Re: [Harp-L] Can I play minor songs on the major harps?

[Bradford Trainham <btrainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I shouldn't admit to this... but a band I'm currently in... has me
playing the flute solo on Jethro Tull's Locomotive Breath which is in
e minor on a g diatonic.
It works well for that application because the solo ends up with a
passage that builds on a g-a-b progression before going back to e
minor. 
I tried it on a Lee Oskar harmonic minor, but for that song, and
really that song alone, I get better results with the g harp doing e
minor. 
Another maddeningly popular old classic rock/folkish tune that allows
us to do this is of course "Heart of Gold from Neel Young. 
So I guess we can tentatively conclude that if a minor song features
prominently a modulation to its relative major, you're generally in
good shape with a harp in that relative major key. 
("Duh?")
Brad Trainham
On Thu, 10 May 2007 01:55:37 -0400, you wrote:

>5th position is by far my favorite way to play minor on a major harp.
>Explore and you will be all smiles. I think it lays out nicer than 3rd and
>leaves more room for "emotion". Just my opinion though. I fake in all
>positions :-)
>
> 
>
>WBee
>
> 
>
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