Re: [Harp-L] Natural Minor positions

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Let's see, if we accept E natural minor as the key of the harp, it is
10th position.

However -

Lee Oskar tends to treat his tunings as modifications that facilitate
playing in second position (cross harp) by changing some of the notes
to favor a particular scale. However, he still maintains that this is
second position and that the underlying key of the harmonica does not
change. However, the labels the key of the harp according to the
favored application, i.e., playing a particular scale in second
position.

Want to play major scale in second position? Change a few notes and
viola, Melody Maker tuning, which he states is "labeled in cross harp
key," i.e., second position. He might modify a C harp to create a
melody maker that plays G major in second position, but he still
considers it second position of what, by implication, is a C
Lydian-scale instrument

Natural minor tuning uses the same approach, and Lee also labels this
harp as "labeled in cross harp key." At Lee's website 

http://leeoskar.com/nminorframe.html

he states that for a harp "lebelled in cross harp key" as E minor, A
minor (actually dorian) is first position and E natural minor is second
position. However, the favored application, playing it in second
position to get E natural minor, is the labelled key.

SO it's perfectly legitimate to call playing in C on an E natural minor
fifth position. Not that it isn't confusing and a little convoluted to
sort out.

Winslow

--- Tim Moyer <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> jazmaan wrote:
> > I know that Jimi Lee is a master of "position play" using the 
> > Natural minor tuning.  I've got a Lee Osker "Em" harp (which I 
> > think of as an "A" harp but that's another discussion.)  My 
> > question is what "position" is it when you're playing in the 
> > key of C major, (blow 2 is the tonic)?
> 
> I team-taught a seminar at SPAH2006 with Jimi where he played a nice 
> piece that modulated between C major and E minor, and played on an E 
> minor (based on A) tuning.  Technically, this is 10th position
> (moving 
> the opposite direction around the circle of 5ths), but it's more 
> helpful to me to think of it as 5th, since the tonic is on the 2
> blow, 
> as it would be if you were playing in 5th minor on a major tuned
> harp.
> 
> -tim
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
> 



       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search 
that gives answers, not web links. 
http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC