Re: [Harp-L] Playing in majors/minors

["hazcon" <hazcon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

This imho is right on the button as far as learning to 'play harp' as 
opposed to recycling riffs.(of which I am as guilty as anyone)
What strikes me after a while of 'experimenting' with learning new positions 
is why doesn't everyone raise the 3 blow up a tone to give them a good 
solid(ie not bent) note? E:g Using a C harp and you have raised the G to an 
A.
            in second(G) it gives you a nice 5th on the V chord (but an 
avoid on the 1 and 4)*
            in third (D) it gives you a nice 5th on the 1 chord and  the 
tonic for the V(avoid on the 1V)
            in fourth (A)you get the Tonic note on the 1chord ,the 5th on 
the 1V and the fourth on the V chord.So you can play this note basically 
anywhere.
           in  fifth (E)  its the the fourth on the 1 chord,tonic on the 1V 
and the flat seventh on the V.Again an 'anywhere' note.
That's two new keys where it is an extremely useful note and two others 
where it can be used in place of (sometimes) awkward bends.
         * I am basically ,for the point of discussion, just keeping this 
to the pentatonic/blues scale and ignoring chords.
But: For anyone trying to  play Jazz and/or say Latin wouldn't this be an 
absolute winner?I have done it to a couple of spare Harps and am finding 
that I can play stuff that that I used to struggle with, the Harmonica just 
seems to' flow 'easier with that strong reliable extra note.
So why does everyone make it hard for themselves by having a a redundant 
note (3 blow),is it just tradition or am I missing something?
                 Yes I am aware of the L/O melody maker but here I am only 
talking about the 3 blow.
Anyways I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this
Rick
in NZ



John Potts wrote

> > I am self taught, play no other instruments  and have no formal  music 
> > training.  A musician who doesn't know where the notes are on  his/her 
> > instrument is not a basically competent musician.  Being  able to PLAY 
> > those notes competently is an advanced skill.
> >
> > It's simple on harmonica, because if you know the locations of the 
> > degrees of the scale in different positions on ONE harmonica, you  know 
> > them all because it's the  the same for all 12 keys. The  problem is that 
> > all the published instructional material teaches  POSITIONS (not scales) 
> > and teaches the positions one at time  (usually stopping at third).
> >
> >  A simpler and easier way to do it would be to teach scales and  teach 
> > the student to play the particular scale in several positions 
> > simultaneously since none of the 6 most common positions is any  more 
> > "advanced" than another.  In fact, it's easier to play the  blues scale 
> > in third position than in second because fewer bends  are required.  It's 
> > easier to play the minor scale in fourth  position than in third because 
> > if you start on draw 6 NO bends are  required and there are no avoid 
> > notes.  If you can play the major  pentatonic scale in second position, 
> > the same breath pattern is the  minor pentatonic scale in fifth position. 
> > If you can play the  minor pentatonic scale in third position, the same 
> > breath pattern  is the major pentatonic scale in twelfth position.  The 
> > major  pentatonic scale in first position is the same breath pattern as 
> > the minor pentatonic scale in fourth position.  So, if a player can 
> > learn the breath patterns for THREE 5 note scales, the player can 
> > automatically play in SIX positions well enough to improvise. It's 
> > easier than learning to play the blues scale in seond position well 
> > enough to improvise.
> >
> > This is NOT hard--we think it's hard because all the instructional  books 
> > make it hard by teaching in a manner that make s it seem a  whole lot 
> > more difficult and complicated than it actually is.
> >
> > FWIW,
> >
> > JP