Re: [Harp-L] 5th positon

[harmoniman@xxxxxxxxxxx]

John, thanks for the great technical info on 5th position. I  always use the easy way out with the circle of 5ths chart I memorized from Charlie Musselwhites' " Harmonica According to Musselwhite "book .  C-G-D-A-E-B-F#-C#-Ab-Eb-Bb-F I posted my first video on Youtube a little over a year ago with a song I played some 5th on. http://www.youtube.com/HARMONIMONSTER There  are some Kim Wilson vids on there too for those who are interested.

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx> 

> Mike , 
> I use 5th position regularly for minor keys. I can perform all 
> sorts of material in 5th that I could never handle in other 
> positions. I use it so often that I absolutely must carry my Aflat 
> diatonic all the time so i have it on hand to use for C minor. Eflat 
> for G minor. F for A minor, etc. 
> As you probably know, in order to determine which harp to use in 5th 
> position, you take the relative major of the minor key you wish to 
> play and use the harp you would ordinarily use to play 2d position in 
> that key. For example, if you want to play in C minor, the relative 
> major is Eflat, so you use an Aflat harp (the one you would use to 
> play in Eflat major 2d position). Then use 2 blow for root and you 
> get C minor, without having to bend for the minor 3rd or the minor 
> 6th (which is the minor 3rd on the IV chord). 
> You can use the whole harp and play the minor blues scale top to 
> bottom in all 3 registers. Bending the 3 draw is necessary to get the 
> flat 5th and the 4th. Also, there are a couple of avoid notes in the 
> upper 2 registers. But otherwise, it's a lot like 2d position in that 
> it's hard to hit a really bad note. The technique and breath patterns 
> are also similar to 2d position. 
> I think 5th position is better for most minor key material than 3d 
> position, because in 3rd position, you must bend to get the minor 6th 
> which is the third note of the IV chord... and if the IV chord is 
> minor (as it is in most, but not all, minor tunes) you don't fool 
> anyone if you don't flat the 6th. I never understood why most 
> instructional materials recommend 3d position for minor keys instead 
> of 5th. There's not much recorded material in 5th position, though. 
> But playing in 5th allows the player to fit harp parts to all sorts 
> of tunes that don't have harp on the original and which most harp 
> players would not be able to handle on a diatonic. Overblows (which I 
> have not learned to do) are not necessarily required. 
> Of course, you can play minor in 4th position without having to 
> bend, but I consider 4th to be a straight harp position because you 
> are playing the harp in the relative minor of the key of the harp. 
> For example you use a C harp for A minor. But A minor is the same 
> key (same notes) as C major. You just start on a different note. So 
> you are actually playing the instrument in the key it is in. I am 
> able to play 4th, but never use it unless I want to play "All Along 
> the Watchtower" which was originally recorded by Dylan using 4th 
> position and may sound better in 4th instead of 5th. But 4th is like 
> playing in 1st. And i don't usually enjoy playing in 1st, although 
> i can do it when i have to. But if you like 4th you should love 5th! 
> JP 
> 
> _______________________________________________ 
> Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org 
> Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx 
> http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l