From: Mike Curtis Date: Wed, 22 May 1996 22:28:12 -0700 (PDT) Subject: 6th position (was BREAKTHROUGH!)
> >My most recent breakthrough came after a meeting with Mike Curtis here in > >L.A. He showed me 6th position, which is so easy, and so available, and was > >right under my nose for thirty years, yet I had not discovered it. Thanks, > >Mike! > Hi Jon, > Do share what the reverlation on 6th was, so that we all don't have > to wait 30 years to get showen it :-) David
The best example I can think of is Stevie Wonders harp solo on "Fingertips". Officially in "first position", it's done (or can be done) mostly with the slide engaged, and has a definite 6th position "sound".
6th position has a really nice "sad minor" feel. The draw notes are:
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I 3m 5b 7nat I 3m 5b 7nat
and the most useful blow notes are the 4 and 8, which provide a fourth. If you use windsavers, holes 3, 6, and 9 can be easily bent a semitone, providing the "missing" fifth, making 6th position an extremely useful one. But even without the fifth, it's still quite useful. I can't imagine playing "The Thrill Is Gone" in any position other than sixth. I've even written a song ("Who's On First", available on my new cassette) using the same chord changes (but a completely different melody and lyrics) to take advantage of this aspect of sixth position.
