Poll: Your second chromatic key?
Quick question for those of you who have chromatics in two or more keys: Assuming a C was your first, what was your sexond?
I thought of this during yesterday's Dennis Gruenling Zoom Q&A that focused on the the music of William Clarke. One of the pieces that Dennis analyzed was in C in third position, i.e., on a Bb chromatic. Dennis talked about how when he first heard the song and tried to figure it out on his C chromatic, and couldn't figure out how Clarke was getting those sounds. And then the light went on. He wasn't playing a C, he was playing a Bb.
So, what was your first chormatic that wasn't a C? And why?
I have a C, a Bb and an F. The F works great in 3rd position in G, and is easily switched with a C diatonic in 2nd position for vary the sound of a G blues. Especially at a workshop or camp where everyone brings a C diatonic, and the house band does everything in G. Plus, as it's tuned in what's essentially Low F, it sounds like a freight train rumbling through the room. Esecially when playing octaves, fake octaves and double-stops.
Quick story: Some years ago at a show presented by a harp great who I won't name, he played a minor blues in Cm in 3rd position. After the show I told him that I really liked that he'd pulled out a Bb chromatic for the number, i.e., that it gave it a great sound. "You must have a really good ear!," he responded. "No," I confessed, "I heard you yell at the piano player, 'Slow 12-bar in C-minor!'"
Q: How can you make a trumpet player cry?
A: Call a tune in B-natural.
I have a couple of C Chromatics and am considering another key. Sooooooo, what should I get? I am playing blues, rock and some pop stuff. An A? G? B flat? Looking for some direction here. Any suggestions and explanation is appreciated.
THink about two things:
What keys are most of the songs in?
What key position, if any, do you want to use?
The answers to these questions may not be obvious. Just as with diatonic, first position is not always the most attractive for playing a song.
In blues, third position is the most frequently heard way of using a chromatic, but you do occasionally hear second and first position. All positions and keys are possible, of course.
I'd suggest taking a tally of the keys of the various songs you're thinking of playing on chromatic. Then look at various keys of chromatic and figure out which positions each of them would use to play those songs. From that comparison, a choice might emerge. If you want to post what you come up with and discuss it, please, do.
A lot of great blues tunes are in E, often described as "The People's Key," because it tends to lend itself to certain lines on a standard-tuned guitar. (And 2nd position on an A harp seems common.)
At jams it's called out by guitarists perhaps more frequently than some other keys. So I've been working on E scales on my C chromatic, just to add a little wrinkle. I.e., 5th position on the C chromatic.
"Big Harp George" Bisharat, a former student of David's who now has five successful CDs out, worked for years on playing all keys on the C chromatic, which gives him great versatility.
In other keys you don't get the same cool chording effects as you do in 3rd position on the chromatic, but every position has its plusses.
My second chromatic was a Bb, but not because of third position.
I was in music school and involved in writing for big band ensembles where a lot of the instruments are Bb instruments - trumpet, clarinet, tenor sax, soprano sax. I figured that with a Bb chromatic I could read music written for them without transposing. When I got it, I also liked the mellower tone. I still have it (an early 1970s #270 Super Chromonica, though I've since converted it to screw construction and put it on a stainless steel comb.
Since then I've acquired or built various other keys: F (Bill Clarke could also sound magnificent in third on a Low F chromatic), D, A, E, and even B.