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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Major Scales in 12 Positions
Major Scales in 12 Positions
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timeistight
744 posts
Aug 01, 2012
2:52 AM
Here are all twelve major scales. I've tabbed all available notes in each scale and bolded the tonic notes. Complete scales run between any two bold notes.

1st Position Major

+1, 1, +2, 2", 2, 3", 3, +4, 4, +5, 5, +6, 6, 7, +7, 8, +8, 9, +9, 10, +10', +10

On a C harp, this would be:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C

2nd Position Major

+1, 1, +2, 2', 2, 3", 3, +4, 4, +5, +5o, +6, 6, 7, +7, 8, +8, +9', +9, 10, +10', +10

On a C harp, this would be:
C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C

3rd Position Major

1', 1, +2, 2', 2, 3", 3, 4', 4, +5, +5o, +6, 6, 7, 7o, 8, +8, +9', 9, 10, +10', 10o

On a C harp, this would be:
C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G, A, B, C#

4th Position Major

1', 1, +2, 2', 3"', 3", 3, 4', 4, +5, +5o, 6', 6, 7, 7o, 8, 8+, +9', 9o, 10, +10', 10o

On a C harp, this would be:
C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#

5th Position Major

1', 1o, +2, 2', 3"', 3", 3, 4', 4o, +5, +5o, 6', 6, 7, 7o, +8', +8, +9', 9o, 10, +10', 10o

On a C harp, this would be:
C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#

6th Position Major

1', 1o, +2, 2', 3"', 3', 3, 4', 4o, +5, +5o, 6', +6o, 7, 7o, +8', +8, +9', 9o, +10', 10o

On a C harp, this would be:
C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B, C#

7th Position Major

1', 1o, 2", 2', 3"', 3', 3, 4', 4o, 5, +5o, 6', +6o, 7, 7o, +8', 9, +9', 9o, +10', 10o

On a C harp, this would be:
C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B, C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B, C#

or

Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db

8th Position Major

1', 1o, 2", 2', 3"', 3', +4, 4', 4o, 5, +5o, 6', +6o, +7, 7o, +8', 9, +9', 9o, +10', +10, 10o

On a C harp, this would be:

Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db

9th Position Major

1', 1o, 2", 2, 3"', 3', +4, 4', 4o, +5, 6, 6', +6o, +7, 7o, +8', 9, +9, 9o, +10", +10, 10o

On a C harp, this would be:

Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db

10th Position Major

+1, 1, 1o, 2", 2, 3"', 3', +4, 4, 4o, 5, +6, 6', +6o, +7, 8, +8', 9, +9, 9o, +10", +10

On a C harp, this would be:

C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C


11th Position Major

+1, 1, 1o, 2", 2, 3", 3', +4, 4, 4o, 5, +6, 6, +6o, +7, 8, +8', 9, +9, 10, +10", +10

On a C harp, this would be:

C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C

12th Position Major

+1, 1, +2, 2", 2, 3", 3', +4, 4, +5, 5, +6, 6, +6o, +7, 8, +8, 9, +9, 10, +10", +10

On a C harp, this would be:

C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C


----------------------------------------------------------

Please let me know if you spot any errors in this.

Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 1:25 PM
JInx
274 posts
Aug 01, 2012
9:43 AM
wow! is there a video of those being played?
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GMaj7
60 posts
Aug 01, 2012
9:57 AM
Really great information and this is exactly what a good forum should be about..!

Even though talking ENDLESSLY about the ever important topics of brands, combs, covers, screws, nails, customs, ..
(Never mind...)

Great stuff and thx for sharing this!!!!!
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Greg Jones
16:23 Custom Harmonicas
greg@1623customharmonicas.com
1623customharmonicas.com
timeistight
745 posts
Aug 01, 2012
10:13 AM
@laurent: thanks for catching that. Fixed.

@Dean Taylor: You mean these?

' " "'

They are bends. Half step bend is ', whole step bend is " and step and a half is "'.

And +6o means 6 hole overblow.

"is there a video of those being played?"

