Re: 4th position

["Robert Venables" <robert.venables@xxxxxxxxxx>]

A paddy richter tuned harp is excellent for 4th pos. stuff. (3 blow tuned up
a step). It gives you the tonic as an unbent note (I know sometimes it is
nicer as a bend), but the best part is that groovy chord 2,3,4 and 5 blow.I
expect someone can even tell me what that chord is. The positition seems to
have a sort of hungarian feel!
back to lurk mode
Rob V
Gatorman wrote
> << 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