Re: Shell Voicings (theory question)

[Jp Pagan <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>]

hey everyone, 

   in another forum a discussion came up about the
diminished chromatic, which i play. in trying to
convey the difference between playing a Dimmie and a
Solo tuned, i offered up this statement:

>>if you are really stuck on playing Toots Thieleman's
lines note for note, you will need to play solo
tuning. it's the ONLY way to match the phrasing as all
the breathing patterns will match, etc. i you want to
play exactly like William Clarke, you will HAVE to
play in solo tuning, cause it's the only way to get
that 3rd pos. draw chord.>>

then i sort of recanted a little. it seems to me, from
the note layout of the Diminished vs. the Solo, that
it's possible to 'fake' the minor 6th chord, that 3rd
pos. draw chord Walter, Wilson, Clarke et al. love so
much and which accounts for the "classic" 3rd position
minor blues sound. 
the way to do this is by using what's called a "shell
voicing" of the minor 6th chord, a shell voicing being
a chord without the 5th. (i learned all this from the
internet. never has a fool been so wise ;) so (in D on
a C solo chro.), D F A B becomes D F x B, using your
tongue to block the A note, which is the 5th. this
same partial can be created from the D Diminished
chord: D F Ab B, just by blocking out the Ab (the
flatted 5th) D F x B. 
on top of all that, since a diminished chromatic has
every diminished chord available on it, it also has
the shell voicing available for EVERY minor 6th chord,
meaning you could virtually play 3rd pos. style in
every key on one harp! 
of course, this is all theory. i haven't really tried
it successfully on my diminished chromatic, but i
think that' a technique problem more than a problem
with the theory. 
i was hoping for more input from you theorists out
there, to tell me what you think. am i wrong about
something? is it half-baked? or is someone already
doing this? 

much appreciated,

        --Jp 

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