Re: [Harp-L] Suggestions for minor key practice

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul F. Sehorne wrote:
> I am interested in getting some experience with minor key songs - 
> in a couple different ways.  I'd like to spend some time with 
> third position, with jazz or improvisation over minor key tunes or 
> backing tracks, and with playing the melody of some minor key 
> songs.  I want to get some experience with my Lee Oskar Natural 
> Minor G.
> 
> I interested in your suggestions for a couple tunes to start with -
> a couple of tunes for learning melodic playing and a couple for 
> improvisation.

"Minor" is kind of a catch phrase for a number of different modes, 
including dorian and aeolian (natural) minor.  And of course, there 
are an lot of variations on this theme in music, including songs 
that move into and out of minor sections.  

I recently went through a recording of one of my band's gigs and 
found that nine of the 22 songs we played in two hours were minors.  
I approach these through a combination of third and fourth positions 
on Paddy Richter tuning, and fifth position on Melody Maker tuning.  
One of them is so "slightly minor" that I just do it in second 
position.  

A great "first" minor piece is "Summertime", probably the tune you 
remember hearing Iceman do (the only recording I think he's ever 
shared with the list).  This tune works pretty well in third 
position, and also works well on a natural minor tuning.  

If you go to my band's MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/itpband) site 
there are some live recordings, including one of a tune 
called "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", which has a kind of "Hit 
The Road Jack" feel, including some changes to major in the 
progression that make it fun to play.  I do this tune in 3rd 
position.  

"Blue Bossa" on our MySpace site is also a minor song, and is played 
in fourth position.  If I remember right, this song has an unusual 
change to the major 6th, which puts you in 12th position for a 
couple of bars, but it's fun nonetheless.  

There are lots of ways to approach minor songs, and no one way will 
be best for all of them, so experiment and have fun!  

-tim