[Harp-L] Playing positions

["geoff atkins" <geoffatkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What a wide response to a note I wrote with a little tongue-blocking in my 
cheek.
The replies -too many to quote- brought facets of the question that show 
there's no "right" answer.

"Brain-side usage" struck a chord, as an instinctual player, when grooving 
to the
cadences, I go to some other place and play from way-down-deep.
When the music stops, it's an experience literally like awakening.
Recordings of my playing in such state are like "I didn't know I could do 
that". That's presumably "Left side"?
Yet there are times when I'll make a decision to take the tuneacross an 
octave to provide variety and stimulus
for listeners, or for fun, change playing style in the same tune... "Right 
side?".

As for use of the position descriptions in conversation, the majority of 
skilled musicians I meet
do not read music -at all, or when playing-, and only have a cheat sheet for 
the lyrics (some have chord groups).
There's never yet been a discussion regarding a definite choice of 
modalities, but we talk a lot about repertoire, mics and amps.

Oh, and the "Greek" reference aluded to the fact that the state of Greece 
originally had three main ethnic groups,
who were known as Ionians, Dorians, and Aeolians.

Regards to all
Geoff Atkins