Chromatic Harmonica Question

[FingahPickah]

Years ago, as a solo performer I used to accompany my guitar by playing diatonic harmonica (Piano Man, various Neil Young, etc.)

I've been playing diatonic harmonica a little more than usual lately with a 5-piece rock cover band.

Think "Road House Blues", "Dirty Water", "What I Like About You", and a handful of others.

I am familiar with cross-harp method (Key of A harp for songs in E, etc).

I'm considering either a 10 or 12 hole chromatic to increase my functional but limited skills and repertoire.

Does the same cross-harp method apply? I.e., Buy a key of A chromatic for songs in E?

[Wade Hampton]

So far as I can tell, chromatic harmonicas just come in one key and you manipulate the button to get whatever keys you need. Admittedly, I’m not a chromatic harp player, though, so don’t take my word as gospel on the subject.

Where’s Steve DeRosa? He seems to be all-knowing about this stuff.


Wade Hampton Miller

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

I am familiar with cross-harp method (Key of A harp for songs in E, etc).

I'm considering either a 10 or 12 hole chromatic to increase my functional but limited skills and repertoire.

Does the same cross-harp method apply? I.e., Buy a key of A chromatic for songs in E?

I don't think so. Blues or cross harp just enables its own style. Chromatic is totally different. Little Stevie Wonder played a chromatic on Fingertips -- nothing like a blues harp. I'm sure the harp was in the key of the song.

[Rudy4]

You CAN play cross harp on a chromatic, the layout is the same for blow / draw notes and the slide just shifts to the alternate bank of reeds, usually a half step from the non-actuated harp so all the sharps and flats are available.

The larger question is why you would want to do that.

Most every harp player who plays cross harp uses reed bending technique, which is very hard on the reeds. Chromatic harps are EXPENSIVE so most harp players use them as they are intended to be used and stick to cheaper harps for blues.

[PineMarten]

The debate between having different keyed chromatics or just learning to play in every key on a standard C chromatic is quite similar to the capo/no capo discussions on guitar forums! It's possible to play in any key on a C chromatic, but the note layout means that different keys have a different feel due to the mix of blow/draw notes, and some keys are quite tricky and unintuitive.
The C chromatic is the standard one - "cross harp" in the way that people do it on diatonic isn't really a thing. But many blues players will use a C chromatic to play in D minor as it has a particular sound and feel with a nice minor 6 chord in the draw notes, so alternate keyed chromatics can enable that in other keys. There are a few jazz players favouring B flat chromatics for a more intuitive layout in flat keys, and some folk players using D and G chromatics for the keys common in their music. But those are quite specialised use cases.

[Guitars44me]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

You CAN play cross harp on a chromatic, the layout is the same for blow / draw notes and the slide just shifts to the alternate bank of reeds, usually a half step from the non-actuated harp so all the sharps and flats are available.

The larger question is why you would want to do that.

Most every harp player who plays cross harp uses reed bending technique, which is very hard on the reeds. Chromatic harps are EXPENSIVE so most harp players use them as they are intended to be used and stick to cheaper harps for blues.

This explains a lot.

I play in the rack almost all the time. You need a hand free to work the chromatic….

Play on and have FUN

Paul

[Robin, Wales]

Some expensive chromatics have plastic valves over the reeds. They will not cross harp play as the reeds will not draw bend.

Honer do, or did (I've not looked it up), make a chromatic specifically for cross harp playing.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

Years ago, as a solo performer I used to accompany my guitar by playing diatonic harmonica (Piano Man, various Neil Young, etc.)

I've been playing diatonic harmonica a little more than usual lately with a 5-piece rock cover band.

Think "Road House Blues", "Dirty Water", "What I Like About You", and a handful of others.

I am familiar with cross-harp method (Key of A harp for songs in E, etc).

I'm considering either a 10 or 12 hole chromatic to increase my functional but limited skills and repertoire.

Does the same cross-harp method apply? I.e., Buy a key of A chromatic for songs in E?

Why don't you watch this video by someone playing a C chromatic harp in the key of D minor.....



I believe he'll get you closer to an informed answer to your question.

HE

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by FingahPickah

. . . Does the same cross-harp method apply? I.e., Buy a key of A chromatic for songs in E?

No. Unlike a diatonic harp, the notes of most chromatic harps are the same whether you blow or draw. A chromatic harmonic has all the notes and is for playing in all keys. A button provides the sharps and flats, a.k.a. the black keys.

Think of Stevie Wonder's harmonica solos, like Alfie, at 1:40. (Watch his right hand.) Highly melodic because he can hit all the notes. And tricky as hell to pull off.

Some diatonic harpists solve chord changes beyond I/IV/V by using more than one harp per song. For instance, Norton Buffalo used four for his solo in Bonnie Raitt's version of Runaway, at 1:25. How cool is that? Easier than learning chromatic. Cheaper, too.

And notice that he's cross-harping all the time — the difference between blues- and rock-style and Dylan/Young-style.

------------

Bonus: More Stevie: Human Nature

[FingahPickah]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Why don't you watch this video by someone playing a C chromatic harp in the key of D minor.....



I believe he'll get you closer to an informed answer to your question.

HE

Thank you. This was helpful.

[frankmcr]

A C (for example) chromatic harmonica CAN play in all 12 keys but that really isn't what it's good at. What it's good at is playing melodies in the key of C major (and its relative minor Am)* that have accidentals. That's why Hohner (for one) makes its standard chrom , the Super Chromonica, in A B C D E F & G.

Sure, you can get a single chrom & learn to play it in all the keys, but why make things difficult for yourself? Howard Levy can play a single Marine Band in all 12 keys, which is amazing, but harps are available in every key for chump change compared to the price of guitars.



*EDIT also C# major and A# minor (a/k/a B flat minor) if you default to keeping the slide pushed in.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

A C (for example) chromatic harmonica CAN play in all 12 keys but that really isn't what it's good at. What it's good at is playing melodies in the key of C major (and its relative minor Am) that have accidentals. That's why Hohner (for one) makes its standard chrom , the Super Chromonica, in A B C D E F & G. . . .

That makes sense. Glad you mentioned it. Thanks!