Re: [Harp-L] the practicality of 4th position

[Arthur Jennings <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>]

The note that holds me back from playing more 4th position blues is the
diminished fifth, e.g., Db on a G harp. It's only as 1 or 4 hole overblows
(very tricky) or an 8 hole blow bend (pretty high, even on a G harp).


On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 9:20 AM, Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>    I'd refer anyone curious about 4th position to my post on 5/1/10, "4th
> position, a blues overview".  I think 4th may be the most
> under-used practical blues position out there right now.
>    I'd back that up with two SPAH anectdotes.  At the Sacramento convention
> I used it in the jam circle.  Mark Hummel was in the circle at that
> time.  When Mark was leaving the convention, Rupert Oysler asked him if
> anyone's playing had caught his attention during the previous night's jam.
> Mark told him somebody a few chairs down had intrigued him because he
> couldn't figure out the position being used.  After a few questions, Rupert
> figured out it was me.  I was playing standard Jr. Wells licks, but playing
> them in the key of A on a C harp.
>    At a Jimi Lee hallway jam the following year, I played a solo in E on a
> G harp.  Jimi stopped the jam on the spot, and asked me what harp I had
> just used.  He loved the sound of it.
>    Neither of these two incidents were minor key tunes.  They were major
> key, standard blues that everyone else was using a cross harp on.  It just
> required a couple of bends to make this "minor" position sound "major".
>
> Mick Zaklan
>



-- 
Arthur Jennings
http://www.timeistight.com