Maybe someday. Or you could do it first.
laurent2015
357 posts
Aug 01, 2012
10:30 AM
Time, I think hash mark is # that you used from 1st
--->7th position.
Another question: Why "pentatonic" for the 12th position?
Todd Parrott
995 posts
Aug 01, 2012
10:33 AM
No video, but if you follow the links in this thread, you should be able to get my audio files:

Harmonica Scales In 12 Keys

About halfway down the thread you should see the link to click. This should open the folder in dropbox.

Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 10:35 AM
timeistight
747 posts
Aug 01, 2012
10:43 AM
@laurent2015: That's a sharp sign, e.g. C# is C sharp. A single sharp sign (#) makes any note one half step higher in pitch.

And 'b' is flat, e.g. Eb is E flat. A single flat sign (b) makes any note one half step lower in pitch.

'Why "pentatonic" for the 12th position?'

Sloppy copying; I blame insomnia. It's gone now.

@Todd Parrott: Looks like you beat me to this by about a year. Should have known.

Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 10:46 AM
Todd Parrott
996 posts
Aug 01, 2012
11:02 AM
@timeistight - No worries, my friend. I think it's good that you posted this to revisit this topic. And actually, I think overblow.com posted it on their site before anyone. But no matter... we are all here to help each other.
Dean Taylor
30 posts
Aug 01, 2012
12:14 PM
a newcomer (me) just noticed the "cycle of fifths" demonstrated in the 'position' playing, i.e., 1st position offers the 'C' scale, 2nd position offers the 'G' scale, 3rd position offers the 'D', etc.

Again, a guitarist playing since the sixties (me) might get confused as to the use of the term 'position' whereas the term implies an often significant relocating on the fingerboard.

Here, the term implies the use of different techniques (blow, bend, draw, OB, OD, etc.) to realize the scale being sought, without necessarily 'relocating' to a different place on the mouthpiece...

learning new things all the time...
laurent2015
358 posts
Aug 01, 2012
12:46 PM
"1st position offers the 'C' scale, 2nd position offers the 'G' scale, 3rd position offers the 'D' "

Yes, but valid only with a C harp.

"without necessarily 'relocating' to a different place on the mouthpiece..."

On the contrary! Playing the root note implies in any case you start from another hole (blowing or drawing).
This, not only if you perform the scales on one single harp, but also on a harp with another key.
For example, you could perform the C scale on a harp in F, that means that you start drawing hole 2, instead of blowing hole 1 on a C harp.
mr_so&so
587 posts
Aug 01, 2012
1:12 PM
@timeistight, Typo: +10o, should be 10o (10 overdraw, not overblow). BTW same typo is on the pentatonic scales thread (my bad).

For what it's worth, there are chromatic scale tab tables for all 12 positions linked to from my profile. The blues scales are highlighted as subsets and the major scales are pretty obvious from the headings. Any other scale that you want that is a subset of the chromatic scale is also there if you care to pull it out. I list the scales in separate rows for each octave, so it has the property of helping you readily identify the same notes in the different octaves.
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mr_so&so
Dean Taylor
31 posts
Aug 01, 2012
1:14 PM
"Yes, but valid only with a C harp."

I beg your pardon--I was remiss in that I did not clarify this essential point in the post.

Regarding the 'position' point I was attempting to address, I drew an analogy with the guitar fingerboard--probably more confusing than edifying...I did, however, remember to state a key term: "significant"...

This term may be relative at best--"what do you mean by 'significant'?"-- but the idea I was attempting to convey is that with an adjacent hole, there is not the ...'displacement' that I find with guitar 'position' playing.

Again--if this served merely to muddle the issue, please disregard...

I look for analogies as they help me to establish ideas...i.e., helpful to me, sometimes irksome to others! je suis désolée d'insister...

Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 7:27 PM
timeistight
749 posts
Aug 01, 2012
1:16 PM
"Playing the root note implies in any case you start from another hole (blowing or drawing)."

Not necessarily. For example, positions 2, 5, 7 and 12 cab all start on the 2 hole. It's the tonic note that counts, not the physical location.
Dean Taylor
32 posts
Aug 01, 2012
2:34 PM
@mr so and so:

thank you for all of the hard work you poured into that chrom scale project, too--and sincere congrats on the 500th [!] post...
laurent2015
359 posts
Aug 01, 2012
6:01 PM
Time: correct.

