Re: [Harp-L] Summertime on A Diatonic

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

Ok, I'm about to write something that could be totally wrong but it  
occurred to me that it should be said because I don't believe it HAS  
been said. If it has, my apologies.

It is dangerous to play diatonic all the time in SECOND position.  
This tune Summertime is a perfect example.

I am primarily a second position player. When I started way back in  
the mid 50s in Trieste Italy, I started on chromo. Like all good Eye  
Tralians, I picked up the chromo and the first thing 'I' did was suck  
(as opposed to blowing). No, no, you guys. What WERE you thinking?  
Picture an Italian boy eating a bowl of pasta. He shovels it in his  
lips and then there's a lot of suction. There, that sounds better,  
right?

At the time, there had been a movie 'Ruby Gentry' and I wanted to  
play the theme. It was in the key of D. Wow, how natural for me.  
Sooo, I learned my keys this way: D, Dm, C, Db, F, Eb, Bb, and so on.  
In other words, the DRAW keys first.

So too is how I play the spl-20. I am cross harping on draw. I am a  
5th up but DOWN an octave. Ok, so, I am so used to drawing most of  
the time that I risk being 'Pitch Locked'. In other words, I am so  
used to certain notes coming out of certain holes IN RELATION to the  
other holes, that, while playing in straight position is no  
challenge, other positions ARE.

Case in point. Here I am in 4th position and I find that to get the  
notes I need, I have to use a different approach. The series of holes  
and breath changes is going to be different than what my ears want to  
hear from this combination of holes and breath switches.

Does anyone understand this? Has anyone experienced this?

One of the nice things about playing various keyed chromos is that  
this DEFEATS the tendency to get pitch locked. Since you are using  
various keys played in various keys, and wind up IN 'variouser' keys.  
For those who only play diatonics, MY suggestion is that you play in  
keys/positions other than that which the harp is made (or it's 5th).  
I know that this isn't news to the pros, but I'm throwing it out  
there for consideration. ANY education about harps is like chicken  
soup...couldn't hoit.

smo-joe