[Harp-L] Relative Major

[Richard Hunter]

Jordan Feldman wrote:
<Last Dance is indirectly the reason I play harmonica today.
<I was playing trumpet in a dance band that was covering it, but the guitar
was covering the <harmonica stuff.
<I secretly bought a G and learned the couple few licks and whipped it out
during a rehearsal.  <Smiles everywhere and I was hooked.
<But as a novice harp player, most comfortable in 2 pos, I remember
wondering what the heck was <going on when first trying to play anything
other than those licks over the changes.  The G/D 3/2 <pos is a great
suggestion.

Cool story.  It raises an issue not yet discussed on this thread: it's good
to learn new things.

It's not unusual for Charlie Musselwhite to switch harps on a solo 2-3
times in order to play it in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions.  Doing so gives
him a different sound and wakes the audience up.  It certainly helps to
make sure that he's not playing the same licks over and over.

If you're playing in 2nd position on "Last Dance" because you're not
familiar with 3rd, why not treat it as a learning opportunity?  Petty's
licks aren't very difficult to play. Start with those, then keep going.

It makes me a little sad when a harmonica player chooses to avoid the new
simply because the old is more familiar.  Staying inside a narrow comfort
zone doesn't make anyone a better player.  Try the new.  A little bit of
new every day looks and sounds like a whole lotta new by the time a year
has passed.

Regards, Richard Hunter

-- 
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