Tip of the Day

Pat Missin has (and has had for a LONG time) a great information website for harmonica players. Check out this page titled "Who was the first blues harp player to record? (Plus a few other blues harp "firsts")." http://www.patmissin.com/ffaq/q5.html

Our next position starts on the 7th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 6th Position... this is playing in the key B on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Locrian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
B C D E F G A B (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from B)

Intervals:
Half | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 Flat-2 Flat-3 4 Flat-5 Flat-6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3
3 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7
7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10'+
10'+ 10+ continue reading...

Our next position starts on the 6th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 4th Position... this is playing in the key A on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Natural Minor Mode (also known as the Relative Minor of C).

The notes are as follows:
A B C D E F G A (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from A)

Intervals:
Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 2 Flat-3 4 5 Flat-6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3"
3" 3 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6
6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10
10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

Our next position starts on the 5th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 2nd Position... this is playing in the key G on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Mixolydian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
G A B C D E F G (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from G)

Intervals:
Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 2 3 4 5 6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2" 2
2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+
6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+
9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

The fourth of the seven positions starts on the 4th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 12th Position... this is playing in the key F on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Lydian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
F G A B C D E F (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from F)

Intervals:
Whole | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Half

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2"
2" 2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+ 5
5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+ 9
9 9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

The third of the seven positions starts on the 3rd Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 5th Position... this is playing in the key E on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Phrygian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
E F G A B C D E (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from E)

Intervals:
Half | Whole | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 Flat-2 Flat-3 4 5 Flat-6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+
2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+
5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+
8+ 9 9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

The second of the seven positions starts on the 2nd Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 3rd Position... this is playing in the key D on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Dorian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
D E F G A B C D (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from D)

Intervals:
Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 2 Flat-3 4 5 6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1
1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+ 4
4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8
8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

This is the first of a series of releases for the study we've been doing on bending over the past two years. I'll share more as it releases.

Title: Real-time magnetic resonance imaging fo the upper airways during harmonica pitch bends.
Authors: Egbert PR, Shin LK, Barrett D, Rossing TD, Holbrook A.
Source: School of Med., Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA.
Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23655957

The first of the seven positions is what we call 1st Position or Straight Harp... this is playing in the key C on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Major Mode, or Ionian.

The notes are as follows:
C D E F G A B C

Intervals:
Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole | Whole | Half

Scale Degrees:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10'+ 10+ continue reading...

If you have a sharp corner on a harmonica that's bothering you, get a file and get rid of it. Sharp corners can be a byproduct of the punching process on metal pieces or from the injection mold process with plastic pieces. Either way, there's plenty of underlying material to get out a fine file and take that sharp corner down. Sometimes just a basic emery board for finger nail care can do the job. Make sure to point the holes of your harmonica down so that any particles that come off don't go into your harmonica.