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From: BluesGe~ol.com
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 15:13:28 EST
Subject: 5th pos (was: Re: Position Help.)

In a message dated 11/5/98 10:44:52 AM, John Thatden
wrote:

>Fifth position feels very
>natural to many players accustomed to playing in 2nd position (cross-harp).
> This is because the second position key (in this case, Ab) is the relative
>major of the natural minor based on the fifth position.

Anyone care to speculate why this position has been largely ignored in
traditional blues playing? Until this generation, the only bluesman I ever
heard use it was the late Bill Dicey, who used it quite often (Bill and his
5th position work was topic of brief discussion here a few weeks ago.). Even
without overblows, the following commonly used scales are easily accessible in
the first octave: all in relationship to 5th pos tonic -- mixolydian, dorian,
minor pentatonic, as well as the descending melodic minor. Is it possible that
the b9 on 5D didn't sound right to some earlier players who may have relied
more on the feel of the reeds than music theory, in effect discouraging its
use?

I use the position quite a bit in straight blues work, however I haven't
really integrated it into a traditional harp usage, using it primarily to
effect horn or keyboard function in a more modern application. I often use
similar, non-traditional styling with 3rd pos, too. I have often thought that
a useful exercise to develop a traditional sounding application for 5th
position would be to imprint the playing of traditional 2nd and 3rd pos lines
in 5th, and then expanding into movements that are more inherent to 5th, still
holding fairly close to the traditional 2nd and 3rd pos lines. Any thoughts?

- -Dave Therault