"MAJOR SCALES" for 12 hole 'C' Chromatic.

[henrymouni]

With scales you start on the scale note, and finish on the same note.
Take 'C' as an example. You start on 1 blow ('C') & finish on 5 blow ('C').
You then carry on up the harmonica starting on 5 blow ('C') and finishing on 9 blow ('C').
You then go back down the scale, in the same way, starting at 9 blow('C').
The scales give you a feel for the different keys, and take you up and down your instrument
setting the hole positions in your memory.
The order that you play them in is often discussed.
Following the 'circle of fifths' is probably the most popular.

http://www.studybass.com/lessons/harmony/the-circle-of-fifths-diagram/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths

http://www.jazclass.aust.com/lessons/jt/jt10.htm


I will then do one for NATURAL MINOR Scales.



'C' Scale.

 C      D      E      F      G      A      B      C      D     E      F      G      A      B      C
 1     -1      2     -2      3     -3     -4       5    -5      6     -6      7     -7     -8      9
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'G' Scale

 G       A       B       C       D     E      F#     G       A      B      C       D      E      F#     G
 3      -3      -4       5      -5      6     -6*     7      -7     -8      9      -9     10    -10*   11  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'F' Scale

  F     G       A       Bb       C       D      E       F       G       A      Bb     C      D      E      F
 -2      3      -3      -3*      5      -5      6      -6       7      -7     -7*      9     -9     10   -10  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'D' Scale

 D       E      F#      G        A       B      C#      D      E       F#      G      A      B     C#     D
-1       2     -2*       3       -3      -4      5*     -5       6      -6*      7     -7     -8     9*     -9
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'Bb' Scale

 Bb      C       D      Eb     F      G      A      Bb     C      D      Eb       F     G      A      Bb    
 -3*     5      -5      -5*   -6      7     -7     -7*     9     -9      -9*    -10    11   -11   -11*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'A' Scale

 A      B      C#      D       E       F#      G#       A       B      C#    D      E       F#     G#     A
-3     -4      5*      -5       6      -6*       7*      -7      -8      9*    -9     10    -10*    11*   -11
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'Eb' Scale

 Eb      F      G      Ab      Bb     C      D      Eb     F      G      Ab      Bb    C      D      Eb
 -1*    -2     3       3*     -3*     5     -5     -5*    -6      7       7*     -7*    9     -9     -9*
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'E' Scale

 E      F#      G#      A      B      C#      D#      E       F#     G#      A      B     C#      D#     E
 2      -2*     3*      -3     -4      5*     -5*       6      -6*      7*     -7     -8      9*      -9*   10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'Ab' Scale

 Ab      Bb     C      Db      Eb      F     G      Ab      Bb     C     Db      Eb      F      G      Ab
 3*      -3*    5       5*     -5*    -6     7       7*     -7*     9     9*      -9*   -10    11     11*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'B'/'Cb' Scale

 B      C#      D#      E      F#     G#      A#      B      C#     D#      E      F#     G#     A#     B
-4      5*     -5*       6     -6*      7*      -7*     -8      9*     -9*      10   -10*    11*   -11*  -12
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'Db'/'C#' Scale

 Db      Eb     F      Gb      Ab     Bb      C      Db      Eb     F     Gb    Ab      Bb     C     Db
  1*     -1*   -2      -2*     3*     -3*     5       5*     -5*   -6     -6*    7*      -7*    9      9*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 'F#'/'Gb' Scale

 F#      G#      A#      B      C#     D#     F      F#      G#      A#     B      C#     D#     F      F#
 -2*     3*      -3*     -4      5*     -5*     -6     -6*      7*     -7*     -8      9*     -9*   -10   -10*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  

    

 
    

[EarthDogHarpin]

Pretty cool, Henry!  I like that!   

Deb

[henrymouni]

Pretty cool, Henry!  I like that!   

Deb

Thank you Deb!
A bit of a change from tunes!

Henry.

