Re: cross-eyed

[Bill Long <LONGWJ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date sent:  8-JUN-1995 12:19:31 

>Date: Thu, 08 Jun 1995 09:10:00 -0400
>From: "conrad (c.) grant" <conradg@xxxxxx>
>Subject: cross-eyed
>
>Ok just when I think I understand this, I read someone else's comment
>and I'm not sure again.
> 
>Cross Harp:
> 
>If song = C
> 
>1. use C harp and play in G?
>2. use G harp and play in G?
>3. you're waaaay off

And the answer is 3.  If song key=C then you have to figure out which key 
of harp that C is the fifth scale step of...harp key=F.  So you need to 
pick up your F harp and play in the key of C (the song key)

>Also, why is this popular with blues playing? To get the 'blues' notes on the
>optimum blow/draw hole?

You got the idea.  By whatever name..."crossharp","second position","in V"(my 
own way of keeping this stuff straight in my head based on steps of a 
diatonic scale) is when you are playing in the key that is a fifth step up 
from the key stamped on the harp.  Let's use a C harp for example.  To play 
crossharp on a C harp means you are playing in the key of G.  So when you 
draw in on holes 1-4 you get a G chord (I in the key of G) and when you 
blow out on 1-4 you get a C chord (IV in the key of G).  Also if you draw in
on 4-6 you get a Dmin chord (which can pass for V in the key of G) so you 
see you have the basic chords you need for the common blues cadences 
(a cadence is a sequence of chords).  But that's not the best part...

By drawbending the 2, 3, and 4 holes you can get the "blue" notes of the G 
scale.  Draw2 bends down to an F (flat seventh), draw3 bends down to a Bb 
(flat third), and draw4 bends down to a Db (flat fifth).  In addition, the 
draw3 can be bent down even further to provide an A (second step of G scale)
in the lower octave.  By far these drawbends are among the easiest bends to 
produce on the harp.  In the upper octave there are some blowbends (on 
holes 8-10) that can come in handy as well, even though they are slightly 
harder to produce.  

Bill Long >-- StarGazer --< N2LAG	longwj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    longwj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx			   (137.142.18.1)