[Harp-L] C in 12 Positions



May I apologise  first to Laurent (Planet Harmonica)  & to whom it may concern , but it seems that I created some confusion  by mentioning the dreaded  circle of 4th's.

Thanks to Dave Murray, Crazy (about harp) Bob & Don Whitener for helping to clarify my approach to the original question ; >can someone give me the 12 positions if were playing in c concert ??? the 12 harps I can use? thanks for any help Tommy Lee<

I've rewritten my original chart to include the both 4th's & 5th's ;

            Music in "C" -                                                               Harmonica in "C"
Follow the circle of 4th's                                                  Follow the circle of 5th's gives
Position -  Harmonica Key              -   Tonic      -                    Resulting Music Key    
1)              "C"                                     1 BLOW                             "C"      
2)              "F                                       2 DRAW                            "G"      
3)              "Bb"                                   1 DRAW                            "D"
4)              "Eb"                                   6 DRAW                            "A"
5)              "Ab"                                  2 BLOW                             "E"
6)              "Db"                                  3 DRAW                             "B"
7)              "F#"                        FLAT 2 DRAW                        "F#/Gb"
8)              "B"                         FLAT 4 DRAW                        "C#/Db"
9)              "E"                         FLAT 6 DRAW                        "G#/Ab"
10)             "A"                        FLAT 8 BLOW                        "D#/Eb"
11)             "D"                        FLAT 3 DRAW                            "Bb"
12)             "G"                                   5 DRAW                            "F"

the circle of 4th's  = add one flat to the key
the circle of 5th's  = add one sharp to the key 
Here's the way I learnt it ;

Back in the "Good Old Days", (when even smo'-jo' was young) yes, those lazy hazy diatonic days before Richard Hunter opened Pandora's Box by committing "The Overblow" to paper   ( Jazz Harp - Oak Publications 1980 - Page 93 - still a good read), we, poor innocent creatures that we were, only had to deal with six positions derived from three tonal centres.
 
So, to start at the beginning, what is the first tonal center? 

Check out your  cycle of fifths chart, from the C take the four following notes, put them in the same octave and what do you get (another day older and deeper in debt) ?  

O.K., the combination of these five notes (six, if include it's octave)  is considered to be the oldest and most used scale in the world. When we whistle, sing or play it on our harmonicas, it sounds complete.

As always, on a "C" harp; Let's start with the "pentatonic major scale in , you guessed it, C.

       = C - D - E - - G - A - - C
Blow  4            5      6              7.
Draw         4                    6

There are no conflicting notes - no semitones  rubbing up against each other causing tonal confusion - we are definitely playing in the key of C major. 

Starting on G and using the same technique ;

       = G - A - B - - D - E - - G
Blow  6                           8       9.
Draw         6    7       8                    we are now playing in the key of G major 

Start from F now;

       = F - G - A - - C - D - - F
Blow  .      6             7               .
Draw  5           6             8      9       this time its F major.

Each one of these three major pentatonic scales, used individually, states a tonality proper to its self. Collectively, the resulting scale is our old friend the C major scale and all its family of modes.

If we use the same process, by stepping one up one fifth and now choosing G as our tonal center, the combination of pentatonic major scales G, C and D will require changing the note F to F#. 
This new note is part of D major pentatonic;

       = D - E - F# - - A - B - - D
Blow  .      2                                .
Draw  1           2'       3"    3      4           the' = down a semitone,  the" = down a tone     


Similarly,  one step from "C" , counter clockwise on the circle of 4th's , requires  the three pentatonic majors, F, C and Bb to create the key of F major, our third tonal center.

       = Bb - C - D - - F - G - - Bb
Blow  .        4                    6       6°  .
Draw  3'            4       5                          the ° = overblow.

Question- 

I'm playing the second mode of F on a C harmonica ; 

1) What mode am I playing?
2)      What key am I in? 
      3)      Which is the position? 

 
Answer- 

 Wrong question ! 

I should be asking does it sound any good? 

 O.K. 

I'm sorry it was a trick question, meanwhile here are the answers that I was expected to give: 

 1)      G Dorian is the second mode of F , 

2)      Difficult to answer but if you are only playing this scale/mode it's likely to be G minor. 

3)      Impossible to answer without knowing which key your playing in. 

 
BTW, It does sound good and you probably use it all the time. 

SCALE    G    A    Bb    C    D    E     F     G 
DEGREE  I    II    bIII   IV  V    VI  bVII   I 
BLOW    . 3                    4           5              6. 
DRAW            3"   3'           4             5              

 
The 3" = bend down a tone  The 3' = bend down a semitone 

 That?s all for now folks 

Mox 

P.S

 Q. How do you make a harp player change key?

A. Rob his apartment!


http://mapage.noos.fr/country-blues 







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