[Harp-L] Harmonic minor in 4th position

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

Since we are on the subject of multiple positions, I had an  
interesting experience sitting in with a friend's band the other  
night.  He played an original tune in B harmonic minor and gave me an  
extended solo.  I used a D harp in 4th position.

I know how to play harmonic minor in 4th, but I'd never actually done  
it in live performance before.  I thought it was going to be  
difficult because you need to drop (bend) 6D to 6D* and 3d** to 3D***  
in order to get major seven.  Wow!  I discovered that one can really  
wail on those bends which gives playing harmonic minor in 4th a  
completely different feel than playing natural minor in 4th.  And  
it's actually pretty easy to do.

i guess the moral of the story is that you never know what you really  
can do until you try it it live with a band.  When I'm playing with  
other musicians I come up with all sorts of ideas and approaches that  
would never have occurred to me playing all by myself.  Live and  
learn....

JP