Re: [Harp-L] If the song is in B minor can I play an E harp in 2nd position?

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

             I see your point Winslow. I use the B on G position (or E
on a C equalling  I suppose, in current parlance, 5th position) a lot,
and employ a tongue block a lot too, so I can get a pretty full sound
and block out any unwanted notes.
            However, most playing done in 3rd position by blues
players, including Little Walter, George Smith etc., is used , I think,
in tunes that have a major IV chord. If you think of the natural mode
(Dorian, isn't it? - D E F G A B C) of 3rd position, the Gmajor or G
flat -7th (can I call it a dominant in this context?) is one of the
naturally occuring (scale tone) chords.
            So I use 3rd for those tunes (dorian mode tunes I suppose)
and 5th for tunes with a minor  IV chord.
            If the tune was going to have a minor IV chord, and you're
in 3rd pos., you'd still have to bend draw 3 a semitone, and/or overblow
6 to get the min 3rd of the 4 chord.
           Harking back to past discussions, I still can't use 4th pos
(Amin on a C harp) for blues. Only for stuff like 'Greensleeves' or 'God
rest ye merry gentlemen' and all that kinda stuff -'with a hey nonny
nonny and a hot cha cha'
            This is my kind of discussion. I'm a gear Luddite. I just
got my 1965 Australian Goldentone amp fixed; all components locally
made. Two 6DQ6B valves (old B&W TV valves) My mic came out of a
Christmas cracker; don't think it has a brand on it. Sounds OK to me.
Regards,
RD


>>> Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> 17/11/2006 12:12:04 >>>
I meant Blow 2, not Blow 3 (my mistake). Blow 2, 5, and 8 are all G#s.

Here's the problem with G#.

Against a B minor chord, no problem.

But the IV chord in B minor is E minor, spelled E-G-B.

G# clashes with the G in the E minor chord in a way that is usually
rather unpleasant.

A true B minor tune will have the E minor chord. So you can play the
G#
against the B minor chord, and possibly against whatever flavor of F#
chord (the V chord) is in the song. But you have to avoid it over the
IV chord.

The G harp is another good suggestion, but there is an avoid note here
as well. Draw 5 (and Draw 11) is C natural, the flattened 2nd degree
in
B minor. Avoid that and you're in pretty god condition, especially as
there are fragments of the B minor chord among both blow and draw
notes.

Actually, thinking of the B chord, there is another avoid note. The
blow notes go G-B-D. B and D are part of the B minor chord (B-D-F#)
but
the G will clash with the chord, so you need to be careful if you use
the blow notes to play chordally against the I chord.

Winslow

--- Rick Dempster <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I can't see what the problem is with  Blow 3, 5, and 8. As far as I
> can
> see, these are, respectivley, B, G# & G# again. Since the tune is in
> B,
> Blow 3 is OK, and a 6th (G#) is a very cool note in a minor scale. I
> might be a bit stupid after a late night, but that's the way it
looks
> to
> me. As for playing in 3rd position (B minor on an A harp) as Winslow
> further reccomends, my only comment would be: what is the band
> playing
> for the IV chord? Is it minor or major? If it's major, I'd go with
th
> A
> harp, but if it's minor, I'd be looking at a G harp. Hope this helps
> more than confuses!
> RD
> 
> >>> "Nate in the Blues Room" <thebluesroom@xxxxxxxxx> 17/11/2006
> 10:11:42 >>>
> Hi and Thanks Winslow,
> So are you saying with regard to playing an E harp that I need to
> always bend hole three down in order to get the B minor feel?
> 
> Otherwise the B minor chords, the ones which you've pointed out,
will
> do ok too.
> 
> Cheers,
> Nate
> 
> On 11/17/06, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > You can, but you need to be careful about:
> >
> > Draw 3 - this note is major and will clash with the minor key feel
> > unless you bend it down one semitone whenever you play it.
> >
> > Ditto for Blow 3, 5, and 8. Blow 8 is the only one among them that
> > bends. The others *might* fit some of the time (certainly not with
> an
> E
> > minor chord) but again, you have to be careful.
> >
> > A D harmonica would give you a 100% scale fit for basic minor
> blues.
> > But the B note is not surrounded by a B minor chord, and you have
> to
> > bend down 2 semitones for B in Hole 3.
> >
> > An A harmonica will gve you a B minor chord (draw 4, 5, and 6).
You
> > just have to watch out for Draw 3 (bend down 1 semitones) and Draw
> 7
> > (won't bend down).
> >
> > Winslow
> > --- Nate in the Blues Room <thebluesroom@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > > Hey harp-lers,
> > > If a song is in B minor (It's my own fault - Otis Rush) can I
> play
> an
> > > E harp in second position. If so, what do I need to be aware of?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Nate
> > >
> > > ---------------------------
> > > White Ribbon Day
> > >    25 Nov 2006
> > > Men Standing Up
> > >  & Speaking Out
> > > Against Violence
> > >      To Women
> > > --------------------------
> > > The Blues Room - www.communityradio.co.nz 
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