cheers,
Eddie