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

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

sez Michael


<<If I play in the key of G on a C harp, I am in second position.  It
does not matter if I am playing the G Mixolydian scale or the G
harmonic minor scale or any scale or mode.  The thing that makes it
second position is that in the Circle of Fifths, the name of the harp
is the starting point and therefore is first position, move clockwise
from there to G and that makes it second position.>>

aha, back from the dead, or one of the walking dead am I now.


The above quote makes perfect sense to me. I may play in second position, but through use of controlled bending be playing an aeolian mode.





-----Original Message-----
From: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Jim Rumbaugh <jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>; philharpn <philharpn@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Mar 31, 2012 9:40 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] positions you can use on diatonic


Larry and everyone,
Although many people equate positions with modes or scales, they do
not understand what a position is.

If I play in the key of G on a C harp, I am in second position.  It
does not matter if I am playing the G Mixolydian scale or the G
harmonic minor scale or any scale or mode.  The thing that makes it
second position is that in the Circle of Fifths, the name of the harp
is the starting point and therefore is first position, move clockwise
from there to G and that makes it second position.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On Sat, Mar 31, 2012 at 8:05 AM, Jim Rumbaugh
<jrumbaug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Originally asked "But still, most people cannot play 12 positions or can
> they?"
>
> As diatonic player of 10 years, 6 enough for my needs, 3 for major, 3 for
> minor.
>
> I am impressed by:
> 1) the number of people that play more than 6 positions
> 2) the number of people that wont play more than 1 or 2
>
> I see both ends.
>
> For now, and my needs, 6 is enough
>