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Forums :: Ask Instructor David Barrett

Cross Harp Scale

1 reply [Last post]
Tue, 10/14/2014 - 04:18
SmokeJS
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Joined: 07/01/2013

Good morning David,

Wanted to tell you I very much enjoyed the Unstructured Playing tip of the day post. Like the other student I too had trouble finding fills but then I started taking a good look at the study songs, and other sources, and now I have many. I learn and practice them by starting hole and use little names so I can write them down for future reference and daily repetetion.

My question today concerns the cross harp scale. I started out for a year or so with your books before sticking with the site full time. But I still use the books when I have extra time. In a book like Exploring 2nd the cross harp scale, essentially a pentatonic myxolidian scale, with some use of the 6th instead of the b7 to give it a more major feel, is prevalent. But looking at later books like Rock and Improvising the cross harp scale is no longer mentioned. Instead the more classic major pentatonic 1,2,3 5,6 scale is more commonly referred to in addition to the minor pentatonic and the blues scale. So my question is did you change your teaching approach to scales along the way?

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Tue, 10/14/2014 - 09:24
#1
David Barrett
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ExpertHead InstructorTeacher 10Level 10
Joined: 12/20/2009
Answer

Good morning SmokeJS. I'm glad the "Unstructured Playing" tip was insightful, we sure can all relate! The Crossharp scale contains the most common notes used for playing blues in 2nd Position without bending (essentially the G Mixolydian Scale, minus 3" A). You can also think of it as a chunk of the C Major Scale without bending. It was simply a way for me to give raw beginners a reference point of how to move from G to G. As a more experienced player I recommend you not use that... focus on the Major Pentatonic and Blues Scales.

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