find yourself a "circle of 5ths" chart. it's a very easy to use reference on all positions relative to the key of the song. google it and make a laminated copy for your harp case. i don't leave home without it!
that's correct- in general, you'll play in 2nd position, that's a 5th off. Easiest way to figure it out is to count across your hand (from thumb to pinky) to figure out what key a harp plays second position in. a D harp, from the thumb, plays in the key of D E F G *A* (pinky = A)
harp = key in 2nd pos Dharp = A E = B F = C G = D A = E Bb = F C = G
minor keys generally work in 3rd, 4th, or 5th position, so just do the same thing once, twice or 3 times more e.g. for a C harp: 2nd: G 3rd: Dm 4th: Am 5th: Em
Hi, I need some pointers on using the right key while jamming. Some jams set up and start so fast that I don't get time to fing out what key the lead guitar is jamming in. I'm not sure but a guy from Austin Texas told me if the lead is playing in A then I (harp) plays 4 notes higher. Counting the key they are playing in as A 1, B 2, C3, and the harp plays in D 4 notes higher... Is this fairly reliable for cross harping on 10 hole Major Diatonic blues harp? Thanks for any feedback.
