[Harp-L] Positions and Keys

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

Todd,

I play in minor keys quite a bit (with certain bands, maybe 40% of  
the time) and I do not own a minor key harp.  I also do not OB. I use  
Fifth or Fourth Position for natural minors and Third Position for  
dorian minors. In both Fourth and Fifth you can get the minor third,  
flat sixth and flat seventh without having to bend, so they work great.

i really like playing in Fifth and it's pretty easy to do. It's  
actually a lot like playing in Second.  The only disadvantage to  
playing in Fifth is you don't easily have a major second (draw 5 and  
draw 9 are flat seconds),  So, if you need the two for the melody on  
a particular tune, (like you more often do in jazz than in blues)  
Fourth Position is a better choice.

If a tune were in E natural minor, I would use a C harp in Fifth  
Position or a G harp in Fourth Position.  If the tune is in E dorian  
minor (major sixth) I would use a D harp in Third Position.

Now, a minor tuned harp will allow you to play more CHORDS that will  
be usable, but i don't play a lot of chords anyway, so i do not feel  
any need to acquire any minor tuned harps.  Other players may feel  
differently, but i regularly do A LOT of minor key playing and  
function very effectively using standard Richter tuned harps.  I do  
have a strong preference for ET harps, though.

Personally, i cannot function effectively without an Ab harp in my  
performing set since i usually use Ab in Fifth Position to play in C  
natural minor, and C minor is a commonly called key.

IMHO, if you have the following harps, you will be covered for 95% of  
the situations you will confront, unless you are playing jazz or  
playing with horns: G Ab A Bb C D Eb E F. Of course, if you are  
playing regularly and are sort of serious about it, there's no reason  
not to carry a full set of all 12 standard keys, but you don't have to.

Hope this helps.

Best regards,

JP