[landztranz]

I like it, too, Henry. Thank you! I'm going to get cracking on it ASAP.

Barry

[fundorin]

thanks Henry!

this is how i've adapted your work for my own purposes. i'm just a beginner, so your posts was very helpful.
i would like to hear a opinions about what should be changed/added for a newbie's chromatic handbook.

[henrymouni]

thanks Henry!

this is how i've adapted your work for my own purposes. i'm just a beginner, so your posts was very helpful.
i would like to hear a opinions about what should be changed/added for a newbie's chromatic handbook.

I am not sure what your aim is, the way you have set it out, but if it helps you it has to
be good!
To me, the Scales are a very important part in improving your play.


Henry.

[HallelujahAL]

Hey, I've found this so useful already!. Although I read music I need to know which holes to sucknblow - so I've copied over the info underneath music notation.
Many thanks!
AL

[Grizzly]

Learn your scales. By heart. Each octave is the same. The notes never migrate. The fly in the ointment is the blow and draw, but you'll get used to that, too. In fact, I'm sometimes unconscious of which direction my breathe is going in a tune; I just play. You'll get there too.

Tom

[smojoe]

Learn the addresses of all the notes. They all have names (just like people) They all have addresses. Well except in the case of diatonics where you are using notes that you materialized out of thin air. They don't have real addresses but live in the same building with the notes that do. The only thing is is that THEY live in the stairwell, the elevator shaft, the linen room, laundry room, furnace room, extinguisher locker, trash room, utility lkr, cleaning lkr, etc.
 
But I digress. Learn those addresses. THEN, you can go and 'deliver the mail'. And when learning scales, avoid C (on a c instrument). Waste of time. That will come naturally by osmosis.

smo-joe

[Grizzly]

[jon kip]

makes sense to me..at least I hope so, because I never really learned what number hole plays what notes.... I was too lazy to learn, I guess

Come to think about it (really) so was I. But I know what's in the adjacent holes, and am a pretty good judge of wider intervals. But equating hole numbers with pitches, nah. I just know that each octave is the same. I've even found myself in hole 8 when I thought I was in hole 9—until I realized I was playing C and B without moving my mouth. It just happened; C for me is usually 5 or 9.

I had a five year goal to know the harmonica well enough to play most of my flute repertoire. I didn't make it; but I surprise myself occasionally by just playing in a key I didn't think I was familiar with, kind of like sight reading the more familiar keys on flute. It's a nice feeling when it happens. Then in the next measure, I'll screw up…

Tom

[Grizzly]

Learn the addresses of all the notes. They all have names (just like people) They all have addresses. Well except in the case of diatonics where you are using notes that you materialized out of thin air. They don't have real addresses but live in the same building with the notes that do. The only thing is is that THEY live in the stairwell, the elevator shaft, the linen room, laundry room, furnace room, extinguisher locker, trash room, utility lkr, cleaning lkr, etc.
 
But I digress. Learn those addresses. THEN, you can go and 'deliver the mail'. And when learning scales, avoid C (on a c instrument). Waste of time. That will come naturally by osmosis.

smo-joe

"in the same building," LOL. Great imagery.

Learning the C scale on a C harmonica hard-wired me into that particular blow-draw pattern, which caused me fits at first. I heard the same thing happen from my band students, when I taught, whenever they learned a new key. They got over it, mostly, in time, as I did. Lots of patterns to learn on a solo tuned harmonica; but that approach is how I learned other instruments. Each scale is unique. As a reader, I think that it helps with pitch recognition. A dedicated address makes a lot of sense.

Tom

[jonkip]

I had a five year goal to know the harmonica well enough to play most of my flute repertoire. I didn't make it

Tom

finally,  a downside to becoming a good flute player.  Had you been less skilled on flute, you'd have made your harmonica goal. I hope you learned your lesson...actually, learning your lesson was what got you into this goal-missing thing.... so I guess there's no hope.

yet we keep trying.... good for us.

