Re: RE: [Harp-L] 5th position

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I wrote:
>> I don't know about the rest of the players out there, but I don't 
>> do too many tunes that are written in phrygian mode.  But I do 
>> play in 12th position on a couple of tunes, remembering to draw 
>> bend the 3 and overblow the 6 to get the 4th notes and to draw 
>> bend the two hole to get the low octave tonic for the major scale 
>> (ionian mode).

Then Steve wrote:
> A small number of Irish tunes are in true Lydian mode, i.e. can be 
> played in 12th position without bending/overblowing.  All the ones 
> I know I play on a low D harp, and the guitar men regard the tunes 
> as being in G major!

I'm sorry, I misspoke (miswrote?).  The Phrygian mode I referred to 
was the corollary for 5th position, from Tom's original post.  As 
Steve rightly points out, Lydian mode does map nicely onto 12th 
position, though a whole step draw bend is needed for the tonic and 
the 3rd in the low octave.  

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/