Re: Re: 12th position = 1st Flat Position

["Winslow Yerxa" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

- --- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, IcemanLE@xxxx wrote:
In a message dated 6/12/03 5:44:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
winslowyerxa@xxxx writes:


> Here we do have a strong potential for real musical confusion, for 
> the reasons that I detailed previously. I say this with some regret 
> because the "x flat" terminology is convenient and therefore 
> appealing.
> 

> It seems the word "Flat" is the problem. 
> Instead of tying it into specific musical 
> notation (ie, the key of "F" has one flatted 
> note in it), use this term to point in the 
> direction of a Cycle of Fourths as opposed 
> to the Cycle of Fifths. 
> 
> Starting from "C", each succeeding cycle of 
> fifth adds one "Sharp" to the key signature. 
> Harmonicaspeak has already labelled this "x 
> Position" instead of "x Sharp Position".

> Going in the opposite direction (Cycle of Fourths) 
> adds one "Flat" to the key signature for each 
> succeeding cycle, so "x Flat Position" could be 
> the term used to indicate the cycle of fourths. 
> 
> Perhaps we can make up a new word indicating this 
> direction that doesn't contain a reference to 
> existing musical notation/key signature/ etc.

So that on a C-harp, G might be "first sharp" (with one sharp in the 
G major scale) position and F might be "first flat" (with one flat in 
the scale). Except that we don't want to use the terms sharp and flat 
because they may not make any sense in the context of the keys and/or 
modes involved.

Two problems. 

One, is what to substitute? First fourthwise and first fifthwise? 
(Try yelling that in a loud club with a few beers in you). First 
clockwise and first anti-clockwise?

The other is that any time you have two things both called first, 
you're inviting chaos demons to come and play in the band. one way to 
deal with this is to lead with the distinguishing word and end with 
the common word, as in "flat first" or "anti"clockwise) first 
or "left first" and "right first".

I dunno, 12th works for me, but I do understand that people have the 
sense they have to work their way around to 12th from 1st, 2nd, 3rd 
etc. instead of just going anticlockwise.

Winslow