[Grizzly]

I didn't miss by much, jon. My musical background, including flute, probably knocked at least a few years off the process. Not everyone has that advantage. It's made me lazy, though. I could be even better if I played scales and exercises.

Tom

[jonkip]

didn't miss by much, jon. My musical background, including flute, probably knocked at least a few years off the process. Not everyone has that advantage. It's made me lazy, though. I could be even better if I played scales and exercises.

I bet playing flute gave you insight into sound, pitch and other things that, upon occasion, go lacking in the harmonica world. Present online company excepted, of course. I've heard your duets up here, and your flute playing is right there inside your CX12. Or better said, coming out of it.

a fine thing.

[Grizzly]

Thanks, jon.

Tom

[smojoe]

(personally) I feel that having another instrument under your belt gives one a HUGE advantage. Especially if they learned to read at that time. And flute is about as good as it gets for learning harmonica. Lots of flute music is a natural for harmonica. AND since you aren't 'pinching' the mouthpiece (as in sax & clar), but holding it loosely in your mouth, the embochure from flute to harmonica is also a natural. Another advantage: since flautists are 'used' to using a lot of air because most gets slip streamed out into space, the wind needed for harmonica is comparitively a non sequeter.

smo-joe

[SlideMeister]

Learn the addresses of all the notes. They all have names (just like people) They all have addresses. Well except in the case of diatonics where you are using notes that you materialized out of thin air. They don't have real addresses but live in the same building with the notes that do. The only thing is is that THEY live in the stairwell, the elevator shaft, the linen room, laundry room, furnace room, extinguisher locker, trash room, utility lkr, cleaning lkr, etc.
 
But I digress. Learn those addresses. THEN, you can go and 'deliver the mail'. And when learning scales, avoid C (on a c instrument). Waste of time. That will come naturally by osmosis.

smo-joe

Of course this is an opinion but that, my friends, might just be one of the most helpful things ever said on this forum!

You da man Smoje'

SlideMeister

[smojoe]

Thank you for being so kind A.J.

I first brought this up on the list back when we started. I don't consider it very enlightening but it's just the way I always felt. When I was learning tunes, I would call on my friends at particular addresses to accomplish particular things I wanted to do.  I also feel that each note has a personality, and THAT's why I don't always play a C instrument. These people are my friends. Everyone gets a shot.

smo-joe

[Grizzly]

(personally) I feel that having another instrument under your belt gives one a HUGE advantage. Especially if they learned to read at that time. And flute is about as good as it gets for learning harmonica. Lots of flute music is a natural for harmonica. AND since you aren't 'pinching' the mouthpiece (as in sax & clar), but holding it loosely in your mouth, the embochure from flute to harmonica is also a natural. Another advantage: since flautists are 'used' to using a lot of air because most gets slip streamed out into space, the wind needed for harmonica is comparitively a non sequeter.

smo-joe

Never thought of it that way. Flute embouchures and reed embouchures are complex, anyway. As relaxed as my flute embouchure is, my harmonica embouchure is even more so, especially on a CX-12, where there is no seam to seal, corner blocking. Reed embouchure, especially clarinet, does require pressure from the upper teeth and the lower lip covering the bottom teeth. But the jaw has to be kept open and the chin pointed down. There are variations, but those are the essentials. Seems to me that taking the tension out of the lips would accomplish something similar to what I use.

Regarding breath, perhaps on an exhale; but inhales can still tank me up pretty quickly. It took some conscious effort not to take a deep breath to start pieces that were mostly inhales to begin with. And the tighter the harmonica, the better. I actually have to hold back some.

Things to think about while learning scales. Get a good tone first, and try to maintain it while playing scales. Like walking and chewing gum, perhaps, but necessary.

