[Harp-L] Subject: Twelfth position - Does it Appeal to Others Like it Appeals to Me?

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

I share my home with a lot of cats, Brad. At this particular  moment in 
time Eight (8) all indoor, all neutered and spayed (mentioned purely  for those 
who think such a thing impossible). I'm down from 14. The dog is sadly  
outnumbered but still rules the roost. The surprising thing is not a one finds  
my chromatic playing objectionable...even in 12th - nor have any reacted  
adversely when diatonic players have played here (and there are a lot of 
'hard'  surfaces to bounce the sound off - granite, tile, metal). 
 
I do keep music playing most of the day from my Ipod or CD's, have played  
my keyboard at fairly high volumes too so perhaps they've merely become  
accustomed to music in general, or is it that mine are particularly  mellow?
 
I can't imagine that to be the real reason: they're all ages... from  
different rescues, several born in my own backyard...most brought in quite a few  
years before I returned to harmonica playing.
 
It'd be interesting to eventually find out why some of our fur  babies 
react adversely and others don't.
 
Elizabeth
 
"Message: 13
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:56:29 -0600
From: "Bradford  Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Twelfth  position - Does it Appeal to Others Like it
Appeals to  Me?
To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 

Over the past year and a half, I've gotten more comfortable playing  in
twelfth position.
I usually choose this position in a country/folkish  song or a pop-ish
sounding song, something with a pronounced major  feel.  Even though the
chords we can use come at unusual places, and we  certainly have to scope
them out, it almost seems to me that twelfth position  is the "other first"
position on a diatonic harp.
I am curious if anyone  ever uses twelfth position when playing Blues or
anything in a minor  key.
I ask because I haven't had that work for me and not sound  strained/forced.
(My cats observe that twelfth position seems exactly eleven  times worse 
than
first position and couldn't I please put that thing away  !!Now!!)
Brad Trainham"