Harp Tabs for "Bad Boy" by Charlie Musslewhite A Harmonica, 1st Position

Where can I go find harp tabs? Anyone know what key Charlie Musselwhite’s "Bad Boy is played in?

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Hi Steve1 and welcome to the forum!

Getting harp tabs is not so easy as with getting music scores for other instruments. :roll_eyes: And when you do manage to find them, you will find that there is no real standard for writing them out. Although you will be able to convert them into whatever form you are comfortable using, it can be quite time-consuming.

The one site that I think is fairly complete is harptabs.com but there may be others that I do not know about.

Regards,

– Slim

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Hey Steve - I, like @Slim, also use harptabs.com.

Bad Boy is in the key of A, and is played on an A harp in 1st position.

Aloha,
Luke

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Yo Steve - thanks for turning me onto this tune. I wouldn’t normally do this, but this is so unlike anything else that I’ve studied in 1st position, I’m totally fascinated by it, and wanted to go ahead and transcribe it.

He’s tongue-blocking everything, and so there are lots of cool nuances that are difficult to get into the tab, and his phrasing is pretty sophisticated! But, here is the tabs to the 1st chorus of solo before the singing starts.

I’m pretty sure he solos through a total of 3 choruses before the singing starts. I’m gonna transcribe all of it, and will post the other 2 choruses here when I once I do.

LMK if you have any questions. Here ya go:

Bad Boy

Chorus 1

14 14 -3’ -3’ 14 -3’ -2’ -2 -2” 2 1 14 14

-3” -3’ -2 -3” -3’ -2 -3” -3 -3’ -3 -2 14 14

-3’ -2 -3’ -2” -2 -14 -3’ -2” -2 -2” 2 -2” -2” (slow bend up to) -2 -2” -2 6 5 6 -5 5 4

-2 -3’ -3 4 -4’ -45 -4’ -45 -4’ -45 -3’ -2

-2 -3 4 -2 -3 4 -2” -2 -3’ -2 -2” 2 1 14

2 3 2 -2” -2 -3 4 5 4 -4’ -4 -5 -4 (quietly slides down -3 -2)

Hope that helps, Steve!

Aloha,
Luke

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I have been having so much fun jamming along with Charlie Musselwhite’s opening 3 choruses of 1st position soloing on “Bad Boy.”

I tabbed out the first chorus of soloing in my post above this one.

I’ll post tabs for the 2nd and 3rd choruses soon!

Rock on,
Luke