Memorising Harmonica tabs

General Memory Chat
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A harmonica tab is a sequence of numbers that correspond to the holes on the harmonica. Positive numbers are to blow and negative numbers are to suck/draw. An asterisk means bend the note. Both blows and draws can be bent.

Here’s an example for Autumn Leaves, a popular jazz tune:

THE FALL-ING LEAVES DRIFT BY MY WIN-DOW
-3 -4 4 -6 3 -3 -4 6 6

THE FALL-ING LEAVES OF RED AND GOLD
-2 3 3 -5 2* -2 *3 4

I SEE YOUR LIPS THE SUM-MER KISS-ES
-3 -4 5 -6 3 -3 -4 6 6

THE SUN BURNED HANDS I USED TO HOLD
-2 3 -3 -5 -4 -5 5 -3

SINCE YOU WENT A-WAY THE DAYS GROW LONG
*3 -3 -4 2 -4 -4 -3 -4 5

AND SOON I’LL HEAR OLD WIN-TERS SONG
5 -4 5 -5 3 7 -6 6

BUT I MISS YOU MOST OF ALL MY DAR-LING
*-5 6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -4 -6 6 6

WHEN AUT-UMN LEAVES START TO FALL
-3 -5 5 -4 5 2 -3

SINCE YOU WENT A-WAY THE DAYS GROW LONG
*3 -3 -4 2 -4 -4 -3 -4 5

AND SOON I’LL HEAR OLD WIN-TERS SONG
5 -4 5 -5 3 7 -6 6

BUT I MISS YOU MOST OF ALL MY DAR-LING
*-5 6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -4 -6 6 6

WHEN AUT-UMN LEAVES START TO FALL
-3 -5 5 -4 5 *6 -7

*-7 *-7 *-7 *-7 *-7(end with this played rapidly and longer)

Does anyone have any suggestions how to memorise these notes?

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As an harmonica player I am very interested in this topic. At moment I have not developed a method but it something I have been thinking a lot

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I thought about using the number shape system and having red for negative, green for positive, yellow for positive bend and blue for negative bend. I don’t know if this is too complicated or is it easier just to remember the tabs instead.

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This is entirely out of my realm of experience (both playing harmonica, and the 2-card shadow system), but here’s a random combination of ideas in case it sparks something for someone. Here’s how I would begin approaching this:

From my brief google search, I understand that harmonicas can have different numbers of holes. 10, 16, and 24. Personally, I would use my existing number system for these. In my case, that’s the shaper system. After all, it’s just a number that I’m trying to remember, and I already have practice with this system.

If i had a 10-hole harmonica, I might expand my number system to help spread out the repetition of images. I have images for 0-9 and 00-99, so I could intermix 0-9 and 00-09 . There is a possibility to use 0-9 for drawn notes and 00-09 for blown. I’m not sure if that’s beneficial or not, because…

I would use an idea from what I understand of the 2-card shadow system. I would use the loci to indicate if it’s a blown or drawn note. ie: each starting point would be a blown note. Then, add drawn notes on top of that. The next blown note would be the first note at the next loci. This might mean there are more loci (5 for 9 notes in the first line of the example song) instead of stacking them and having 1 loci for all 9 notes.

To indicate bends, I think that I would create a character and/or action that would be interacting with the character representing the note. If there is a difference in bending a blown vs a drawn note, I might create two characters to represent those.

Let’s see if I can re-write the example above in a memory journey. I’ll use a bear as my “bend” character.

Generally, when building a memory palace I try to have the location coordinate with the subject. So for Autumn Leaves I would probably find a walking trail set among the trees and have different trees/etc as loci.

Loci 1: -3 (a butterfly)
Loci 2: -4 4 (two pirate sailboats battling it out, having a cannon battle)
Loci 3: -6 3 (combination lock attached to a butterfly)
Loci 4: -3 (butterfly)
Loci 5: -4 6 6 (sailboat that is dragging two combination locks that are anchors)

THE FALL-ING LEAVES OF RED AND GOLD
Loci 6: -2 3 3 (pirate hook swiping at a butterfly and missing, then swiping at another one and missing)
Loci 7: -5 2* (unicycle is caught by a giant hook, but then a bear breaks the hook)
Loci 8: -2 *3 4 (pirate hook has a butterfly land on it but the butterfly turns into a bear. I drop the hook and jump onto my ship to escape)

I hope some bit of that is helpful!

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Thanks for your detailed answer Matthew. I like the idea of using a memory palace that is relevant to the particular song. I also like the starting point for the loci as a blown note and the bend character too as it works with both the in and out breaths.

I’ll give it a go and see how I get on :+1:

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I was once interested in playing the harmonica since I found my old harmonica a hohner given by Santa Claus. I remember it being stuffed inside my sock along with a pear (the harmonica served as a sentimental object which triggers memories). I wasn’t able to learn how to play maybe because there’s no one to teach me then or I wasn’t musically inclined. Anyway you can remember the notes by practicing and practicing the same song over and over again (they call this over learning). You can also subscribe to JP Allen’s harmonica.com. it’s a great site for harmonica enthusiasts. Good luck!

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Please clarify something that I’m wondering about. I am assuming you can’t play “chords” on a harmonica like you could on a piano or guitar? Am I correct therefore in assuming that the “notes” you can play on a harmonica would be similar to prodding away on a piano with one finger on one hand only? (much the same as I am typing on my laptop at the moment -LOL!). So I assume all the notes in the range of a harmonica would fit the A (A#) B (C) C# (D) D# (E) F (F#) G (G#) pattern and back to A again? Obviously an A# = Bb depending on which way you approach the note from? Are the “numerical harmonica tabs” actually easier to read than there “alpha-letter” counterparts??

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I am assuming you can’t play “chords” on a harmonica like you could on a piano or guitar?

Of course you can play chords with harmonica. For example you can blow or draw 2-3-5 or 6-7-8 simultaneously and this is a chord.

So I assume all the notes in the range of a harmonica would fit the A (A#) B (C) C# (D) D# (E) F (F#) G (G#) pattern and back to A again?

I am not a theory expert but I know that using bending you can cover the entire range of notes.

Are the “numerical harmonica tabs” actually easier to read than there “alpha-letter” counterparts??

For me it is more intuitive, but I think if you are trained with both systems there is not much difference.

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