11 and 12 diatonic

["George Brooks" <gbrooks1@xxxxxxxxx>]

I got a query offlist from a person who plays both diatonic and chromatic
asking "what all that [positions] stuff means."  Here is my best shot at an
explanation, posted to the List in case anyone else wonders what some of us
are going on about.

Any given harmonica can be played in a number of different keys.  Each key
uses a different note on the harmonica as the "root" note or "tonic."  A
harmonica played in first position, also called "straight harp," uses the
hole 1 blow note as the root.  A C harmonica played in first position plays
in the key of C.

It is common in blues and other types of music to use the 2 hole draw/3 hole
blow note as the tonic.  This position is known as second position or
"cross-harp."  A C harmonica played in cross-harp plays in G.

For minor blues, it is common on both diatonic and chromatic harmonica to
play in third position, using the hole 1 draw as the tonic.  A C harp played
in third position plays in D.

The other positions are used less frequently.  They all have their
attractions and drawbacks, and learning what these are for each position is
an engaging pastime.  Some songs just come alive when played in a certain
position, and it isn't always the one that would seem obvious.

A Chromatic harmonica is like a piano in that it has all the notes of the
chromatic scale.  As on a piano, it is possible to play any song in any key
on a given chromatic harmonica.  Playing certain songs in certain keys will
require playing in positions that may be awkward, but the awkwardness of
playing in certain keys simply represents to the jazz player a challenge to
be overcome.

The techniques of overblowing and overdrawing have made it possible to play
the "diatonic" harmonica as a fully chromatic instrument.  People played
their diatonic harmonicas in a number of different positions (mostly first,
second, and third) long before these innovations appeared upon the scene, of
course.  I think it's the ability to play the instrument chromatically that
has generated discussion of the positions past third.

I hope this helps.

George