Re: [Harp-L] What is a scale??..damn kid, what the heck's a position??

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

In reply to Sam's pondering:
 " When learning the scales, Should I work them
out on a staff using the notes on a C harp as a reference and just
infer
what I learn to the other keys or should I really learn every note
lay-out
for every harp I use? "

      Glad you brought that up Sam, because it's a bone I like picking
at. I've taught harmonica in groups for seven years. The concept of
'position'  is one that students have the greatest difficulty in
grasping. On this list, which expects and welcome's the novice, the use
of 'position' needs to be explained and contextualised again and again.
Some folk still use "fourth" to mean key of E on a C harp, with perhaps
the majority now using "fourth" to mean A on a C harp, according to the
cycle of 4ths.
     As I understand it, trumpet and tenor sax players are playing Bb
instruments; that is to say, the natural or easiest scale to play on
those instruments is Bb. Yet horn players call the fingering that
produces the concert Bb scale 'C'. When the same fingering is used on a
C melody sax, you get a concert C scale. Similarly, with alto sax, which
is pitched in Eb, the fingering which produces the concert Eb scale is
called C.
    It is a whole lot simpler;it just gets a bit messy when you are
writing or reading music, because you either have to transpose it
mentally or re-write for the particular instrument.
    I would like to see the whole 'position' thing dropped. In fact,
from here on, I will add the disclaimer to all my emails "C harp spoken
only" so that it is understood that 1st is C, 2nd G, 3rd D, 4th A, 5th
E. 6th B, etc. etc.
    If it's good enough for the whole wind instrument family, it's good
enough for a harmonica player!
Cheers,
RD