[Harp-L] 6th position

["Mick Zaklan" <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

  As I've stated before, and agreeing with Michael Rubin; I like 6th
position as a blues position.  I use a low F (Big River) and play in the key
of E all the time.  To me, it's a great sound.  As an exercise, I like to
play a bunch of blues tunes and heads in 6th.  Turning the lyrics into harp
notes.  Seems to help my tone, gets me around the harp from top to bottom,
and makes learning the position a lot less boring.
  I find that "Key to the Highway", "Baby, Please Don't Go", "I'm Gonna
Move to the Outskirts of Town", and "Nobody But You" (Little Walter), are
all workable and fun to play in that position.  Sometimes you might have to
reach into another octave for a note, or fine-tune a bend, or use an
overblow as a passing tone.  But that's our instrument.  Currently, I'm
tussling with "You Don't Have to Go" (Jimmy Reed).  Parts of it lie really
well on the harp in 6th; other parts, not so well.
  I think I mentioned before that I like to play "Summertime" in 6th.
"Wade in the Water", too.  I'd agree, though, that this position isn't
well-suited for major key, happy-sounding tunes.  But, on the upper end of
the harp, some of those sweet notes are easier to find and hit.  And there's
a bunch of nice, bluesy octaves up on top that I like using as well.  The
bottom end is a bit of a beast to tame; but very cool and vocal-sounding
once you get your bends in tune.
 If you're a non-theoretical blues player like me; I'd prescribe the same
method that got me started unlocking the positions 30 years ago and that I
suspect a lot of players on this list have figured out on their own.  Just
go with what you already know.  If you are a good cross player; transfer as
much of that as you can into the new position.  It'll definitely force you
to get your bends in tune and to use the whole harp.  And to phrase and
modify.  In this case, draw an A harp out on a sheet of paper next to an F
harp.  Obviously, you'd be using a low F.  The rest is just paint by
numbers.  Pick some simple song or riff that you are comfortable playing in
2nd position (key of E, A harp).  See what notes you're actually playing and
where they are on your F harp drawing.  You might have to grab them in a
different octave, maybe not.  In any case, try to make your stuff in 6th
sound as convincing, natural, and nasty as it does on crossharp.  If you do
this enough, you eventually won't need to look at a sheet of paper.  You'll
know where things are.  Keep plugging away.  Sit down with some slow blues
recordings in E and have at them with a low F harp.  If you hit something
you like, record it so it won't evaporate from your memory.
  Is this better than learning the proper way?  Than using scales, theory,
and reading?  I would never say that.  But it's probably a bit more fun and
the pay-offs are more immediate.  And it might entice some people to make
the effort that wouldn't do it otherwise.
  Hey; welcome back, Chris M.  Hope everybody here has nice holidays!

Mick Zaklan