Re: [Harp-L] Do teachers & players tend to undervalue first position?

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

First position masters (in the blues/jazz vein):

Don Les
Blues Birdhead
Gwen Foster
Rhythm Wilie

Of these three favourites, Don Les' diatonic stuff is probably the least well known among us reeders; although
I'd be willling to bet that the majority of listers haven't heard the other three either, orwould like 'em if they did.
Don plays the diatonic in first, with minimal note bending, and negotiates his way most swingingly
through pre WWII standards like 'All of me', 'After You've Gone', 'The world is waiting for the sun to rise',
'Stardust' and more.
Most of the changes cover chords like: C, Dm, EM, Em, FM7, G7, Gm7, AM7, A7, Am7, Bb M, Bb7, Bm C# dim, D dim.;
Is a pattern emerging here? Yes; all thes notes are reachable on the diatonic, with minimal changes of breath direction, and, depending on the octave, without overblows, which Don either didn't know about, or cared not to.
Don has a jazz vocablary, which most harp players I hear, do not.
In 1st, the notes are all there; that's what the damn thing was made to do!!
What Don misses in first, notably all the bends we are used to on Zb demolished etc., he makes up for with great phrasing decorated with grace notes.
OK; I'll stop raving; contact Mo Vint in Ontario, which is the only place you'll get it and listen to Don. First rules!
If you haven't listened to Birdhead, Gwen or Willie, then do so at once!

RD




>>> Tony Eyers <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 27/03/11 11:01 AM >>>
For 25 years I focused on 2nd and 3rd position for blues and general 
accompanyment, my own Major Cross tuning for fiddle tunes. I never gave 
first position much thought.

Then I wrote the Harmonica Academy teaching site. I had to learn first 
position. Now I love it. It is a powerful blues position (listen to the 
opening track on Dennis Gruneling's CD "Up All Night). Really great for 
fiddle tunes as well. The trick however is mastery of the 3 draw bend 
(an A note for a C harmonica). This note takes some years to control 
well enough for tunes, once done, first position opens many possibilities.

Tony Eyers
Australia
www.HarmonicaAcademy.com
...everyone plays