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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Sweet Georgia Brown
Sweet Georgia Brown
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Tom585
33 posts
May 13, 2017
7:50 PM
What position do you prefer for playing Sweet Georgia Brown on the diatonic harp?
Martin
1173 posts
May 13, 2017
10:27 PM
11th.
Brendan Power
607 posts
May 16, 2017
5:41 PM
It lays out nicely in 12th on PowerBender:

https://youtu.be/CUd9B9Zdi2w
blingty
101 posts
May 18, 2017
3:49 AM
There's the version Howard Levy recorded on his New Directions instructional video. That's in 12th position, i.e. F on a C harmonica. This is a version of it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-9uo67Ud_Y

On another note, that's a thing to watch out for, the key of the song versus the first chord. Often people will give you the first chord of the song when asked for the key... this happens on Sweet Georgia Brown and others... SGB starts on a D7 chord and goes around the cycle of 5ths/4ths to F but sometimes people will tell you (*incorrectly* and more importantly can mess you up when jamming) it's in D... it's in F in that case.

Another favourite is "what key are you doing Autumn Leaves in?" Oh "C minor" and the song starts on the chord of Cm7 and ends up in G minor. When people ask me, for those tunes, I would say "is in this key but starts on (other chord)".

Maybe that's too much information but it may help someone.

Last Edited by blingty on May 18, 2017 3:50 AM
Tom585
34 posts
May 19, 2017
7:08 PM
I appreciate the input. I want to try the PowerBender soon.

I can get around in 12th position but not very efficiently. I've not learned 11th position at all.

Blingty - One thing I've learned is that some musicians don't know what key they are playing in. I'm not judging them, I'm sure they know a lot that I don't. But I know how much I depend on knowing what key the song is so I can make sense of the notes/scales.

Last Edited by Tom585 on May 20, 2017 7:35 AM
Martin
1174 posts
May 20, 2017
5:08 PM
11th pos here would mean that, if you follow the link bligty gives where it´s in F, you take a G harp and have 2D as your starting note. Actual root note is 3D bent half step down.
You might find this less awkward than 12th since the melody line starts following the D7 chord and that one lays out pretty nicely in 11th.
Mirco
471 posts
May 20, 2017
7:39 PM
I prefer to play it laying down on the sofa.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
blingty
103 posts
May 22, 2017
5:47 AM
True, I've also heard some very good players give out the wrong key for the reasons above...maybe they're thinking on the spot and give the name of the first chord instead. It's good to know that it's one of those tunes and ask for the first chord and the key if there is any confusion.


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