I am learning these 4 pieces on piano, but wanted to play them on the Harmonica too. Now I tried Autumn leaves on a Bb harp, but the first 2 lines of notes, make me practice every bend there exist on 2,3 and hole 4 :-)
I was wondering, what harps/positions would you use to practice these tunes? Fly Me To the Moon Autumn Leaves Satin Doll All The Things You Are
I think practicing on the harp too makes me more familiar/secure on these tunes. https://photos.app.goo.gl/7bxaVfztRg2hrgUx5
I play FLY ME TO THE MOON in first position. I’ve been doing some duo gigs with with a black chick who sings and plays piano and she does this tune, so I had to learn it. Sounds pretty good in first.
AUTUMN LEAVES is playable in fifth position. Anytime I’ve had to play it G minor was the key that was called so I used an Eb harp. Not a difficult tune in fifth, however you don’t have the major 7th.
Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 17, 2018 9:45 PM
I used to play Satin Doll on a C harp in 2nd, but i have to say i was playing it for the sake of practicing hitting all the 3 draw bends and that may be the direct opposite approach of what you seek
@hvyj: Are you sure about "Autrumn leaves" in 5th? You generally give accurate information but here I wonder. If you have 2B as your starting note, (G on the Eb harp) you´d quickly run out of notes in the bottom section and you´ll have to OB hole 2 -- pretty tough; if you have 5B as starting point you´ll have to battle OB´s quite a few times.
I´d recommend Johan to stick with the Bb harp and use 4th postition. Yes, the bends are tricky, and if you´re the punctilious type you need a hole 4 OB at one point -- but still, the tune lays out rather nicely
Last Edited by Martin on Jul 18, 2018 2:45 PM
@Martin: I may not be able to get the melody exactly note for note, but I am able to fill and solo very effectively playing AUTUMN LEAVES in Fifth. Remember, in fifth 2 draw half step bend gives you the major second which is not a tough bend and 3 draw whole step bend ( which I think is easier to hit than the 3 draw half step bend) gives you a perfect fourth. 4 and 1 draw bend is major sixth. I don’t OB.
What gave me confidence about doing this is one gig where a very accomplished and formally trained chromatic player sat in and this tune was called. Of course he got the melody note for note, but my solo was by any standard much better than his and fit the tune very well. So, it works, even if I have to either fudge or lay out on some of the melody line. Other musicians who are much better jazz players than I am seem to like what I do with this tune, so I figure what I’m doing must be effective if not perfectly accurate in all respects. If it sounds good it is good, I guess.
Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 18, 2018 4:40 PM
Autumn leaves lays out fairly well in 4th, which gives you the default natural minor scale. And in the low register you get nearly all the notes if you develop all your bends in Holes 2 and 3. To play the melody with complete accuracy, there's a brief 4 overblow, (the "but" of "But I miss you most of all") but you can leave it out. =========== Winslow
This is a rehearsal recording of me playing FLY ME TO THE MOON in a duo with a female vocalist who is playing piano. It's a little rough. I'm playing a C harp in first position. I'm playing fills and solos working off the melody, but I don't actually play the melody note for note at any point since there is a vocalist. FWIW
Johan d Thanks for mentioning these Jazz classics. I think they would be cool to work on.
Thanks for the 4th position suggestion Johan/Martin/Winslow (Song key Gm and a Bb Richter harp) it works well. I think maybe all those low register notes are available? Here is a tab of how I think the melody lays out.
-3**-3+4-5 The Falling leaves +3-3**-3+5+5 Drift by your window -2**-2-3**-4 The autumn leaves +2-2*-3**+4 of red and gold
-3**-3+4-5 I see your lips +3-3**-3+5+5 The summer kisses -2**-2-3**-4 The sunburned hands -3-4+4-3** I used to hold
-3***-3**-3+2-3 Since you went away -3-3**-3+4 The days grow long +4-3+4-4 and soon I’ll hear +3+6-5+5 old winter’s song +4ob+5-5-5-4-4-3-5+5+5 but I miss you most of all my darling -3**-4+4-3 When autumn leaves +4+2-3** Start to fall
Autumn leaves is such a lovely song and I'm going to try a Jazzed up version of it sometime as it would be a good number to add to my set. Here is a quick melody only no frills sample testing out 4th position. The tonal difference of the bent notes could be better hidden on a jazzy version with backing.
Here's some upper register 4th position tab for AUTUMN LEAVES I found on line. Haven't tried it yet or compared the melody notes to your transcription (which sounds pretty accurate to me).
Thanks hvyi & for that high end tab. I don't venture up there so often and it would be a nice counterbalance to the low end stuff. I'm going to try that out as it looks ok on a quick run through.
Oops! I was just listening to Nat King Cole’s version and I think I got the following line wrong. It should be +4ob+5-5-5-4-4-3-5+5+5 but I miss you most of all my darling.
I have just been looking at 3rd position as this (rightly or wrongly) is my default minor position. I have to say I didn’t get on with it as well as in 4th but here is the tab for 3rd position and again all the melody notes are available:-
-4+5-5+6OB +4-4+5-6-6 -3*+4-4+6 -3**-3-4*-5
-4+5-5+6OB +4-4+5-6-6 -3*+4-4+6 +5+6-5-4
-4*-4+5-3**+5 +5-4+5-5 -5+5-5+6 +4+7+6ob-6 -6*-6+6ob+6ob+6+6+5,+6ob-6-6 oops I play +6 at start of line -4+6-5+5-5-3**-4
And an attempt at it using a C harp.
I think Christelle Berthon Takes this on in 2nd position on a C Harp in G minor! Man that's tough. -2-3**-3*+4ob, -2**-2-3**-4, +1ob-2**-2+4, -1+2-2*-3*!!!!
Here is my tab for the complete melody in 5th position.
This position is the least user friendly for the melody itself and you have to start on blow 5 to be able to obtain the lower register notes. I have also tabbed the +2 start but some of the lower register notes are not available (marked with @ symbol)
On the videos I have seen of this song I have most enjoyed it when the melody is played through first and then the improv. kicks in as it creates more interest and variety IMO. I should say I’m doing this exercise largely for my own benefit to examine the possibilities offered by the different positions and to train my ear to correctly identify the notes.
