[Harp-L] Sweet Georgia Brown (was: Country tuning)

[Michael Peloquin <peloquinharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Guys, 
I think the real answer is that Sweet Georgia Brown IS in F, although the tune begins on the VI7 chord, D7. Pretty cool tune as you never even hear the F chord until the middle and end of the 32 bar progression (bar 13 & 29.)
Positions mean something, but really not that much in the grand scheme of things... IMHO.
And I agree that country tuning is kind of a give take on this as you really only need the F# on a C harp for bars 1-4 and 17-20, otherwise the tune is basically in F with some G7's here and there.
Learn to overblow and/or play it on a chromatic, there are always compromises on our instrument...

Michael Peloquin

http://www.usaharmonicas.com

http://harpsax.com

http://myspace.com/peloquinharpsax



> Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2010 13:45:52 -0600
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Country tuning
> From: michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx
> To: ian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> 
> 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]
> > 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?

> >
> > >
> > > 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >