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
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Ah'w Baby: Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Back Track. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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Blues With a Feeling. Song key: A, D Harp, 2nd position. (Song key: F)
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Boom, Boom Out Go The Lithts, by Stan Lewis. Song key: E, A Harp, 2nd position.
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Can't Hold Out Much Longer. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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I Hate To See You Go. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Juke. Song key: E, A Harp, 2nd position.
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Just Your Fool. Song key: A, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Off That Wall. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Mean Old World. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position. (Song key: G)
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You're So Fine. Song key: E, A Harp, 2nd position.
Sonny Boy Williamson II
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All My Love In Vain. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Cool Disposition. Song key: B, E Harp, 2nd position.
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Checkin' Up On My Baby. Song key: A, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Cross My Heart. Song key: C, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Don't Lose Your Eye. Song key: B, E Harp, 2nd position.
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Don't Start Me Talkin'. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Down Child. Song key: C, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Fattering Frogs For Snakes. Song key: B, E Harp, 2nd position.
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Help Me. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position. (Song key: E)
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I Don't Know. Song key: D, C Harp, 3rd position.
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Keep It To Yourself. Song key: A, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Let Me Explain. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd position.
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Nine Below Zero. Song key: C, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Ninety Nine. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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One Way Out. Song key: A, D Harp, 2nd postion.
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Unseen Eye. Song key: G, C Octave-low harmonica, 2nd postion.
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The Key. Song key: C, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Too Close Together. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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You Killing Me. Song key: D, D Harp, 1st position.
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Your Funeral And My Trial. Song key: D, G Harp, 2nd position.
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:
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Born Blind, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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Little Village, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Keep Your Hands Out of My Pocket, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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The Goat, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Santa Claus, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Temperature 110, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Lonesome Cabin, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Somebody Help Me, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Trust My Baby, Low C Harp, 2nd position.
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Too Young to Die, G Harp, 2nd position.
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She's my Baby, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Stop Right Now, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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Too Old to Think, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Bye Bye Bird, Low C Harp, 2nd position.
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Bring it on Home, A Harp, 2nd position.
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Decoration Day, F Harp, 2nd position.
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Trying to Get Back on my Feet, D Harp, 2nd position.
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Close to Me, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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I Can't be Alone, F Harp, 2nd position.
Jimmy Reed
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Baby What You Want Me To Do. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd position.
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Bright Lights, Big City. Song key: A, A Harp, 1st position.
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Honest I Do. Song key: A, A Harp, 1st position.
Various
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Baby Please Don't Go, by Joe Williams. Song key: G.
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Blues Before Sunrise, by John Lee Hooker. Song key: Bb.
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Boom Boom, by John Lee Hooker. Song key: C.
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Crossroads, by Robert Johnson, arranged by Eric Clapton. Song key: A.
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Frisco Blues, by John Lee Hooker. Song key: Eb.
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Hear Me Talkin' To Ya, by Louis Armstrong. Song Key: C.
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How Long, How Long Blues, by Lerroy Carr. Song key: C.
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I Just Want To Make Love To You, by Willie Dixon. Song Key: Eb. (Not sure)
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I'm A Man (Lester Davenport), by Ellas McDaniel. Song key: G, C Harp, 2nd
position.
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I'm Ready, by Willie Dixon. Song key: E.
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I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man, by Willie Dixon. Song key: F.
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I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man, played by Muddy Waters, or E.Clapton. Song
key: A, A Harp, 1st Pos.
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Ice Cream Man (James Dalton & John Brim), by John Brim. Song key: A,
A Harp, 1st position.
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Mean Woman Blues, by John Lee Hooker. Song key: Eb
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My Babe, by Willie Dixon. Song key: Eb.
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Rattlesnake (Elmore James & John Brim), by John Brim. Song key: E,
A Harp, 2nd postion.
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Rollin' Stone, by Muddy Waters. Song key: Eb.
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See See Rider, by Ma Rainey. Song key: C.
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Sitting On Top Of The World (Howlin' Wolf), by Chester Burnett. Song key:
F, Bb Harp, 2nd position
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Somekestack Lightning (Howlin' Wolf), by Chester Burnett. Song key: E,
A Harp, 2nd position.
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St. Louis Blues, by W.C. Handy. Song key: C.
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Walkin' By Myself (Jimmie Rogers), by James A. Lane. Song key: A, D Harp,
2nd position. (Song key: Eb)
Users Added
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My Babe, played by Little Walter. Song key: F, Bb Harp, 2nd pos. Added
by Nick Spring (11-26-96)
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,
Check these links too
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How To Find The Song
Key, some suggestions and data (I use a chromatic or try with some
diatonics to find the key, I don't think it's so necessary to have
a pitch pipe, anyway it's an interesting site)
Go to the main harmonica page.
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