[Harp-L] Positions and pre-conceived notions

["Mick Zaklan" <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx>]

   Not to prolong the 5th position thread, but it got me to thinking about
something.  When we label a position major or minor or describe it as a
particular mode; all we're doing is indicating the easiest, most accessible
way of using it.  This doesn't mean that doing something else with it is
impossible, impractical, or even difficult.  Fact is, it could be quite
easy.  The danger of using these labels is that a lot of people aren't going
to do anything else with a position but use it according to its description.
   As a guy who has put a considerable amount of disorganized time into
playing American roots music in positions 3-6; I can tell you that I don't
think of those positions as minor.  I know that they are described as minor,
but more often than not I use them on major keyed blues, rock, or rhythm and
blues.  All it takes is a few bends or an occasional overblow.  People have
been tapping me on the shoulder at SPAH blues jams for a dozen or so years
now; asking me what key harp I just used or if it's specially tuned.  This
last convention a guy asked if my harp had ten holes.  I play Big River
harps by the way, out of the box.  I just don't use them in 2nd position
very often.  I like to think that if these positions sounded like shit,
people wouldn't be asking me for info.  And often the guys asking are pros
well-known to our list members, including 3 or 4 folks who have
been featured acts at the conventions.  One year, in a roomful of hot
players, Jelly Roll Johnson relocated himself in a chair directly behind me
and proceeded to track the key of every harp I used that evening.  He did
this on two separate occasions.  Another time; a SPAH headliner with several
highly rated cd's out asked me, "Could you please tell me what the f**k you
were doing last night?".  In St. Louis, blues headliner R.J. Mischo got up
out of his seat at the midnight jam and asked if he could examine the harp I
just played.  I had played a Jimmy Reed-type tune in 3rd on a low harp,
but with a bunch of riffs transposed over from cross harp.  It threw him.
And Winslow Xerxa complimented me on a solo which he correctly identified as
being in 6th.  A compliment I cherish because I don't know a lot of players
who could have figured that out with the absolute certainty Winslow did.  A
sharp guy.
   All I'm saying is that positions 4, 5, and 6 are very practical and
useful for all blues.  I would hate to believe that people are thinking
that since these positions are categorized as "minor" tinged, they aren't
worth looking into.  That they are merely a weak substitute for third
position.  Or that because historically there aren't a lot of recorded
examples of these positions, that they must not be useful.  Because they
are, if you don't approach them with a pre-conceived notion of what's
possible.

Mick Zaklan