Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Yeah....I wondered at this too. I would say that repertoire requires mostly 1st and 2nd, with a bit of 3rd 4th and 5th. But having said that, I think you need to talk actual tunes here.
If we're talking fiddle tunes, then I'd have to say most of them are easiest in 1st. I do Arkansas Traveller in 1st or 2nd, Bill Cheatham in 1st, Red Haired boy in 3rd, but I have done it in 2nd as well as 4th (if memory serves)
Eighth of January in 2nd; Fisher's Hornpipe in 1st. 
I wouldn't go near any other major position for this kind of repertoire.
What tunes are you talking about, Cara?

RD
 
>>> John Kerkhoven <solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx> 19/07/2011 16:04 >>>
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