Notes in Sheet Music

Okay, get ready. Here we go...

The short answer in different words…
Since each harmonica is identical to the other, just higher or lower in pitch, you can read and “think" on one key of harmonica (we use the C) and by grabbing a different key of harmonica, the harmonica does the transposing/key change for you.

The long answer...
The first thing to understand about studying blues harmonica is that listening is the most important tool we have—blues has always been an aural tradition. The majority of players of my age and older learned exclusively by ear (we had no choice… study material was not available). Now that lesson material and transcriptions are available, you have the opportunity to learn much faster than our trial and error method, but not everything can, nor should be, conveyed in music notation alone. Make listening your priority while learning.

The majority of students (~99%) use harmonica tablature (TAB) as their main mode of learning. They use the TAB to tell them what holes to play and what techniques to use—using the recording for the rhythm and feel.

I’ve primarily provided standard music notation as well for those that already know how to read music. Students that don’t know how to read often tell me that they still like it over TAB alone, due to the visual nature of music notation. They get an idea of the music’s contour by seeing the notes go up or down, and they get an idea of the rhythm, mostly by the spacing of the TAB below the note heads.

I write all of my instruction material from the perspective of using a C Harmonica. The C Harmonica does not have any flats or sharps, so it’s easy to see when pitch is changed (the occurrence of a flat for example indicates a bend). For purposes of reading and music theory study, I have students memorize this C Harmonica, and all the bends that it can produce. We commonly play in three positions/keys on the harmonica. For the C Harmonica they are C (1st Position), G (2nd Position), and D (3rd Position). 2nd Position is the most common position—this is what you’re studying right now. As a player advances, it’s important for them to learn the 12 Bar Blues progression, which uses three chords in 2nd Position (I7 = G B DF / IV7 = C E G Bb / V7 = D F# A C). When playing the accompaniment role (backing a vocalist or soloist) or soloing, it’s essential to know the notes of the chords you’re playing over and where those notes are found on the harmonica.

To sum up so far…
Students commonly use a combination of the provided MP3 recording and printed TAB to learn from. They eventually memorize the C Harmonica and the three chords used in blues when playing in 2nd Position. The student is always thinking on the C Harmonica, as well as reading for the C Harmonica if they are reading the music notation.

Why this works…
Each harmonica is intervalically the same as the other.

For example, the C Harmonica has C (1st note of its scale) as 1+, D (2nd note of the scale) as 1 draw, and E (3rd note of its scale) as 2+. So, 1+ 1 2+ (C D E) equals the first three notes of the well-known Stephen Foster folk song "Oh! Susanna.” On an A Harmonica, 1+ is A (1st note of its scale), 1 draw is B (2nd note), and 2+ is C# (3rd note). So again, 1+ 1 2+ (A B C#) are the first three notes of "Oh! Susanna.” Easy. We don't have to memorize the A Major scale and the note layout for the A Major harmonica to play in a different key. We don't need to know that in order to play in the key of A that we would need to play A B C#, all we need to know is to play 1+ 1 2+. It doesn’t matter which harmonica we “think” or read in, as long as we get to the right holes. To know one harmonica is to know them all.

Another example (one more relevant to the blues player), is if we’re playing in the key of G on the C Harmonica (2nd Position). 2 draw is G, the root note of the one chord (G is the 5th note from the key of the harmonica... C D E F G). It’s imperative to know where your root note is—it’s the note that all your licks resolve to. If you grab a D Harmonica and play it in 2nd Position, you and the band are in the key of A. 2 draw is still your root note of the one chord (D E F# G A… 2 draw is A). Again, all we have to do is get to the right hole—2 draw in this case.

The term Root Note is based on what we call the Scale Degree system. This simply works by numbering the scale instead of using actual letter names. In our last example we said root note, not 2 draw G on the C Harp, or 2 draw A on the D Harp… we just think we’re playing the root note. When we communicate with other musicians, we use the same terminology. When a guitarist says, “Hey Dave, what’s the note you’re payin’ there,” I don’t say G or A, I say that I’m playing the root and the guitarist knowns we're speaking of the one chord (because that’s where the lick is that I’m playing) and he knows what the root note is in that key. Thinking in scale degrees is a universal language.

One would think that if the actual note being sounded is different than what you’re thinking is nuts. But… this is commonplace in music. When a trumpet reads C on the written page and plays C on their instrument, it actually sounds Bb (B-flat). When a French horn reads and plays a C, it sounds F. When the Also sax plays the written C, it sounds Eb. These are known as Transposing Instruments. When the conductor is reading the master score in the key of Bb for example, the conductor actually has to transpose in their head what note each instrument is playing before they give them direction (imagine them saying, “Tenor Saxes, make sure to really articulate the D in the opening to the bridge,” when on his score it’s notated as a C. I could go on, but I just wanted to share an example that musicians think all the time in keys other than what’s actually sounding on their instrument.

You CAN read in the actual pitch of the harmonica that you’re playing, but that requires you to memorize all twelve major keys and the note layouts for all twelve keys of harmonica. This is an option, but in no way is it practical for the majority of players.

To finally sum up…
We think and read as if we’re playing on a C Harmonica, no matter what key we’re actually playing on/in. Our thinking and reading brings us to the correct hole numbers… that’s what counts… the harmonica will do the transposition for us. When we communicate with other musicians, we use scale degrees, due to their universal nature. Make sure to use a Harmonica Position Chart to ensure that you’re picking up the correct key of harmonica to match the band.

I hope this clarifies things for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.