Re: [Harp-L] RE: What would Charlie Musselwhite do?

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Steven,
I disagree with you.  4th position is not playing straight harp in a minor
key.  First, as Winslow points out, if you were playing straight harp on a
C harp, the band would be in C minor.  Although it is possible to play in C
minor on a C harp, it is difficult and it is not what is happening in
fourth position at all.

As Winslow explained, 4th position on a C harp is the key of A.  A very
common scale for A minor is A B C D E F G A.  It is not the only way to
play in A minor, but it is common.  Since every one of these notes is a
white note on the keyboard, it is easy to play on a C harp, because all of
the notes built into a C harp are white notes on the keyboard.  The band is
in A minor, pick up a C harp and sound great in fourth position.

I believe this is what you meant and were articulating incorrectly.

However, where I want to disagree with you is that 4th is much more complex
than simply playing in minor.  You can play any scale and any type of music
in fourth.  What makes it fourth is that it is the harp key's  name plus 3
notes clockwise on the circle of fifths.  The harp key is first position,
or one.  One plus 3 is 4.  Fourth position. As long as the band is in the
key of A and you have a C harp, you are in 4th position.  It can be major,
minor, blues, anything!
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 1:12 PM, Hellerman, Steven L. <
shellerman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Ross-
>
> 4th position is simply playing straight harp in a minor key. If you can
> play 1st position you can play 4th position, as long as the tune is in a
> minor key.
>
> As for "3rd position as the go-to position for minor tunes": Not
> necessarily. You can play both. Indeed, you can switch back and forth on
> the same tune. Why not?  One of my "Eureeka!" moments regarding the harp
> was when I realilzed I could play 2nd, 3rd AND 4th position on the same
> minor key tune. This was shortly after realizing I could play 1st, 2nd and
> 3rd position on the same major key tune. Again: Why not?
>
> SLH
>
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 21:43:48 -0700
> From: Ross Macdonald <pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] What would Charlie Musselwhite do?
> To: List harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Message-ID: <75D104F8-4F5B-47C5-B627-B43B2277B2C9@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hi, I am meeting with our record producer for our new album next week for
> pre-production.  This new album will have a Tom Waits-like feel to it with
> few instruments and will have harp on most tunes.  Something like his
> Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards record.  I know that Charlie played
> most of the harp on the record (John Hammond played some too).
>
> One of the tracks on our record is a slow but swingy 50's kind of
> private-eye thing in E minor.  I am Ok doing this in 3rd position on a low
> D harp,  but not at all in 4th position on a G harp.  If I am being honest,
> once you get past 1st, 2nd and 3rd position I am basically a bit lost. Do
> the pros generally default to 3rd position as the go-to position for minor
> tunes?  Is it worth learning 4th position for more than just changing it up
> on a minor tune?  Is there a fourth position tutorial out there on youtube
> i could study?
>
> What would Charlie default to on a E minor tune?  Im thinking whatever
> position the harp would be played in,  it would need some tremolo and
> reverb to get the mood I think it needs.
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Ross Macdonald
>
>
>
>