Re: [Harp-L] Finding the Position - "Summertime"

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Snowden wrote:
> I've been dabbling more with a natural minor harp, and I got the 
> old classic "Summertime" into my head  I tried this a while back 
> on a standard Richter, and I couldn't get it to work then, but 
> this time I got the idea to try a "Natural Minor".  So I picked up 
> and played by ear....  Starting on 7 blow seems to work really 
> quite well.  If I could bend/overblow better, then starting on 4-
> draw potentially feels bluesier, but some of the steps at the end 
> of the verse are much harder.  I have the sheet music hidden away
> on the shelf, so it's there if I want to see what I've 
> forgotten....

It's great to work out a tune in multiple positions to see how it 
fits best for you.  With a song like "Summertime" since you know 
it's minor and you know the first few notes, you can just figure out 
a few of them in scale degrees for different scales and use that as 
a starting point.  

For example, since you know it's minor, you might try it in 3rd, 4th 
or 5th positions (you can also do it in others, but lets keep it 
simple here).  So, the first three notes -- "Sum - mer time" -- 
playing in D on a C harp are 6d 5d 6d, which are A F A.  In the D 
scale these are the 5th note, 3rd note, and 5th note again.  I'd 
guess that if you can get those three notes, you can figure out the 
rest by ear.  So, lets say you want to try it out in 4th position, 
which is great for natural minor.  That would be an A scale on a C 
harp, which is great, because it's the relative minor.  So, the 5th 
note of the A scale is E and the 3rd note is C.  The blow plate on a 
C harp is a progression of CEGCEGCEGC, so you can pretty much start 
when you like.   To play E-C-E you can play 2b 3b 2b or 5b 6b 5b or 
8b 9b 8b.  Take it from there.  Want to check it out in 5th 
position?  Fifth position is E on a C harp, and the 5th note of the 
E scale is B, the 3rd note is G.  There are only 2 Bs on a C harp, 
and the lower one -- the 3 draw -- is too low to let you get the 
whole melody in that lower octave, since it resolves on the 5th note 
below the tonic -- you need a lower B.  So, if you start with the 
upper B on the 7 draw, then go to the next lower G on the 6 blow 
you'll be able to resolve that phrase on the lower B, and you'll 
have plenty of room.  Just be careful that you'll need the F# rather 
than the F on the 5 draw, and you'll have to overblow or use country 
tuning or melody maker.  I'd suggest not using the overblow, since 
this is a principle note in the melody -- it turns there before 
going to the next phrase.  Oh, and you can pretty easily play it in 
2nd position, in G on a C harp, by starting on the 5th note of the G 
scale, D, on the 4d, then bending the 3d down to the Bb.  As long as 
you can remember to flat the B, you'll do fine!

Have some fun with it!

-tim