Re: [Harp-L] Summertime help

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mike Fugazzi wrote:
> My band hosts an open jam and last night someone
> called Summertime.  I know the melody and play it in
> 4th.  However, I've never thought so soloing through
> the piece.
> 
> Any advice?  The chord progression seems pretty nuts. 
> I don't mind learning its harmony and following it
> rather then picking a diatonic scale.  I have forever
> to figure it out, but thought it would be a great
> challenge to play it from a jazz persepctive rather
> then blues.

When I first started playing Autumn Leaves with my band it became 
pretty obvious that the chords lay out beautifully in 4th position, 
but I couldn't improvise there.  For the first few gigs I played the 
head in 4th, then switched to a natural minor tuned harp in 2nd to 
play the solo.  I recorded a couple of the gigs, and then went back 
and learned my own 2nd position (NM) solos in 4th.  After that it 
became pretty easy to get comfortable playing in 4th.  

Honestly, though, I much prefer to play Summertime in 3rd.  I like 
having the principle notes (the melody starts on 5-b3-5) on draws 
(6D-5D-6D) than blows (5B-4B-5B): http://tinyurl.com/y7cb5x

-tim