Re: [Harp-L] Tony Eyers article on Country Tuning

[Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>]

The raised draw 5 note (mind if I just talk "C harp" and call it F#?) is,
as far as I can see, the biggest 'glitch'
on the diatonic. It's easier to play an E, an A, F or Bb arpeggio, than a
D. A plain D major arpeggio requires a change of breath direction for each
note.
I might try the raised 5 draw again, but I love first pos., and I'm partial
to twelfth too, where that confounded note is a demolished ninth!
OK, I'm stopping now.
RD

On 21 September 2015 at 11:36, Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Joseph Leone wrote:
> <And since I was never one to dabble in all the possible positions, I
> never actually studied to see exactly WHAT other positions <could be played
> on a harp with the #5 draw raised.
> <But it isn't too friendly to first and third positions. Where the natural
> (unaltered) # 5 reed fits the music better.
>
> I agree where first position is concerned (mostly), but country tuning's
> great for third position major (D major on a C country tuned harp).  Lots
> of rock songs are built on the three major chords that this tuning
> supports, and the middle register has big bends on the root, third, and
> fifth in third position--just like second position. A lot of blues licks
> that are played on the 2-3-4 holes can be played in exactly the same way on
> the 4-5-6 holes on a country tuned harp; in most cases those licks will
> sound an octave higher than they would in second position.
>
> Regards, Rihcard Hunter
>