Tom

[HallelujahAL]

Things to think about while learning scales. Get a good tone first, and try to maintain it while playing scales. Like walking and chewing gum, perhaps, but necessary.

yep - that's where I'm at. I also keep hitting other notes around the note I'm trying to hit - so 'learning the address' is quite appropriate for me at the moment.
AL

[Grizzly]

C-E-G and C-F-A are chords, not scales.

Think glottal stop instead of coughing, as in whispering, "uh-uh." Draw is harder. Without the harmonica, exhale four glottal stops, followed by four inhale glottal stops, slowly. Do it a lot. Add the harmonica. Do it a lot. Cut back to three, then two glottal stops per breath exchange. Do it a lot. Cut back to one per breath exchange. Then work for speed. Five minutes a day may be all you're good for, or all your loved ones can stand to listen to.

Tom

[m.marino]

Scales, arpeggios, and joined note runs will help a lot in control and expression. I was vocally trained first than violin and harmonica as a kid (the two choirs I was in wept when I hit puberty, male first sopranos are very rare). It took a lot of work to get the ear right after the voice settled. Also play recorder and find that the more I play harmonica the easy my recorder playing gets.

I start my day of practice off on harmonica or concertina the Key of G up and down the limits of the instrument and than move on to other exercises. I try to go slow and keep the notes even. doing two to four repeats increasing in speed each time. it has helped and getting to where the fingers know the keys by sense and the mouth knows which way the air needs to go without thinking. Still getting sense of place down on the 16 hole chrom's I have but the 12 holes are pretty easy for me. Interesting I own a CX-12 but it is my least played Harp as far as the chromatics go. Might want to work on a few exercises with that a bit and see how it changes my response times.

Smokin-Joe has the right of it though; knowing the position in your head (without thinking) allows for a lot of secondary expression that is hard other wise. I also am a strong proponent of different keyed Chromatics as the chording and harmonic variation it allows the player in expression that you just can not do on a C harp.

Michael

[Grizzly]

Mike, I like what you say about harmonica helping your recorder playing. There is a cross-fertilization going on, yes? I find the same thing between flute and harmonica; it's a two-way street.

Try playing more on your CX 12. You may find, because the cover automatically makes you open your mouth wider (especially if you tongue block), that it will influence how you approach your other harmonicas. I think a bigger oral cavity influences tone in a positive way.

Tom

[HJHESQ]

Thanks for the info Grizzly. I think what I was advised was to do the C, E and G scales, etc.. What you wrote allows me to make sense of it. It was not about chords.

I guess it is more confusing (to me) when you simply don't know better.

HH

[SlideMeister]

Looks like we're back in business! 

[banjo-guy]

C-E-G and C-F-A are chords, not scales.

Think glottal stop instead of coughing, as in whispering, "uh-uh." Draw is harder. Without the harmonica, exhale four glottal stops, followed by four inhale glottal stops, slowly. Do it a lot. Add the harmonica. Do it a lot. Cut back to three, then two glottal stops per breath exchange. Do it a lot. Cut back to one per breath exchange. Then work for speed. Five minutes a day may be all you're good for, or all your loved ones can stand to listen to.

Tom

Hi Tom,
If you were to put a metronome marking on the quarter note and were playing  16th notes , how fast can one get using glottal stops where each note is a separate attack of an intake or an exhale? ( just to be clear four ins followed by four outs )

[Grizzly]

For me? Not very fast. I might try pulsing them with my breath to make the separation, but my glottal articulations aren't all that fast. YMMV.
Tom

[banjo-guy]

I am pretty slow with the glottal stops... very slow on the intake. I was just wondering how fast they can get and if they can ever reach the level needed to play very quick passages. I can articulate very quickly when using the pucker.
I also am finding that it is really hard to make the ins and out sound the same. It is very hard to accent on the intake glottal .
I am sure players have overcome all of this through hard work.

[Grizzly]

Keep workin' Greg! It gets easier the more you do it. Just a thought: instead of trying to make the inhales sound like the exhales, try it the other way around. I don't even think about it; it just sounds even.

Tom

[simmer]

Tnx a lot!