Re: [Harp-L] My explanation of 5th and 12th position

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

It has been proven that living inside the diatonic harmonica are all the notes of a three octave chromatic scale. Most of these notes are "givens", produced by a certain hole and an inhale or exhale in that hole. Some of the notes need to be created by traditional techniques, or bending. The few remaining notes are created by modern techniques called OD or OB.


The more note choices you have, the more you may express yourself musically.


When positions move past what we call Third Position, more expertise at technique is required to create all the musical notes.


Each position (as we call it) will reflect a Mode, but this is also somewhat misleading. For instance, you may play in what we call Third Position using a minimum of bending techniques to create a Dorian Mode. However, by using a few more advanced techniques, Third Position will also yield a major scale (Ionian Mode), a dominant seventh scale (Mixolydian Mode), or really any scale or mode you like.


It is easy to follow this line of reasoning to eventually playing in any key or using any mode or scale (including half tone/whole tone) on any harmonica in any position.


Here is where we start to push for an understanding of music and its theory, either through intellectual study or just ear training (playing more by ear).


How adept you are at honing your technique to creating the notes needed at a good steady pitch will affect the success of moving into this realm. As Richard Hunter argues, notes created through bending techniques have a slightly different tonal quality and don't blend in too well for a uniform sound. However, the more one concentrates on perfecting technique, the closer one may come to eliminating as much of this dissonant sound as possible. I don't believe it will be eliminated entirely, but the boundaries of possibilities may be constantly pushed into evolving forward as time goes on.





-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Rumbaugh <jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Jim Rumbaugh <jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Hellerman, Steven <shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Mar 31, 2011 4:40 am
Subject: [Harp-L] My explanation of 5th and 12th position for Steve Hellerman addendum


I forgot to add

My previous opinions and remomendations on 12th and 5th position were from 
the view of a diatonic player.  If you are a chromatic player, my comments 
may be confusing or not apply at all.

Jim Rumbaugh