Re: 4th position

[Gatorharp@xxxxxxx]

harplicks@xxxxxxxxx writes:

<< I'm certainly no "4th position wizard" but I can
 sorta get you started, I guess.
 
 It lays out nicely for minor key songs, but is not
 great for blues (IMO). You can do Summertime or
 Johnny Comes Marching Home very easily there, as
 well as many other non-blues minor-key ditties. The
 tonic falls on the 3 draw full-step bend, the 6
 draw and the 10 draw.  >>

i'm also no wizard, but i've started messing with this quite a bit.  it does 
lend itself to minor keys most readily, but i think it works okay on blues.  i 
did "loan me a dime" a couple of weeks ago at an open mic, based somewhat, or 
at least inspired by, pat ramsey's version.  he does it in third position, A 
minor.  i do it in G minor, on a Bb harp.  okay, that is a minor key blues, 
but think how often you allude to the minor third in blues, or how folks will 
often play in 3rd position even if the tune isn't necessarily minor.
the simplest way to get started (for me) was in the upper octave starting on 
hole 6.  here, you ~do~ have a very accessible blues scale...6d, 7b, 8d, 8b, 
9b, 10d, plus the blow bend on 8 to give you the flatted fifth.  i found it 
very intuitive here, like some weird-ass combination of 1st position and 3rd.
there are two very slight down sides to the bottom octave blues scale.  one 
is that the tonic is the second bend in hole 3, and you need to be able to hit 
it right on.  the other is that the flatted fifth requires an overblow in hole 
4.  otherwise, it's 3d'', 4b, 4d, 5b, 6b, 6d.
i practice it by playing a lick in the upper octave, and then trying to 
replicate it an octave lower.
and like mojo said, it's great for stuff like "summertime".

steven j gatorman