Re: Re: [Harp-L] Summertime on A Diatonic

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

fssharp wrote:
> John Potts stated that he always plays this in 5th position.  
> That's a bit tough on standard tuning.  
> <snip>
> It's pretty simple until you get to the end of the second line 
> ("high"), which requires an F#.  This means you either need to 
> overblow the 5 hole, or play a country tuned harp 
> <snip>
> George Brooks rightly extolls the layout of the tune in 4th 
> position using standard tuning.  There's quite a few pesky 3-
> doubles in there to cover the root, most notably the last note 
> of the song.  

This song can actually be played pretty easily in a number of 
positions from 2nd through 5th with good bend control.  Fourth is 
probably the easiest when it comes to playing the melody notes 
cleanly, particularly if you use Paddy Richter tuning to get the 
lower tonic note without a bend.  

When I play in 5th position I prefer to use a Melody Maker tuned harp 
so that I get the 2nd scale degree without a bend.  What I don't like 
about 5th position on a Melody Maker is that I can't go to the 5th 
below the tonic at the low end.  

Because there are so many ways to play minor modes on "standard" 
tuned harps - especially if you don't need the chords - I had all but 
abandoned natural minor tunings (carrying a *3rd* set of harps to a 
gig), but now I'm considering building up a set.  I really like the 
way Jimi Lee uses natural minors in the relative major position.  

-tim