Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH

[John Kerkhoven <solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Cara,

Thanks for your recent posts on bluegrass. I've begun this year to play with local players. I play harmonica and I sing. Most of my playing has been blues. I have a lot to learn about bluegrass and old-time music, but my basic technique is good and I have been met with encouragement and enthusiasm. 

I want to pick up on just one thing in one of your last posts. You say

> 
> Bluegrass is highly modal, so it doesn't always sound best in straight or
> crossharp.  

Straight and cross harp is pretty much all I play when I play at the bluegrass and old-time jams. I get a lot of mileage out of cross harp in particular. I can hit my bent notes accurately and I can play at speed on most tunes. 

Your comment makes me feel like I'm missing something important. Could you elaborate? If not straight or cross harp, what do you play? 12th position? Can you give an example of a modal song that you would play on the harmonica but not in either straight or cross harp?

Thanks,

John