How to play tabs in 2nd position

[theodoreowens]

I am getting the hang of the bends needed to play 2nd position on a C harmonica in order to hit the G key. What confuses me is how do I apply this to a tab for the G scale? So, I have a tab for a G harmonica, but I want to use a C harmonica. Is there a way to transpose the tab so that I can play it in 2nd position? Or, am I missing something and this isn’t needed?

[cloves-fibs0f]

Hi @theodoreowens

I use this chart for transposing keys…. I also transpose the tabs to notes and then back to tabs and this chart helps with that as well. Hope that helps.

Mike

[Luke]

Hey @theodoreowens there’s already a thread on this subject. Please check it out and add any follow-up questions there:

Transposing harmonica from 1st position to 2nd position

I got a question from a student recently about how to transpose a melody from 1st position to 2nd position on the harmonica. Trying to transpose from 1st position to 2nd position is not always possible because of the fact that the harmonica is “missing” some notes. Furthermore, when you are playing in 1st position, say in the key of C, you are playing in a major tonality, and when you are playing in 2nd position in the key of G, you are playing in a mixolydian tonality which is the same as majo…

[theodoreowens]

I see that the answer is more complicated than I was hoping for. But, I will double down on my ignorance and ask it in a related way. What if I only have a tab written in C, but the band is playing in G. What would happen if I used a G harmonica but played this tab written in C? Would that be in tune with the band?

[Luke]

Yep! That’s the wonderful thing. You don’t have to learn different tabs to play in a different key. Way easier than what a pianist or a saxophone player has to do. (Of course we’ve got shell out another $50-60 or whatever you’re paying - but even here, other instrumentalists often shell out many thousands of dollars for their instruments!)