Re: [Harp-L] Re: Spanish Phyrgian Mode

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

It's the "Spanish" part that takes this beyond the usual
5th-position-equals-Phrygian answer.

It's true, by default 5th position gives you the Phrygian mode (though
with enough technique you can use 5th like Howard Levy does to play a
tune in a major key, like using an A-harp to play Body and Soul in Db).

The "Spanish" part probably refers to a scale with at least one
alteration to the Phrygian - a major third instead of minor. Other
additional alterations are possible. As long as it has a major third
and a minor second degree - the sort of thing you can get by playing a
guitar and alternating between an E major chord and an F major chord -
it can probably be described as "Spanish Phrygian."

I don't have a good enough memory of the specific notes in White Rabbit
to say whether it's "Spanish" Phrygian.

But let's say it's a scale like:

E-F G#-A-B-C-D-E

This is actually a mode of the harmonic minor scale. 

You could play that in 5th position on a C-harp, as long as you bend
draw 3 and 6 (instead of playing Blow 3 and 6). You could also take an
A harmonic minor harmonica and play it in second position. You'd just
have to bend for the usual missing notes in Draw 2 and 3.

Winslow

--- MilwHarmonica@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Hello, Jim Alciere
>  
> I'll guess at the answer to your question, "what position is the
> Spanish  
> Phyrgian Mode on a diatonic Richter system harp?" Maybe Winslow or
> another  
> expert can explain it better than I can.
>  
> I'm not familiar with the term, "Spanish Phyrgian mode," but I do
> know that  
> the phyrgian mode on a key of C 
> Richter system (Marine Band or Special 20-type) 10-hole harmonica
> would be  
> the 5th position, or E phyrgian on a C harp (holes 5-8, no bending or
> overblows 
>  needed, E-E).  The phyrgian mode is popular in Spanish music.
>  
> If you need another key phyrgian, use a harmonica with the same key  
> signature as the phyrgian mode. That is, if you need an F# phyrgian
> mode, use a  D 
> harmonica. The relative major ('do") key is always a major 3rd below
> the "mi"  
> starting note of the phyrgian. D major (D-D) and F# phyrgian (F#-F#)
> both have 2 
>  sharps in their key signature (F# and C#), so they are "relatives",
> with the 
>  same key signature.
>  
> The phyrgian mode, or 5th position phyrgian, will always be in the
> same  
> place on any major key 10-hole Richter system harp: holes 5-8, no
> bending or  
> overblowing required.
>  
> John Broecker
>  
>  
>  
> 
> 
> 
> ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the
> all-new AOL at 
> http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
> 



       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.
http://get.games.yahoo.com/proddesc?gamekey=monopolyherenow