Now that noun, "position" belongs to kind of esoterism?
Nobody says "I play in G on a F harp".
No, it's better to say "I play in 3d position on a F harp", what doesn't mean anything, except that, with a
large relief, you'll conclude that I play with a gap of 2 fifths between my tonic and the key of the harp...What means "I play Dorian style"? Exactly the same, but even more mysterious.
What's the sense, the use and the advantage of expressing ourselves like this?
If someone has a musical explanation, I'd be interested.
timeistight
750 posts
Aug 01, 2012
6:38 PM
I don't know what "Dorian style" means. The Dorian mode is a scale that's probably been in use for a thousand years. The only thing it has to do with positions on harmonica is that it's ever-so-slightly easier to play in 3rd position than in 2nd or 4th, for example.
Dean Taylor
34 posts
Aug 01, 2012
7:20 PM
"it's ever-so-slightly easier to play in 3rd position than in 2nd or 4th..."

Speaking of which, is there a rule of thumb for playing facility as we move around the cycle of fifths (i.e., change positions)? That is--and, generally speaking--does it become increasingly more difficult to play the positions that move to the opposite side of the cycle of fifths 'wheel'?

As an example, with an Ab harp, there exists four flats in its scale. At the opposite side of the 'cycle' wheel we find the key of E: no flats, but four sharps.

I'm not trying to put too fine a point on the matter but, rather, I'm simply looking for some 'rules' upon which I might hang my playing--so to speak...

Further--and, at first glance--with the 'C' harp, it does not appear that the 12th position (the key of 'F'--clear around the cycle wheel) is the most difficult for that key harp. Perhaps that honor belongs to the 7th position: from no accidentals at all to a full house--seven (or, eight if you count the tonic twice).

But, again, I defer to the experienced players here for insight...
timeistight
751 posts
Aug 01, 2012
7:46 PM
Sure. The further the key your playing is from the key of your harp, the more notes you have to bend or overbend to stay in key. Your example, E on an Ab harp, is 9th position -- nobody's favorite, I wouldn't think.

Of course you have to adjust your calculations for minors, or modal tunes, or songs that modulate through several keys.
SuperBee
474 posts
Aug 01, 2012
8:06 PM
In a way. There are a couple of aspects to it though. Certainly as you step away from the 1st position you have more missing notes from the major scale, until you start coming back around the circle. But it's easier to play other scales, which is why we use the other positions.
But there is also the matter of scale dynamics, which can make it easier or more desirable to choose one position over another. I mean, in some ways it may be easier to play blues in 3rd rather than 2nd but it may also limit your options depending on your skillset.
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Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 8:14 PM
Michael Rubin
634 posts
Aug 01, 2012
8:39 PM
Overblow.com trumped me big time. I spent a year writing a book "The Harmonica Sutra" which showed tab for every scale I knew in all 12 positions. Then one day someone pointed me to Overblow.com. That hurt! But writing the book really solidified my understanding and I am glad I did it. I am enjoying making the Meat and Potatoes vids because not only do I show scales, but I explain my take on what's important about them. It's like The Harmonica Sutra DVD with Director's commentary.
Dean Taylor
35 posts
Aug 01, 2012
8:49 PM
"I am enjoying making the Meat and Potatoes vids..."

For those unfamiliar with said videos, please provide a link...

thank you!
Michael Rubin
635 posts
Aug 02, 2012
4:52 AM


Here is the 75th one. They build to where if you came in knowing nothing about theory and watched video 1 thru 75, 75 should be easy for you.
Gnarly
302 posts
Aug 02, 2012
8:13 AM
"(the blues) was developed by scientists"
ROTF
Dean Taylor
41 posts
Aug 02, 2012
2:23 PM
Michael--

Firstly, let your formidable gifts as both teacher and player be acknowledged!

And, thank you, too, for this immense, authoritative and comprehensive video learning tool--a labor of love you have presented to us for our edification. Kudos, huzzahs and we are indebted.

I have already begun working through the collection...

Q: is there a chance that the entire set is available for purchase on one DVD? Please advise...
Michael Rubin
636 posts
Aug 02, 2012
2:33 PM
Dean, Not yet. I should do that soon. Money and time.


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