Re: [Harp-L] bluegrass at SPAH

[Cara Cooke <cyberharp@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well, that tells me that I didn't write the sentence very well.  Sorry.

I meant that bluegrass does not play best 'all in straight harp' or 'all in
crossharp'.  The most commonly used positions in bluegrass for me are 1st,
2nd, 3rd, and 4th.  There are a couple of tunes where 12th comes in handy to
prevent the need to switch harmonicas as the tune shifts keys.  I don't
generally have to use 5th position unless we are playing a jazz tune, and
then I don't need it that often.  There are a lot of pentatonic portions to
bluegrass (major and minor) so that, when you identify them, you have the
opportunity to choose between the three major positions and the three minor
positions if you find the need.  That helps if you wish to keep the tune all
on one harmonica when the tune itself changes keys.

As for specific tunes, many songs and some tunes are very general and can be
played in 1st or 2nd position, depending upon what the player wants to
achieve.  However, some tunes are not that forgiving.

Gary Primich and I once jammed on Jerusalem Ridge, for example.  He did it
in 3rd position and it required him to overblow.  I played it in 4th
position and didn't have to bend a note, but there is some coordination
required for octave adjustments, the way I played it.  If you are fast at
bending in the first octave, you might not have any adjustments to make at
all.  If you have the tools, you get to choose the position you want to
use.  Gary really prefered it in 3rd position.

Old Joe Clark, Red Haired Boy, Katy Hill, Wheel Hoss, Monroebillia, Salt
Creek, and other tunes with prominent bVII chords in them really do not play
well in 1st position, but they may lay out perfectly for 2nd position.
Seeing as so many of these tunes are played at blinding speeds, I truly
appreciate it when a tune lays out perfectly in a particular position, and
that is the position I tend to choose.

Red Wing, Grandfather's Clock, and other tunes with prominent major II
chords often sound best to me in 1st position.  A strong major II chord
seems to be easier to get through melodically in 1st position.  However,
there may be one or two where 2nd position is better, especially if there is
a bVII with the major II or if the melody is particularly "blue".  Blueridge
Express (a banjo tune by Eddie Shelton) has both a prominent bVII and
a prominent II, but 1st position works best on it for me.  The melody works
right through the bVII chord and then moves on to a more prominent II major.

Tunes like Draggin' the Bow, Salty Dog, and Beaumont Rag have swingy VIm,
II, V chord patterns in them.  For me, 1st position works best.  The VIm
chord melodies usually sound off in 2nd position.  For that reason I would
put Foggy Mountain Breakdown in 1st position, too.  (The challenge grows if
you combine Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Bluegrass Breakdown or any of the
other combinations that have occurred.)

[Foggy Mountain Breakdown is the most famous of the bunch, but Bluegrass
Breakdown came first.  Played in the key of G, it was I, IV, V.  Foggy Mt.
is I, VIm, V.  Others have been I, IIm, V and I, bVII, V.  The general
melodic pattern remained, but adjusted to the change in the middle chord.
Bluegrass Breakdown was a signature tune for Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass
Boys, so when Flatt and Scruggs created the Foggy Mountain Boys, they
changed the IV to a VIm and created a new signature tune: Foggy Mountain
Breakdown.)

 Stoney Creek is a banjo tune that moves from the key of A major to the key
of F major.  The A major part actually has an A minor melody, so it can be
played on a C major harmonica (4th position) with the F major portion
fitting in nicely at 12th position.  This method takes a touch of practice
before you get it right for most folks, as the unwanted notes can create a
minefield through which you step gingerly.  The other solution would be to
switch harps.  I like the challenge to keep it all on one harmonica, myself.

I talked to a fellow once who never played anything but 1st position.  He
didn't understand 2nd position.  So he played Folsom Prison Blues in 1st
position and was happy with it.  I suggested how he might get started in 2nd
position and try it there.  Today he plays Folsom Prison Blues in 2nd
position.  Until you try both, some songs will not make it obvious which
will work better for you.

Cheyenne -- 4th and 1st positions.
Black Berry Blossom -- 1st -- The whole first section is riddled with
arpeggios.
Clinch Mountain Backstep -- key of A Major (modal A minor melody) -- 3rd
position.
Shady Grove (minor key) -- 3rd position.
Shady Grove (major key) -- 1st position, generally.
Wild Horse at Stony Point (also called Fort Smith) -- 1st and 4th positions.

If you think about it, and the tune supports it, 4th is relative to 1st, 3rd
is relative to 12th, and 5th is relative to 2nd.  So, if a tune changes from
a minor to a major key or vice versa, there is your opportunity to use the
positions to your advantage.

Lonnie Joe Howell and I both play Jesse Polka.  The tune moves through the
keys of G, C, and D major.  Lonnie likes to do it using 2nd, 1st, and 3rd
positions (with lots of bends, especially to make the 3rd position major).
I like to do it with 1st, 12th, and 2nd -- requiring no bends.  Choose the
positions that suit your needs and desires, but make sure that what you
chose blends in with the music being played by everyone else.

Cara



On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 1:04 AM, John Kerkhoven
<solo_danswer@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Cara,
>
> Thanks for your recent posts on bluegrass. I've begun this year to play
> with local players. I play harmonica and I sing. Most of my playing has been
> blues. I have a lot to learn about bluegrass and old-time music, but my
> basic technique is good and I have been met with encouragement and
> enthusiasm.
>
> I want to pick up on just one thing in one of your last posts. You say
>
> >
> > Bluegrass is highly modal, so it doesn't always sound best in straight or
> > crossharp.
>
> Straight and cross harp is pretty much all I play when I play at the
> bluegrass and old-time jams. I get a lot of mileage out of cross harp in
> particular. I can hit my bent notes accurately and I can play at speed on
> most tunes.
>
> Your comment makes me feel like I'm missing something important. Could you
> elaborate? If not straight or cross harp, what do you play? 12th position?
> Can you give an example of a modal song that you would play on the harmonica
> but not in either straight or cross harp?
>
> Thanks,
>
> John
>
>
>