[Harp-L] Playing third position major

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

SOme thoughts on playing third as a major position:

(By the way, check out some examples of third position major playing at
the Buddha's Groove:
http://www.thebuddhasgroove.com/buddhaforum/forum.asp?$sid=&id=18 )

Altered tunings can work - raise 5 Draw at a minimum, or additionally
raise 9 Draw and even lower 2 Draw.

But let's say you stick with standard German Major tuning. Then you
have:

Four Stages of Development - easiest to hardest:

1. Line of least resistance - Minor over major? Who cares? Just play.

2. Build lines by AVOIDING minor notes - no 2Dbb, no 5D, no 9D.
   (record yourself playing over accompaniment and listen back
critically)

3. Playing minor over major earfully, making it musical.
   (record yourself playing over accompaniment and listen back
critically)

4. Incorporate working in all the bent notes that will make the scale
more like a full major scale. Practice working them into scales,
arpeggios, licks, and lines, as well as into rips, glisses,
tongue-switch leaps, and bent chords. 

These include:

2Db (major 7th)

3Dbb (5th)

4Db (major 7th)

5OB (major 3rd)

7OB (major 7th)

9Bb (major 3rd)

10Bb (major 6th)

Depending on your skill with overbends, you might want to separate the
bent-down notes and work on those first.

Winslow

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