And ... Put the Load Right On Me

The song "The Weight" by The Band, 1960's

Harmonica Version, Key of A

Here is a Playing for Change Version:

[Verse 1]
I pulled in to Nazareth
Was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need someplace
Where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me
Where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand
"No" was all he said

[Chorus]
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (And, and)
You put the load right on me (You put the load right on me)

[Verse 2]
I picked up my bag
I went looking for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil
Walking side-by-side
I said, "Hey Carmen
Come on, let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go
But my friend can stick around"

Chorus

[Verse 3]
Go down, Miss Moses
There's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and
Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
"Well, Luke, my friend
What about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son
Won't ya stay and keep Anna Lee company?"

[Chorus]
And take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (And, and)
You put the load right on me (You put the load right on me)

[Verse 4]
Crazy Chester followed me
And he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack
If you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester
You know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy
Won't you feed him when you

Chorus Repeat

Harmonica Studies by Michael P. Garofalo
A Beginner's Notes, Research, Comments, Suggestions

"The Weight" Harmonica, by The Band, 1960's,
Harmonica Key of A

A  C#m  D  A    (x4)        
4   4  4    - 4  5  5 5 5  5 5   4   4 -4 4
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead
4  4  4  - 4    5   5 5 5  5   5 4 4   6    4  
I just need some place where I can lay my head
 6   6  6   6   6    6  -6   5  5 5  5  4  4 -4  4
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
 4 4 4  - 4   5   5     5    5     5   5  4  4  -4 4
He just grinned and shook my hand, "no" was all he said  
 
44 55 66
 
A         D  (x3)
6 6 6  5 4 4     
Take a load off, Fanny
6 6 6  5 4 
Take a load for free
6 6 6  5 4 4 
Take a load off, Fanny
D           A
4 4 4 4 4 4 44 444 55 4 
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me

Harmonica Studies
A Beginners 
A  C#m  D  A    (x4)        
4   4  4    - 4  5  5 5 5  5 5   4   4 -4 4
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead
4  4  4  - 4    5   5 5 5  5   5 4 4   6    4  
I just need some place where I can lay my head
 6   6  6   6   6    6  -6   5  5 5  5  4  4 -4  4
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
 4 4 4  - 4   5   5     5    5     5   5  4  4  -4 4
He just grinned and shook my hand, "no" was all he said  
 
44 55 66
 
A         D  (x3)
6 6 6  5 4 4     
Take a load off, Fanny
6 6 6  5 4 
Take a load for free
6 6 6  5 4 4 
Take a load off, Fanny
D           A
4 4 4 4 4 4 44 444 55 4 
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me


Harmonica Studies by Michael P. Garofalo
A Beginner's Notes, Research, Comments, Suggestions



Chords on
A Major Key Diatonic Harmonica

I     A Major   ACE  (Blow Holes 123
or 456 or 789 or any 2 or 3 adjacent holes)

IV   D Dyad   DF    
  (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)

V    E Major   EGBD  (Draw Holes 234
or Draw Holes 1234)

      Gm Minor  GBD  
(Draw 345 and 789)

      E7   EGBD      (Draw
Holes 2-5)

      Em  BE         
 (Draw 12)

      Bm  
BDF         (Draw 456 and 89 10)

      Cross Harp, 2nd, play on D Key diatonic
harmonica.

      Key Signature: Three Sharps: C F G; A Major or
F#minor.

      I play: Lee Oskar Tombo Key of A




 

Harmonica Playing

My Musical Objectives

June-July 2024

Study The Idiot's Guide to Harmonica Playing for 30 minutes each day.
Attend an online class at Harmonica.com with Luke twice each week.

Fluency with C Chords: 
I     C Major   CEG  (Blow Holes 456 or 789 or 123 or any 3 adjacent holes)
IV   F Dyad    FA     (Draw 56 and Draw 9 10)
V   G Major   GBD  (Draw Holes 234 or Draw Holes 1234
     G7   GBDF        (Draw Holes 2-5)
     Dm  DFA           (Draw 456 and Draw 89 10)


Playing, Jamming, Learning, and Practicing with
various C Major Diatonic 10 Hole Harmonicas:

Hohner Special 20 Progressive
Hohner Crossover Marine Band 
Suzuki ProMaster MR 350
Seydel Sohne Blues Session 
Lee Oskar Tombo

Learning how to play 5 simple folk music tunes properly all the way through:
Streets of Laredo, Annie Laurie, Marine Corps Hymn, Michael Row the Boat Ashore,
Blues Piece in C.

Intermediate Objectives (June-Dec 2024):

Find a good harmonica teacher in Portland, Oregon, or Vancouver, Washington.
Learn how to use the Band in a Box computer software ($160) 
Purchase Novation Launchkey 49 MIDI Keyboard Controller
using seamless Ableton Live DAW software ($240).
Learn how to use DAW software.
Continue to advance my understanding of musical theory and history.

My Musical Goals

Playing the harmonica daily.
Learning how to play better chords on the harmonica.
Learning how to play harmonica rhythmic patterns better.
Listening to harmonica music.
Learning some harmonica musical theory each week.
Learning to interpret standard musical score notation for a harmonica.
Learning how to play easy popular tunes. 
Learn how to use Band in a Box software.

My Musical Mission

Listening to all kinds of music over a lifetime.
Enjoying the pleasures of music over a lifetime.
Seeking positive, uplifting, spiritual, and mystical experiences via music.
Enjoying playing the harmonica.
Sharing good sounds with others.
Encouraging and supporting musicians.

Background, Introduction

I have owned various harmonicas since my childhood days.  

I have enjoyed playing various harmonicas by myself.

I have used various books, CDs, MP3s, charts, and online learning resources to learn 
how to play the harmonica.

I now focus for 30 to 60 minutes each day in learning and practicing with a harmonica.

Purchasing good quality harmonicas in different Keys, books, CDs, MP3s, online resources, online video instruction (Luke), and paying for a personal harmonica instructor can be costly for serious intermediate harmonica students and lifetime enthusiasts.

Good education and ongoing learning are essential for steady improvement and more fun.

From January to May 2024, I used a Hohner Crossover Marine Band Key of C and a Seydel Sohne 1847 Key of Low C for daily practice. I was learning the chords on the C Key harmonica, learning the hole notes and playing single notes more clearly.  Most basic instruction books for the harmonic focus on using a diatonic harmonic in the Key of C.  I have gained some fluency in properly playing single notes and chords, in blowing techniques, and I can entertain myself with some improvising.