[Harp-L] Middle Octave 1st pos.

[chris smith <harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx>]

        Hey Michael,
                            In first position in the middle octave you're pretty much in "no man's land" and this is why 2nd pos. is so much more popular. Whoever figured out playing in G
on a C harp made a breakthrough akin to the wheel or computers or ??? because you can bend every note of the I 7 chord (C harp   holes 1-D 2 G 3 B 4 D 5 F 6 A  The 5 th hole doesn't give you a new note but man is it a great note to wail on anyway as in "Juke").
 
    There is always the XB 40 which allows one to bend every single note and because of the bendability of the middle octave blows (tonic chord in 1st pos.) I find it almost irresistable to play in 1st on this harp. (Hey Rick ! {Epping inventor}). On a standard harp
one can't bend these notes because they're lower in pitch than the draws in the same holes
so one can tip-toe through them judiciously but never wail . Another option is valving but that's way too wimpy for me .
    I love 1 st pos. because it's so "ballsy" when done right but note selection is key (pardon the pun).
                                                                          Have fun,
                                                                                          Chris                              
Chris "Hammer" Smith
Hammer Smith Band
Official Myspace Page http://myspace.com/chrishammersmith
harpshredder@xxxxxxxxx

--- On Mon, 3/30/09, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: