Re: first position

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> G. JACKSON wrote:
> > It has been said, rather unfairly, that playing in first position sounds
> > unbearably *jolly* and *cheerfull*
> 
> J. Patrick Hester replied:
> >The cure for that is a valved harp. I've noticed I tend to jam lots of
> >first position since I got the Suzuki....
> 
> Overblows are a second cure.  Hole 1 & 4 give minor thirds
>                                    5     gives the flatted fifth
>                                    6       "   the dominant seventh
> I guess if I tried REALLY hard, I might be able to make these sound jolly,
> but bluesy they definitely are.  Plus what about all those juicy bends both
> low and high on the harp?  Lets hear it for straight harp!
>                 --John

Excellent suggestions.  I just wanted to add that bluesy feeling comes 
more from the player than the instrument.  Even ruling out overblows and 
valves, there are still plenty of bluesy sounding notes in first 
position. 

Excuse me for stating the obvious, but first is not the same as second 
position.  It is difficult to make them sound alike - but I really don't 
think that should be our goal.  Each position offers advantages that 
would be lost should we decide to "make them all the same" :-)  First 
position offers some very unique notes and riffs in the first and third 
octaves - stuff that is not available in second position.  Rather than 
fighting these differences, why not use them to our advantage?  Is it the 
goal of every blues harmonicist to make every song sound alike?  Man, I 
sure hope not!  Blues is a very soulful and expressive medium.  It's very 
moving and interesting.  All of these definitions require variety.  
Changing positions is quite possibly the easiest way to add variety to 
our playing.  It's a lot easier to learn a few licks in a new position 
than to spend 20 years mastering 2nd position and every possible 
combination we can get by using only 1/12th the possibilities our 
instrument has.


 -- mike