Appendix D: Song keys

The following listing gives you a reference of the harp keys used on some famous songs. There is a lot of discussion and confusion  about the key terminology, so I'll try to explain: For a harp player he must know the song key to pick up the correct harp and play, so if the song is in key of E (it means that the band is playing in E), he will take the E harp if he plays in 1st position (recommended if you play on the high register), an A Harp if he plays on 2nd position (recommended if you play on the low registers) or a D Harp if he plays on 3rd position (take a look to the cross-reference table). On the listing below I will write both, the harp and the song keys. I'm getting this information from different sources, some from: "Blues Harmonica Collection" by David McKelvi and "The Definitive Blues Collection" A joint publication of MCA Music Publishing and Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation, there are some differences on the song keys between this books, on that case I'll write "The Definitive Blues Collection" song key between parenthesis. The last book contains the lyrics and scores for piano and guitar, not for harmonica, but is an excellent reference, and if you know the key you can improvise and follow the song with your harmonica, it contains 96 blues songs!. (Note that some song keys reffers to the original version, may differs with the actual performance key).
I'll be adding new song keys from you (drop me a note) and other sources, specially from harp-l.
 

Little Walter

Sonny Boy Williamson II

Other Sonny Boy Williamson added by Shaggy (Peter Shanks - Australia)

Nice page Javier, here's a few Sonny Boy Williamson keys I've figured out (all on 'The Essential sonny boy Williamson' and EXCELLENT double cd by MCA. CHESS CHD2-9343).
They're all played in second position harp - Ill just list the Tile and harp key here:

Jimmy Reed

Various

Users Added

Others (mostly from HARP-L posts)

From: Danny Wilson
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 1997 12:54:48 -0700
Subject: Charlie Musselwhite's Rough News

Here it is directly from Charlie:

#1 - Both Sides of the Fence - has a 4th position chromatic solo
#2 - I Sat & Cried - 2nd position diatonic
#3 - Sleepwalk - Filisko low D in 1st position
#4 - Natural Born Lover - 2nd position
#5 - Darkest Hour - guitar and harp 2nd position
#6 - Harlem Nocturne - D chromatic in 1st position
#7 - Drifting Boy - diatonics in 1st & 2nd position
#8 - Rough Dried Woman - 3rd position
#9 - Feel It In Your Heart - 3rd position chromatic
#10 - Rainy Highway - slide guitar
#11 - Clarksdale Boogie - guitar in open tuning
#12 - Rough News - G chromatic in 1st position
Danny

From: Rob Paparozzi
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 13:43:35 -0400
Subject: Re: Pual Butterfield Blues Band
Brice Henry wrote:
>
> Does anyone know what kinnda harps Pual Butterfield used and what key "Born
> In Chicago" is in? Thanks.

I think he used mostly Marine Bands [...]
Born in Chicago is in the key of A on a D harmonica.
As my memory serves, I think:
"blues w/ a feeling" is  G on a C harp
"Thank you Mr. Poobah" is A on a D harp
"Mojo" E on a A harp
- --
All the Best,

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