RE: A fifth above??

["jross38" <jross38@xxxxxxxxx>]

On the key played in 2nd position:

"It is either a perfect 4th above or a perfect 5th below.  Both are
correct
ways of thinking about this.  "

I think you've got it reversed.  G is the fifth of C, as F is the fourth
and so on.  When counting you start _on_ or _with_ the key of the
harmonica (or chord, or scale, etc...), thus C, D, E, F, G.  That gets
five, thus G is the fifth.  If you don't count the C you would get four,
but this would be incorrect (well, G is the fourth of D, but not of C).
Try the octave: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.  If you start on C you get
eight, and in Western theory the octave is the 8th above the tonic.  If
you omitted the tonic C, you would get seven, which would incorrectly
indicate the octave as the 7th of the tonic.

Thus, when playing a harmonica you are playing in the key of the fifth
of the key of the harp.  Now, C is the fourth of G, but that just means
that G is then the fifth of C: G (A, B) C (D, E, F) G.  The tonic is the
fourth of the fifth, if you will (conversely, the tonic is the fifth of
the fourth--thus the fourth of C is F, and the fifth of F is C).



 ()()   JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()  & Snuffy, too:)
`---'