[Harp-L] converting diatonic notation to tab - charts

[phil...@aol.com]

DO-IT-YOURSELF TAB MADE EASY


This is a quick and dirty method to convert standard notation into harmonica tab -- regardless of the key.
If you have a blues fake book or any kind of song book, hymn book, camp fire you can easily make your tab.


Several years ago( 2009?) in preparation for teaching my Harmonica 101* class at a local community college I decided to include a notation chart that I found on the web showing standard notation on the treble clef and the equivalent diatonic tab (-4 = draw 4, +5 = blow 5) in all12 keys. I used the chart to demonstrate how easy it was to convert standard notation into harp tab -- even without reading music.



Needless to say, when I recently went looking for this collection of layouts, I couldn't find them.


(*I always use songbooks with notation and tab for my classes. Anybody can read tab after 2 minutes (music reading takes longer, at least 5 minutes). I tell my students you use the music notation like traffic signs. Quarter note gets one tap, half note = 2 taps, whole note 4 taps etc -- rest sign HOLD YOUR TONGUE. SILENCE! Plus, if I'm demonstrating how a song goes on a keyboard, it's easier to me to play a note instead of a blow 6 on the keyboard.)




But I found what I needed -- in a better format -- at the <harptabs.com> home page under Tab Rulers in the 4th box (resources) on the left side of the page.


To use these charts you don't need to read music, you don't even need to read English.
However, you do have to be smart enough to find a dot (note head) on say the first line of the treble staff on your sheet music and then again on the tab ruler (key chart) and write down the corresponding number +4 or -4 or whatever. If you are writing your home-made tab directly on the sheet music, use a pencil -- in case you write down the wrong number.


I read music but I don't know the layouts of all 12 diatonic keys off the top of my head. So if I wanted to play a song in Eb, I would find these charts handy.


The added advantage of making your own tab, it that, of course, tab transposes. The same tab that works in Eb will also work in C or any other key of standard major diatonic tuning.


You can download pdf files for:
* All 12 diatonic keys complete with bends and overblows
* Individual diatonic tab rules for every key
* chromatic music scale and diatonic tab in color (shows overblows, overdraws)






FYI: HARPTABS has a truck load of tabs, some better than others, some with lots of wrong notes. If you make your own tabs using the tab ruler you at least know who to blame and do it over if it doesn't sound right.




Or link to the below address: and take your choices


<http://www.harptabs.com/ruler.php>


(All tab rulers are copyright by M.W. Moliino.)



hope this helps,


Phil

[rex]

I've been reading music for over 40 years and playing various string instruments. When I started playing harp 12 years ago I wanted to be able to use sheet music but each key harp had a different layout. One thing I noticed is that if you are playing a C harp in the key of G then the note on the second line from the bottom ( a G note) is a draw 2. The note on the third line from the bottom (B) is draw 3. Fourth line (D) is draw four. Fifth line (top line, F) is draw 5. Sixth line (ledger line above the 5 continous lines, an A) is draw 6. So I came up with the phrase "Draw the line." It works for lines 2 through 6. This also helps with the spaces between the lines. Those are blow notes. (Blow three is an exception unless you are playing Paddy Richter or Melody Maker.) With modern music software and loads of sheet music on the internet it is not hard to find music either already in the key of G or to transpose it into G. This also works for a C harp played in C. So if I want to play in second position I get music in the key of G, one sharp. Most of my harps have the draw 5 tuned up to F# to make it easier to play major key in second but if not then draw 5 is just an F. If you want F# on a C Richter you need a valve or an overblow. If I use a C harp with my G music then I'm actually playing in G. If I want to play second position in the key of E then I still get the music in G but I would use an A harp. Just like playing the same tabs with different key harps. Usually I play in second but if I want to play in first I get the music in C. Then a C harp gives me C. A D harp would play in D first position, etc. I find actually reading music much better than tabs though in reality I play by ear mostly. Now "Draw the line." doesn't work for all the notes. It reverses at hole 7. The "seventh" line (second ledger line, 2+5=7) is blow on hole 7. The third ledger line is 5+3= blow 8. Fourth is blow 9. And of course some holes don't have a memory device and you just need to memorize them. Eventually you don't think "fourth line=draw 4. It becomes automatic just like reading music for any other instrument. I had a friend who used to joke that he could read music but not enough to hurt his playing.