Re: Fw: [Harp-L] 2nd position only useful in blues? was changes inlattitudes

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Charlie McCoy does not use country tuned harps (with the 5 draw raised) all the time. His website states which harps he plays on what records. It's been awhile since I looked, but as I recall he uses special tunings less than half the time.

While second position is not for everyone, it seems to be very popular as a primary playing position in a far wider area than the blues, even when its default scale doesn't fit the underlying chords or scales. Some players are very good at getting around this fact by discretion and note substitution, even without using overblows, valves, etc.

Then again, not everyone has to follow a path just because it's widely traveled.

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5


--- On Sun, 10/5/08, Dan Berger <dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Dan Berger <dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Fw: [Harp-L] 2nd position only useful in blues? was changes inlattitudes
> To: "Harp- L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 5:00 PM
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dan Berger" <dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "Buddha" <groovygypsy@xxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 7:57 PM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] 2nd position only useful in blues?
> was changes 
> inlattitudes
> 
> 
> > Didn't I say that I stay away from that 5 draw?
> > because it doesn't sound right to my ear on that
> type of song.
> > Practical knowledge, not technical
> > And you can bet that Taylor can play it on a harp
> right
> > out of the box.
> >
> > Maybe I'm just a 1/2 step behind...
> >
> > Dan
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Buddha" <groovygypsy@xxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2008 7:46 PM
> > Subject: [Harp-L] 2nd position only useful in blues?
> was changes 
> > inlattitudes
> >
> >
> >> Yes but he didn't do it on a regular tuned
> harp.  The draw five on his
> >> harps were tuned up a half step so he could play
> his chosen form of
> >> music.
> >>
> >>
> >> ****
> >>
> >> Steve Webb wrote:
> >> I'm glad Charlie  McCoy wasn't aware of
> this.. :)
> >> Steve Webb in Minnesota, where I play 95 percent
> of the night in
> >> second position and we don't do any blues.
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> > 
> 
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