Re: [Harp-L] 4th Position Harmonica

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

6 position minor is fairly simple as is 6th major or minor blues.  I much
prefer it to 11th.

On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 4:02 PM, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> 6th?? B on a C? I'd recommend 11th long before that. Bb is a long way from
> B. I've heard Levy talk about a tune or tunes that lay out well in
> 6th. Good for him!
> RD
>
> On 2 December 2015 at 05:07, Steve Hayes <bigbandrhythm@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> > Sometimes a tune requires a flatted 6th (the natural minor scale has a
> > flatted 3rd, 6th, and 7th.) This is available in 4th position as 2" (2
> draw
> > bent a whole step) or 5 draw or 9 draw. Often this is the only way to
> play
> > a specific melody without overblows.
> >
> > Examples:
> > Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk)
> > Manha de Carnival, aka A Day In The Life of a Fool (Luis Bonfa)
> > How High the Moon (Morgan Lewis)
> > Afternoon in Paris (John Lewis)
> > Tune Up (Miles Davis)
> >
> > If you simply copy other harp players, you won't find many examples of
> 4th
> > position. Charlie Musselwhite plays "Can't Stay Away From You" and "Azul
> > Para Amparo" in 4th and John Hammond plays "Clap Hands" in 4th.  So
> > generally, you're safe, if you want to sound like another harmonica
> player.
> > However, "Straight, No Chaser" IS a blues tune.
> >
> > If you are trying to push the repertoire boundaries, or want to hang with
> > horn players or remain on stage in a jazzier jam, other positions
> including
> > 12th, 5th, and 6th will come in handy.
> >
> > I'm not stageworthy with the unusual positions yet, but I know I'm going
> > to need them and will try to know which tunes go with what positions. I
> did
> > have a successful experience at a jam playing "Georgia on My Mind"  in
> 12th
> > position.
> >
> > Steve in Reno/Tahoe
> >
>