Blues in E on Chromatic - Part 10

Sweetening the scale with C# - third of three installments.

So far, we've connected C# with E and D to the right, and to B on the left.

This time I'm going even farther to the left.

Before we start, remember the tab I'm using:

Hole number, followed by B for blow or D for Draw. Slide-in notes have a <, as in 1B< (Hole one, blow with the slide held in).

You may remember that the standard chromatic tuning has two C's - and, with the slide in, two C#s, side by side, in Holes 4 and 5, and again in Holes 8 and 9.

So far, we've used the C#s on the right, in Holes 5 and 9. This works well when you're using this note in conjunction with E (one hole to the right in 6B), D (right on top of it in 5D) and connecting these notes with B (one hole to the left in 4D).

But when you're approaching C# from the left, sometimes it's smoother to use the left C# as well, in Hole 4 or 8.

The first move I'm giving you is:

3B 4B< 3B 4B<

Here, you have to do two things at once moving from Hole 3 to Hole 4:

-- Use your right hand to move the harmonica one hole to the left, using you right hand

-- Use your right index finger to press the slide in - which also moves to the left.

So with the harmonica moving to the left and the slide chasing it, you have to move the slide fast enough to land on the IN position by the time you get to Hole 4. Work on this move until you can play it cleanly.

The notes here are G (3B) and C# (4B<). They make a weird-sounding interval called a tritone. In some countries, this is the sound that ambulance sirens make.

Now let's use this to create a lick:

2B 3B 4B< 4D 3B 2B

note that you're moving from 4B< (C#) to 4D (B). In the last installment you used 5B< instead of 4B< (same note, both play C#) with 4D. It's good to be experienced with both moves, and use the C# in Hole 5 when you move to 4D from the right, and the C# in Hole 4 (4B<) when you move in from the left, as we're doing here.

Here's a note sequence that also connects 4D and 4B<, along with some other slide moves you've learned in previous installments:

2B 3B 3D 3D< 4D 4B< 4D 3B 3D 3D< 3D 3B 2B 1D 2B

Another useful connection for 4B< is over the IV chord.

In E the IV chord is A, containing the notes A C# E (and G if it's a 7th chord).

A is 3D, and the closest C# is in 4B<. When you move between them, you change slide position, breath direction, and hole.so it takes some coordination. Try this:

4B< 3D 4B< 3D etc.

You're moving the harp and the slide the same way you do when you played the 3B 4B< combination earlier. You're just adding the breath change to draw when you play Hole 3.

Try adding some notes to create these two licks:

4B< 3D 3B 3D and 4B< 3D 3B 2B

But what if you want to play A and C#, and then head for higher notes to the right?

If you play A in 3D and then try to leap to the C# in 5B< on your way to D or E, you run the risk of landing on both C#s at once (4D< and 5D<) together. When you hear two reeds both sounding the C#, it rings out differently that a single reed and draws attention to that note.

Not a terrible tragedy, but it can sound sloppy. However, it can also leave you uncertain as to whether you're in Hole 4 or Hole 5 and what will happen when you make your next move.

One way to deal with this is to learn the location of both C#s relative to A.

First try playing this:

3D 4B< 4D 4B< 3D 4B< 4D 4B< etc.

This confirms that you're playing 4B< and not 5B< because when you inhale in the same hole, the note goes down to B instead of up to D.

Once you can reliably move between 3D and 4B<, try extending to D in 5D with these licks:

3D 4B< 4D 4B< 5D 4B< 4D 4B<

(Again, you're using the B in 4D to confirm that you're playing 4B< and not 5B<.)

3D 4B< 5D 6B 5D 4B< 4D 4B<

But what if you want to go from A to C#, then move directly to E in 6B?

First, try this:

3D 5B< 5D 5B< 3B 5B< 5D 5B< etc.

You're leaping from 3D to 5B< an using the draw note in Hole 5 (D) to confirm that you've landed on 5B< and not on 4B< because the note goes up to D (5D) and not down to B (4B<).

Once you get the hang of that, try going directly from C# to E:

3D 5B< 6B 5B< 3D 5B< 6B 5B< etc.

Now try to create some licks, such as:

3D 5B< 6B 4D 5B< 3D

3D 5B< 6B 7B 7D 7B 6B 5B<

6B 7B 6B 5B< 3D 3B 3D

OK, now that you have C# coming out your ears, let's give it a rest. Next time I'll add the final mising note: G#, the major 3rd of the E scale.