[Harp-L] All this Positions and Modes stuff

[dh@xxxxx]

" Yes, if you're playing a G scale on a C harp, you're in second position, regardless of which G scale you're playing'

1/ Well I'm very sorry but G mixolydian (GABCDEF) - a G scale that everybody uses all the time to play 2nd position is actually our good old  C major scale (CDEFGAB) !!!

So you’re telling me now that playing a C scale on a C harmonica is playing 2nd position ???!!! just because I started on the G ?

2/ I'm sorry even twice when I play G dorian (GABbCDEF) which is also a G scale that a lot of players use all the time as 2nd position playing that is actually the F major scale (FGABbCDE) !!!

So you’re telling me that playing in F on a C harmonica is also playing in 2nd position ?

3/ I'm confused but sorry again when I play a bluegrass tune in G major (GABCDEF#) on a C harmonica because well it is also a G scale but still not the same as the other 2

Wait a minute ... Did I just say that playing in C major, F Major and G major is playing in 2nd position ??? !!!

Oh maybe playing in 2nd position is just playing whatever you want and call it 2nd position ?


I spent a few hundred hours transcribing little Walter, Big Walter Horton and Charlie Mc Coy solos when I was 13/14 and was drawing tabs of the 2nd position as I was told those tunes were 2nd position
I quickly understood that none of them were the same thus making No sense whatsoever to use the system of positions



-----Original Message-----
From: Harp-L <harp-l-bounces at xxxxx> On Behalf Of Arthur Jennings via Harp-L
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2018 3:48 PM
To: Jerome P. <jersimuse at xxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l at xxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] All this Positions and Modes stuff

Yes, if you're playing a G scale on a C harp, you're in second position, regardless of which G scale you're playing.

Trying to stretch the definition of position to account for tonality, altered tunings or chromatic button status winds up complicating the issue past the point of usefulness, in my opinion.

> On Oct 28, 2018, at 2:25 PM, Jerome P. <jersimuse at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> ok, others would have a different definition, but why not.
> So, considering this definition, what is the answer to my question ?
> BTW, which root note are we talking about ? The one of the harmony, G 
> ? the root of the mode I'm playing with ? The root of the scale from 
> which the mode comes from ?
> Would you consider here that I play in 2nd position all the way long ?
> 
>> Le dim. 28 oct. 2018 à 22:04, Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman at xxxxx> a écrit :
>> 
>> Winslow Yerxa says positions are named by the root note, not the 
>> flavor of scale.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Oct 28, 2018, at 1:32 PM, Jerome P. <jersimuse at xxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> In which position or positions have I just played ?
>> 
>> 
>>>>>