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From: hink~ervtech.com (Patricia M. Hinkle)
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 1996 09:15:47 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Advantages of 2nd pos

Why force a dorian scale on a natural minor? "natural minor" means
its derived from your basic major scale, which is the basis of a standard
diatonic harp. So why not simply play in whatever # position that would
put you in the Aeolian mode? I frequently use this on my own songs and
find it to be a versatile position (A on a C harp). The only recording of
this position I know of the top of my head is a short Musselwhite tune
(Azules para Amparo) on The Harmonica According to Musselwhite or whatever
that album's called. It's a great tune and as long as you've got decent
control of your 3 draw bend, it's easy to cover. The guitar parts easy as
well, for people like me who picked up the guitar only to help the
harmonica and haven't gained a mastery of the instrument yet.
I have a natural minor harp but find it difficult to play. Even if
I'm playing in an odd position, I still intuitively know where the music
will go when playing a standard richter tuning. Switching tunings is too
confusing for me. I just keep on expecting it to change. Imagine playing
a piano that was suddenly tuned with harmonic minor instead of your normal
C Major scale on the white keys (I've tried this with my keyboard. It is,
to say the least, disorienting.)

- -Tom-


>Ted Welter asks if there's anyone who's comfortable in 3rd position that
>likes the natural minor tunings. I do, I love the natural minor
>tunings. As Mic'l points out you get more playable notes. All 10 holes
>of the harmonica are useable on a natural minor. My band does a tune in
>D minor that I play both on the natural minor tuning and in 3rd position
>on a solo tuned Marine Band or Chromatic. I'll switch back and forth in
>mid phrase so I guess I'm comfortable in 3rd. What I like about the 3rd
>stuff is the dark chords and the mournful notes, with the natural minor I
>get a much more readily playable lead with more choices and lighter
>sounding chords. The other thing about 3rd is that it really doesn't
>fit. I'm playing dorian against the natural minor and sometimes I like
>that and other times it's just too clunky a feel for what I'm trying to
>communicate. Bottom line is the fact that the natural minors are great
>for playing the melody. If it's lyricism you're after these things are
>great.