Re: [Harp-L] 5th position

[Joel Fritz <jfritz666@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Chris Michalek wrote:
> If you truly want to go where no man has gone before - play the music
> that's in your head. Listen to the tone, flavors, rhythms, colors,
> shapes that come to you naturally.  DON'T think of notes, that's a
> bigger trap than thinking in positions.
>
> There is nothing wrong with "thinking" in positions and in fact
> Howard will tell you to think that way until you're comfortable
> playing through changes.  Thinking "positionally" is a step beyond
> thinking in notes.
>
> When I'm playing I don't think anything, I see colors, textures,
> waves of rhythms in my head.  That's what I play.  If I need do break
> it down later and figure out what I played I can but what would be
> the point?


I'm an ear player (know rudiments of theory) but I can't imagine playing 
any other way.  It's like the Yogiism "How can you think and hit at the 
same time?"  I've got to admit that I'm nowhere near being able to pick 
up harps at random and play what I want to play.  I've been working on 
it in the car.  I try to play along with whatever comes up on the cd 
player using one harp.

BTW, thinking about positions is like trying to use keys that give you 
open strings on the guitar.  There are certain effects that don't really 
work as well otherwise.

I'm a little worried about the synesthesia though. <g>

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