Re: Re: [Harp-L] 12th position terms

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Philharpn wrote:
> Howard Levy sometimes calls 12th position first flat position 
> because in the Circle of Fourths (Circle of Fifths 
> counterclockwise) the key of F (with one flat) is the first flat 
> key IF YOU ARE PLAYING A KEY OF C HARMONICA. 
<snip>
> This is misleading terminology because it is ONLY 1st flat   
> relative to the key of C.

I don't think this terminology is misleading at all.  When we 
proceed around the circle of fifths in a clockwise direction we 
sharp the 7th note of the current scale to achieve the next major 
scale, thusly:

C major: C D E F G A B C (root on the C)
G major: C D E F# G A B C (root on the G)
D major: C# D E F# G A B C# (root on the D)
A major: C# D E F# G# A B C# (root on the A)

Each scale has one more sharp in it than the scale before.  

Similarly if we move the other direction around the circle of 
fifths, we flat the seventh note of the current scale in order to 
get the notes of the next major scale:

C major: C D E F G A B C
F major: C D E F G A Bb C
Bb major: C D Eb F G A Bb C

Each scale has one more flat in it than the scale before.  

Howard's term "first flat" refers to *position* and not scale, and 
indicates that the position of the harp is one that requires one 
additional flat from the "natural" key of the instrument (the key to 
which it is diatonically tuned).  It's not a reference to the scale, 
but rather the position.  

-tim