I am putting together a positions document. I had seen a recent post about how Chris had talked about when to use certain positions, and also about how some positions are played almost identically.
Any more tips like that? Any good info to include?
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I made a simple overblow chart for a C harp with nice colors that I got several compliments on (colors make it pop!) I did it that way partially on account of the learning disability I have. Big charts with numbers are hard for my eyes to track, so I went more harp visual. I don't think I've seen a harp position chart laid out that way.
If you showed what hole/bend info like that for each position it would be really user friendly.
Gslinger, I thought about this same topic. I'm delving into playing different positions. Right now 3rd is working very well for me.I was hoping there was an article that stated when each position worked best with what type of music and style but it must be very elementry so I understand it. The termanology some times used just dosn't make it into my hard head. Example: Play a C harp when the root is D playing over the 5 chord. I just made this up but to me sometimes thats the way it enters my head so I just don't get it. This past Summer at "HCH" Harvy Harp explained how to read the circle of 5th's to me and gave me a small card to carry with me. It was so easy, like turning on a light switch"Thanks Harvy". But on the other side. I had several experts in music theroy try to explain it to me in words on this fourm and it only pissed me off because I just didn't get it. I knew it couldn't be that difficult but I just couldn't see the forest for the trees. In a nut shell , keep it simple. Thanks for any charts or depositions on what works for you. Mike
Thanks Greyowl. I was hoping to get back to it and create one for each key, then I thought, huh, if I use a spread sheet with formulas (I just used a table and changed the colors for the cells for this) I can get it to do the work for me (and prevent mistakes). I'm not great at spreadsheets, so I asked someone, and they said they'd have to take a look but they couldn't right then, and yada yada yada, I never finished.
I think something like this would be great for scales too. You could chose a color for the notes that were going to be in the scale and marked them off for each key it would be great. I was actually thinking about redoing this with the scale degrees too. A spread sheet with some formulas would make it almost automatic though. Overblow.com does have a page that will show you all the possibilities, even for unusual tunings, but the way they display it is sort of lifeless and not printer friendly.
I'll include that chart. Thanks, Nacoran. I also want to include my LOST circle of fifths. ---------- Read tips, reviews, and exclusive interviews at The HOOT Reeder.
You had me at LOST! My two youngest boys and I started watching lost for the first time in February. We finished the sixth season by September.
I've tried playing some of the music from lost on the harp but haven't done that well (at least on diatonic). ---------- Ozark Rich __________ ##########
This puts it in a different key, and requires some beding, but I love how it sounds on a G harp starting on 2 draw. ---------- Read tips, reviews, and exclusive interviews at The HOOT Reeder.
Here is something to put on your chart: The relationships between keys. On C harp: 1st position - C major = 4th position A minor 1st position - C minor = 10th position Eb major
2nd position - G major = 5th position E minor 2nd position - G minor = 11th position Bb major
3rd position - D minor = 12th position F major 3rd position - D major = 6th position B minor
12th position - F Minor = Pain, aka 9th position Ab Major 12th position - F Major = 3rd position D minor (already stated)
So on and so forth. It is a real work saver, and expands what you can do, and all it takes is a lightbulb to go on.
Also, lots of modes can be described, but that may be overkill. For example:
1st position modes (deriving from C major), and their roots: Ionian - Blow 1, 4, 7, 10 Dorian - Draw 2, 4, 8 Phrygian - blow 2, 5, 8 Mixolydian - blow 3, 6, 9, draw 2 Aolean - draw 3 bent a while step, draw 6, draw 10 Locrian - draw 3, 7, 10 blow bent a half step.
Then repeat for each usable key.
I made a chart of all these when I was starting, to be honest it was a great excercise, but I never use it. I still have it if you are interested.
