Subject: [Harp-L] Fourth Position--Coletrane (Coltrane/Afro Blue)

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

John: here's another harmonica version of Afro Blue you might find  
interesting.
 
Parts I & II
 
   
Afro Blue
 
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEF-3VmFCQ_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aEF-3VmFCQ) 
 
 
 
Afro Blue - Part Deux
 
 
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRDGrk0wB_ 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRDGrk0wB) 
 
 
Elizabeth

 
 
 
 
 
 
"Message: 9

Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:59:58 -0400

From: "John  F. Potts" <_hvyj@xxxxxxxx (mailto:hvyj@xxxxxxx) >

Subject: [Harp-L] Fourth  Position--Coletrane

To: _harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx) 

Message-ID: <_4111AFB8-33D8-44FD-AAAD-232004730541@xxxxxxxx 
(mailto:4111AFB8-33D8-44FD-AAAD-232004730541@xxxxxxx) >



Lately,  i've been fooling around with playing 4th position for  

natural  minor tunes. A couple of John Coltrane soprano sax numbers:    
"Equinox" and "Afro Blue" lay out perfectly in 4th position. Playing  

4th is particularly easy in the upper register and these tunes  sound  

pretty good up there.  Also, it's pretty easy to  transpose down to  

the lower register so long as you can hit the 3  draw whole step bend  

consistently, but that's the only bend you  really need.  So it's an  

easy position to get around in for  soloing.  If you can get that 3  

draw bend accurately, you can  use the whole harp with no problem.



Flat third, flat seventh and  flat sixth are all available without  

having to bend and the 8 blow  bend gives you the flat fifth if you  

want it. Entirely different  feel from playing minor in 5th or 3rd and  

there are no avoid  notes.



Pretty cool for playing this Coltrane stuff, and not very  difficult  

to do at all.  Since playing 4th puts you in the  relative minor key  

of the key the harp is in, you are using the  same identical scale  

tones as the key of the harp, (just starting  on a different note for  

root). So, 4th is actually a straight harp  position.

FWIW,
JP"