Re: [Harp-L] Why different positions?

[Will Greener <willgreener@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Inflection, where the bends are, where the double stops are, where the intervals are, where the blow and draw notes are for that scale and practice!

For example...

Doodling with "Amazing Grace" in the 1st & 2nd octaves as I type... 

In 1st position, one can keep a drone of the root note (1 blow / 2 draw for the 5 chord) going whilst playing the melody out of the other side of one's mouth...

In 2nd position, one has the root / 3rd (holes 2 & 3) and 3rd / 5th (holes 3 & 4) double stop and (most of the) held notes are draw notes, allowing for heavy vibrato if one wants it...

In 5th position, there's the possibility to bend all the way from the 5th down to the 3rd degree of the scale (sounds great to my ears) and the 5th degree of the scale is one of those "in-between bends" I can get the jaw-waggle-vibrato thing going, which I enjoy...

In 11th position, one can bend from the 6th degree of the scale down to the 5th (2 draw to 2 full bend) (again, sounds lovely to my ears)...

Etc...

And... 

No overblows
 to play any of that!

Finally... 

Forcing myself to play a tune in multiple positions doesn't always sound great (my technique isn't there... yet!) but it's doing WONDERS for precision bending, which I really notice when playing in 2nd position, which I do most of the time when I'm playing out and in front of people...

My tuppence...

xxx

--- On Mon, 25/1/10, Larry Marks <larry.marks@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Larry Marks <larry.marks@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Why different positions?
To: "Harp-l Harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, 25 January, 2010, 2:22

Like many others on the list, I can play the diatonic as chromatic using some overbending, but mostly valved harps.

I have not spent the time as yet to become equally proficient with all scales on a single harp, so I mostly play second position, with which I am most comfortable and proficient.
 Sometimes, I will use another position if I have to, but only if playing second would put too many notes of the tune in the third octave.

So, here is the question:  I know that some very good players on this list who play "chromatic" diatonic also choose to play in a variety of positions. It's certainly not because you can't play any given tune in any position. What is attractive to you about the positions you play?

Thanks,

  -LM
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