Help me create CDs with harmonica riffs in a single key!

September 27, 2010 7:51 AM

Help me create CDs with harmonica riffs in a single key!

I want to get good at the [diatonic] harmonica by playing along to great songs, but my ear isn't good enough to know what harmonica I should be using.

Help me create CDs with harmonica riffs in a single key (e.g. "every track on this CD has harmonica in the 'C' key"), by naming songs and the harmonica key used.

I'm a fan of such classic rock greats as Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Blind Melon, but I'm willing to expand.

Any other mouth-harp beginner tips are welcome, of course.

posted by jander03 to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: This is slightly tangential, but here's a great page that lists all of Dylan's songs and what key the harmonica is in. Good luck!
posted by allseeingabstract at 7:54 AM on September 27, 2010

The Wizard!
posted by googly at 8:03 AM on September 27, 2010

Just an idea that might not have occurred to you -- the vagaries of recording technology may mean the songs aren't going to play back exactly in the key they were recorded in. I don't know if you can tune your harmonica to fit a song which is a quarter-tone sharp or flat.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 3:43 AM on September 28, 2010

Best answer: Thanks fr the help. I also found http://www.harptabs.com/
posted by jander03 at 4:03 PM on September 29, 2010