Natural Minor Harmonicas - how to find out the right key

To understand the labeling of Natural Minor Harmonicas, it is first important to understand the labeling and playing of “normal” harmonicas. Diatonic harmonicas are labeled in keys, and the key label is normally the 1 hole blow note, and represents the key that the harmonica is played in first position, or straight harp. However, most people play the harmonica in “cross harp” or second position. That key is the 2 hole draw note. So for example, most people take a harp labeled as A, and actually play it in E. Below is a chart with some more examples:

Harp Key (note in 1 hole blow) Cross Harp Playing Key (note in 2 hole draw)

G D
A E
Bb F
C G
D A
E B
F C

So, most players would know to choose a G harp, if someone told them to play in the key of D; if someone said the key is E, they would know to choose and A harp, etc. Players learn that the key harp they choose is actually a fourth below the key in which they play.

For Natural Minor Harmonicas ordered from the SEYDEL Configurator, it is exactly the same. If you want to play in D minor, you start with a G harp; E minor would mean an A harp, etc. etc. You must know this relationship, since the configurator only allows the choice of the 1 hole blow. So in the configurator, you would choose the “natural minor” from the “initial standard tuning” drop down menu, and choose the 1 hole blow with the same relationship as cross harp/second position. The configurator will fill in the notes automatically, and the note in 2 hole draw will be the minor key of the harp.

For in-stock natural minors (SESSION/FAVORITE) the labeling is different. Since many players got used to the Lee Oskar minor labeling system, SEYDEL chose to label the in-stock natural minors in the same way. That is, the key label of the harp is the key that the harp is played in cross harp/second position, or the note that is in the 2 hole draw. So a Dm (D natural minor) harp would be played cross harp/second position in D minor, and the note in hole 1 blow is G (so the original harp this was made from would have been a G harp).

So for SEYDEL in-stock natural minors, the player thinks of the key of the natural minor scale he wants to play, and the harp is labeled the same. If the key is D minor, then you would choose the Dm (D natural minor) harp and you will get the full natural minor scale if you start in 2 draw (root-note of the scale). Again, this is different from natural minors ordered on the configurator. There the player thinks of the key to be played, and chooses the harp that is a fourth below that, a harp in which the note in the 2 hole draw is the key they play.