Re: [Harp-L] Don Les / arpeggios

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Arthur Jennings wrote:
"The diatonic chords of the C major scale are much easier to play on in 1st position a C harmonica than they are in 10th on an A. Isn't that what 1st position arpeggios means?"

Yes, we can find more and more difficult ways to play a given arpeggio.  We can torture ourselves by trying to play a C arpeggio on an F# harp, for example.  But ON A SINGLE HARMONICA, you ALWAYS play a given arpeggio on the same notes.  A C arpeggio on a C harp uses the same notes regardless of whether we are using that C arpeggio as the I chord in first position (key of C on a C harp), the IV chord in 2nd position (key of G on a C harp), or the V chord in 12th position (key of F on a C harp).  It's the same chord and the same notes, whether we're in 1st position or any other.  

The chords don't change; a C major chord (and the associated arpeggio) is the same chord regardless of the key you're playing in.  When you learn to play a C major arpeggio on a C harp, you don't have to relearn it for every key you play with that harp.  The FUNCTION of the chord changes as the key you're playing in changes. But the chord itself does not.

That's why it's meaningless to talk about "1st position arpeggios."  



author, "Jazz Harp" 
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://hunterharp.com
Myspace http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp
Vids at http://www.youtube.com/user/lightninrick
more mp3s at http://taxi.com/rhunter
Twitter: lightninrick