Re: [Harp-L] Modes, was 3rd Position Tunes

["Dave Murray" <dlmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JP wrote:
> i'm not Mike but, the simplest answer is: positions
> have to do with which key you are playing in relative
> to the key of the harmonica. it doesn't matter what
> scales or modes you are playing, only the key.

That makes no sense to me. It makes a great deal of difference to the 
majority of the people who play harp since they can't play it chromatically.

> besides, modes are very specific collections of notes.
> the C Ionian Mode is JUST the noted CDEFGABC. if i
> play a piece on a C harmonica that also includes Bb,
> and Eb, but is still in the key of C, then i'm still
> in 1st position but no longer in the Ionian mode.
> another (common) example is the G blues scale: if i
> play G blues on a C harmonica, it's second position
> but i'm not playing in a mode.

The operative word is "I". Perhaps "you" can play a Bb and Eb on a C 
diatonic harp. That means that for "you" it is a chromatic instrument. "I" 
can not play a Bb or Eb on a C diatonic harp. For me, and I suspect most 
players, the modes associated with positions matter a lot.

> but again, that's ONLY if you all you ever play is
> music in certain modes. there's got to be hundreds of
> other scales beyond the 7 modes of the diatonic scale.
> in fact, the vast vast majority of modern music around
> the world isn't limited to those 7 modes. to try and
> lock modes and positions together is to artificially
> limit yourself (unless of course you only plan to play
> modal music, in which case i suppose it makes little
> difference).

Sure there is non-modal music, and for me to play it on a diatonic harp I 
must carefully consider what position I try to play it on. I can bend notes, 
but not OB so I am limited in what accidentals I can play. There's nothing 
artificial about it, unless you want to call the lack of a highly 
specialized skill artificial. What percentage of the people that play the 
harp do you suppose can play a Bb and Eb on a C harp?

> that's like saying that the black notes on a piano are
> an attempt to "escape the limitations of" the white
> keys. you can make notes on harmonica in a many
> different ways. why limit yourself to a discussion of
> just the easiest ones to play?

Because those are the ones that I can play at this point in my learning. My 
time for the woodshed is limited due to other aspects of my life. So far I'm 
finding other things more productive than working on overblows. Perhaps some 
day, but not today. As an aside, remove the black keys from a piano and 
attempt to escape the limitations of the white keys if you like. We are 
quite fortunate in that our beloved 10 hole can be coaxed into playing notes 
that are accidental to the diatonic modes that we get when we change keys.

Are OB players who say that modes don't matter denying the obvious, or 
taking an opportunity to brag about their skill? I don't say that as a smart 
azz, anyone who has a skill that they worked hard for is bound to be proud 
of it.

Peace and music,
Dave