Re: [Harp-L] positions you can use on diatonic

[Frank Mangiapane <frank.mangiapane@xxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with you, Michael, any time that you play you are playing in some position. I can play in a few different positions although I prefer that old standard, the "missionary position"!


Sent from my iPad

On Mar 30, 2012, at 9:46 AM, michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Larry,
> This time I disagree with you.  Is the band playing in a key, at least
> for a portion of the song?  Are you using a richter diatonic harp?
> Then you are playing in a position.  Position are numbered by the
> relationship of the key the band is playing in to the name of the harp
> as measured by the amount of times moved clockwise in the circle of
> fifths.  No amount of saying "I've moved a little past positions" can
> change that you play in positions.
> 
> Everyone,
> I learned to play in all 12 positions.  There is a video of me playing
> at SPAH with Jimi Lee.  I play a blues and change positions every 12
> measures.  It is my belief that currently, not every position sounds
> good in blues, so it was more of an exercise.  Each position shines in
> at least one style of music.   Some people did not like it because of
> intonation issues (I definitely should have used an equal tuned harp
> and could spend the rest of my life improving my intonation), some
> because I was played lots of notes and I am sure some people felt it
> an egotistical effort.  I am cool with all the reasons of not liking
> it.  What I hope happened is that it broke the spell of "Only Howard
> Levy can do that!"  and changed it to "Michael Rubin did that and I
> did or didn't like it, but I know I could do it better than HIM!"  and
> it encouraged people to learn how.
> 
> Because of the way we are rapidly learning about the diatonic I
> believe that in the near future most harp players will play in all 12
> positions and that players will discover ways to make most positions
> shine in most styles.  I give it 25 years, max.  IMO.
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com
> http://youtu.be/aCbDxn5a3xI
> 
> On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 9:19 AM, The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>> Pretty much depends on the individual.
>> 
>> 
>> I can, but find certain positions to be not too useful for most scenarios.
>> 
>> 
>> In a way, I've moved a little past "position" and just go for the notes that I need wherever they may live.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: philharpn <philharpn@xxxxxxx>
>> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Fri, Mar 30, 2012 9:57 am
>> Subject: [Harp-L] positions you can use on diatonic
>> 
>> 
>> The common rule used to be that there were 6 positions that you could use on the
>> diatonic.
>> 
>> 
>> The rest were not exactly useless, just impossible. Then along came Howard Levy,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Playing 12 positions on one harp, he made the impossible  commonplace.
>> 
>> 
>> But still, most people cannot play 12 positions or can they?
>> 
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>