How do I play this in tabs

(+4-5) this is coming up in some tabs I am looking at. What is it?? If they are both + or both - I get it’s a tongue block, not that I can do that, but how do you blow draw at the same time??? or what does it mean?

2 Likes

Hello @toodoog,
I’ve had tabs like this before. Of course you can’t play them together like that.
This usually means that you can play them individually, but you don’t have to! Hence the (). Depending on your progress on the harp. At the beginning you play the tabs without those in the ().
When you get it played, you insert them as individual tones. Individually as + 4 and - 5.
I hope it helps you.
Greetings from Astrid :woman_in_lotus_position:

1 Like

Sorry I don’t understand the purpose of the brackets if you play them individually?

1 Like

@toodoog,
without () the song is easier to play. More difficult with brackets. This does not change the song. There are no rigid boundaries in music. Artistic freedom.
Play the song with the tabs and omit the ones in the brackets.
Then with the tabs in brackets.
Maybe you understand what I mean.

2 Likes

Oh. Ok. But -4+5 isn’t difficult and in this piece you would miss a big part of the melody. WEIRD? I’ll keep trying. Thanks for the clarification. So bracketed notes are optional.

1 Like

Hi @toogdog

Unfortunately there is not a standard form for harmonica tabulature. Some people (in my opinion) use very odd ways to write tabs. Notes in ()'s can mean various things.

Also, not knowing what the song is makes answering this very difficult.

Regards,
– Slim

3 Likes

: -3’’ +4 -4 +5 +5
Do you remember
-4 +5 +6 -6 -4
the twenty-first night
+4 -4 +5 +5
of september?
+4 -4 +5 +6 -6 -4
Love was changing the minds
+4 -4 +5 +5
of pretenders
+4 -4 +5 +6 -6 +5 -4 +4 -4 (+4-5)
While chasing the clouds away

+5 -4 +4 +5 +5
Our hearts were ringing
+4 -4 +5 +6 -6 -4
In the key that our souls
+4 -4 -5 +5
were singing.
+4 -4 +5 +6 -6 -4 +4 -4 +5 +5
As we danced in the night… Remember
+4 -4 +5 +6 -6 5 -4 +4 +4 -4 +4
how the stars stole the night away

(Chorus)
-6 +7 -8
Hey Hey Hey

+8 -9 +8
Ba de ya
+8 -9 +8 -8 +7 -8
say do you remember
+8 -9 +8
Ba de ya
+8 -9 +8 -8 +7 -8
dancing in september
+8 -9 +8
Ba de ya
+8 -9 +8 -8 +7-6 -8 +7
never was a cloudy day

Riff w/ tongue block holes between
(+7+4) (-3-6) (+3+6) (+4+7) (-3-6) (+3+6) x4

(+7+4) (-3-6) (+3+6) (+4+7) (-3-6) (-6’-3’)
(-4-8) (-3-7) (+4+7)

2 Likes

@toodoog, an ignorant might mistake it for a math problem. :joy::wink:

1 Like

@toodoog,
I’ve been looking for the song now.
This is September from Earth, Wind and Fire.
When I play your tabs it doesn’t sound quite correct. Here in the youtube video with other tabs it sounds good.
Maybe this will help you?

2 Likes

Thanks heaps

1 Like

@toogdog,
I just remembered what the (+4-5) could stand for.
The singer or Background sings “a-haaa” at this point.
“a” would be the +4 and “haaa” the - 5.
But please, it’s just my idea.

1 Like

Hi @toogdog

Well whatever it is supposed to mean, the girl in the video that Astrid @AstridHandbikebee63 posted does not play it! And -5 at that point sounds rather … horrible:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: So could it be a typographical error?

Regards,
– Slim :sunglasses:

2 Likes

:joy:, @Slim, right, I’m out of young age…

1 Like

Yep it sounds off. Thanks for the help. I’ll try something else.

2 Likes

Yes exactly

2 Likes

Let the games begin! :sunglasses: :notes: :+1:

2 Likes

I’m not the greatest at interpreting or playing tabs but I do find it helpful to listen to the song a few times while reading the lyrics. Then as I read the lyrics when I play, I do the best to match the sounds I hear in my head. When I get stuck I go to the tabs to see if I can figure it out that way.

We still have 27 days in September :wink::+1:

3 Likes

@HarpinBobbyMcB, I’m not on this song, sorry. I’m still taking advantage of the hopefully good weather and I have appointments, so I don’t have the time.
But of course I’m eagerly awaiting your results. LET THE GAMES BEGIN! :wink:
But who knows, maybe I’ll try. The song is fast and learning how to do it isn’t that easy.

3 Likes

Oof. She’s not playing the correct key harmonica for that backing track lol.

The melody sounds good tho!

Happy September everybody! Only 2 weeks til the 21st Blazin Bobby! :wink:

4 Likes

One of my most important lessons learned about the harmonica:

When I play with myself, I am never out of key… :old_key:

I find myself doing this quite a bit :joy:

@Luke I’m thinking of a little September with a segue into Windy by the Association :sunglasses:

3 Likes