Re: [Harp-L] Country tuning

[michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ian,
If 5 draw gives you the major third, you are playing in 3rd position,
not 12th.  On a country tuned harp, 12th position's root note is 5
draw bent one half step.  5 draw would be the flat second.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On 3/2/10, Ian Cowe <ian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi John - I'm not very good at the technical side of music, but I'm pretty
> sure it's 12th position.  The melody is really hard to play in 1st or 2nd,
> and I can't explain technically why this is, but in 12th it works almost
> effortlessly.
>
> The raised 5 draw (CT) gives the major third (needed for the first line (4
> bars) of the melody) which can be bent a semitone (for the second line (bars
> 5-8) of the melody).
>
> The tonic note is only used 5 times (I think), 4 of them pretty much in
> passing and quite easily played on my C (CT) harp.  It is a 32 bar tune, and
> bar 29 is a little tricky, needing the 5 draw semitone in an important run
> up, and bar 32 finishes on the root note - the only time it's really
> important (but all of them are very doable).  It works for me!
>
> When it comes to improvising around the melody that's really difficult in
> 12th so I'll have to revert to 2nd position for that.
>
> Also, I was hoping that I could go on to play Bill Bailey, but that doesn't
> work at all!
>
> Ian
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Kerkhoven [mailto:solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 01 March 2010 23:03
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx; Ian Cowe
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Country tuning
>
> I'm puzzled -- a country tuned harp raises the 5 draw a semi-tone, thus
> forcing the root note in 12th pos. to a 5-draw bend.
>
> how is country tuning helpful here? do you mean something else?
>
> John
>
> >
> > While noodling around I have found that country tuning is really good for
> > the melody of Sweet Georgia Brown in 12th position (F on a C harp).  There
> > are only a handful of bends, and they're quite easy ones.  As I play this
> > tune with some jazzy bluegrass guys who like to do it at 90 miles an hour
> > I'm now in with a chance - I just need to get a D country tuned harp so I
> > can play it with them in the key of G.
> >
> >
> >
> > I must explore 12th more..
> >
> >
> >
> > Ian
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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