Funny thing with positions. My default position for playing melodies had always been 2nd position (even on minor songs!) I have more recently started using other harp positions.
Just reviewing the John Lennon song "Woman" I recorded a few years ago I believe I was in 12th on an A Harp with the song in D major I think. I have just tried other positions but 2nd on a G harp wasn't that friendly nor C Harp in 3rd (thought it might be ok as the song has a minor feel) D Harp in 1st wasn't too bad but harder than 12th. So go figure 12th won the day on this one, at least for me.
If you can play chromatically at ease then I guess anything goes but what is the criteria for position selection especially on melodies where you want to be comfortably expressive.
I would not chose 2nd pos for such a song either. There is some hint of wailing on the 7th note (C#) and, even if I´m lucky enough to find a very well set up harp, I think that OB sounds iffy. (Unfortunately I´m too clumsy to set up my harps myself.) 12th or 1st -- possibly 11th on tunes like this.
Always enjoy fearlessness in using notes created with a bend technique as stand alone entities- especially with repeated tonguing as you do here.
You sound just a bit tentative on that 3 hole inhale second bend.....no reason not to lean into it and make it even a bit bigger than those with "given" notes to bring it up to equality in size, shape, volume, tone (as best as can be done), etc. ---------- The Iceman
You asked "what is the criteria for position selection"
Here's my "lazy man" approach
Major scale tune 12th, 1st , or 2nd (not necessarily in that order) 1st simple if you need all the notes 2nd soulful, if you do not need the major 7th 12th soulful if you do not need 4th scale tone, and great if the tune drops to the relative minor, as in Georgia On My Mind
Minor, 3rd, 4th, 5th 3rd good all purpose wailing in a minor key. If you can't bend good, stay away from holes 1,2, & 3
4th For melodic minor tunes, you have all the notes. For a tune like Summertime.
5th When you get bored with 3rd position minor wailing, try 5th. You can find easy notes on ALL 10 HOLES. so you have more range without bending. Root note, 2 blow to 8 blow.
Martin. Yes it's 12 or 1st for me but 11th is a stinker!
Thanks Iceman for the suggestion, something to work on.
Thanks for that Jim, just what I was looking for. Incidentally, I have always played Summertime in 2nd or 3rd and now just tried it in 4th as mentioned by you and it works well. I've never tried 4th before.
