Re: Lee Oskar (MM)

[Steve Jennings <100010.1152@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bruce,

The Lee Oskar documentation does, indeed, say that 1st position on a C Melody
Maker is D dorian. I simply don't agree that the documentation/labelling are
correct, as I tried to explain in my previous post.

You are correct in your assumptions regarding the positions on a C major
diatonic harp following the circle of fifths all the way round from C in first
position to F in 12th position. Positions 1 to 6 and 12 represent all the modal
scales that use the notes of C major Ionian. and the remaining five positions
are probably better regarded as (potentially) possible keys to play in (11th is
really nice, if you can get the overblows (or valved bends <g>) right). The fact
is that the use of positions as a means of describing what's going on tends to
run out of steam a bit when you get to this point, because now that the harp is
played chromatically more and more, the scale you elect to use in a given key is
probably better described simply as the scale you elect to use in a given key,
particularly in the more extreme positions, like 8th.

Steve Jennings,
Editor, Harmonica World