What are positions on harmonica? (1st, 2nd, 3rd etc)
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- Hello, in today's harmonica lesson I will be explaining how positions work on harmonica. I will also show you what a key is.
Click here to get the full lesson and chart for 1st, 2nd and 3rd position playing - wp.me/p5rtj9-1g0
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TIMESTAMPS
0:15 What are Positions on Harmonica?
0:29 What is a Key?
2:45 First Position
3:57 Second Position
5:58 Third Position
8:23 Hit Link in Description for Handout About Positions
9:08 Online Harmonica School Patreon
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If you want to understand positions you should understand the 'circle of fifths'. C harp position 1, plays the key of C. G is a fifth up so the key of G is what you are playing in position 2, D is a fifth up from G so D is third position. A is a fifth up from D so ....etc. All this relates to the C harp.
On an A harp playing second position would put you in the key of E etc.
Flipping things around...to find the harp you need to play second position (to get that bluesy sound) count a forth up. So to play in G that would be GABC...so C is the correct harp for key of G to play in second position.
🤯😪
Tom, you are such a great natural teacher! Clarity maximized! Thank you Good Sir!
Благодарю! Пересмотрел уйму видео, но лишь сейчас понял что такое позиции. Парадокс - объяснение от человека, чей язык я едва знаю, оказалось понятней десятка объясняющих видео на моем родном языке...
Thank you I almost gave up learning till I found your lessons and few weeks later I am playing OK and will only continue to progress!
Bless you - hi from Oz I am travelling outback down under Australia so lessons could have been a problem I turned 60 this year and want to learn the ukele next and I have a Celtic harp and native american flute I love music tks
Hello Tomlin, checking out your lesson today!
Thank god that theres such a cool guy like you whos making understand the newbies like me how the harmonica works, thumbs up!
Wow - this was a great lesson...I'm still learning at a ripe old age....Thank you from South Africa!
This is so helpful...
Especially the "you don't have to think about that too much... It's just something you need to accept...", which are (or were) exactly the things I was struggling with...
Brilliant!
Phew :-)
My sincere compliments to your playing and your tutorials. Thank you for you commitment and dedication. You're and excellent educator.
Thank you so much Conrad. I’m so glad you enjoy the lessons :-)
thank you tom that was well said well put, I applaud you. learning is priceless thanks
Wow Great Job ! Thankyou- I've never heard anybody explain it that well much appreciated
Many thanks for that super explanation of harmonica positions, much love!
My pleasure - I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the instruction. Trying to play with better approach to my sound. And play covers as well. Thx!
Thank you! I retired end of January and wanting to play Harmonica. Looking forward to learning. Great instruction!
Dear T! Thanks for this lesson. Quite enlightening
💪
Always clear and helpful, Tomlin, thanks.
So clearly explained, as Adam says, finally it is making some sense to me, thank you Tomlin
Thanks Brad :-)
always a good lesson.....thanks Tomlin.....you are a good man Mr.T
Thanks. The video sure answered my questions. You are an excellent teacher.
Thanks for saying what hole to start at. So happy have position 3 now. Dorian is GREAT!
eureaka!! thank you only been playing for about 2 months . never understood that til I watched this thank you
+Travis Edwards Awesome to hear Travis. Let me know if there is anything else you are struggling with.
Thank you for the explanation and demonstration.
+sierradk my pleasure :-)
I've been playing harps for some time, but even so, your lessons are top notch, & I learn finer points of playing from your superb instruction. Thanks !!!
+Al Boeck that is Music to my ears Al :-)
Thank you, Tomlin. You're my harmonica Guru 🌟
great this one buddy, i missed it .... well 2017 see's me playing more [I need to get a routine going ].
Good shout Sugar!
Really excellent video, mate!
Wow. And now I know positions.. Thank you Well explained...
Excellent Billy :-)
Tomlin you're a beast. Keep up the good work.
As always a great explanation of playing different keys on the same harmonica , it finally makes sense , keep up the great work 😀
I will indeed Adam so long as people like you find it useful :-)
Your lessons are great and easy to follow, I like the work with counting and rhythm, thanks for sharing. I just started the Harp three weeks ago, and have been putting in about a half hour a day, and it still feels very far off to be able to really jam, but your lessons are great for practice.
Thank you Lesley! :-)
great as always u got a great voice to
+youssef ghanem aw thanks Youssef!
well explained !
So glad I found this site...
Great advice very helpful and easily understood:)
My pleasure Kenny :-)
excellent...thank you for a very good explanation
No problem Dan :-)
An incredible lesson !
Thanks Tony!
It helps me a lot . Amazing !
+Hien Tran my pleasure :-)
Thank you, that helped me.
Thx 4 making positions clear.
Thanks mate, very well explained
Thanks Paul :-)
great explanation :D. Thanks!
Thank you, teacher 👏👏
Good info in this video. I have to say hole number 2 Draw is a hard note to get. It is very important. I have been playing a while but I have not dug into hole 2 draw because it is hard to play. Time to get with the program and learn to play 2 draw. Thanks for this and all of your videos. Keep them coming.
My pleasure Tony :-)
Well explained and good job,.,.
Well explained.
Thanks for the information. Very helpful.
Does it make sense now?
+Tomlin Leckie Hi Tomlin. It makes a lot of sense now. Especially since I drew out a harmonica front and labeled all the holes with draw and blow. My only question now is if you are in the second position changing from C to G for example, at 6 blow, how do you compensate for the fact that 9 blow should be F#? Do you have to bend the note?
Thank you- never had 3rd explained to me
A very good tutorial.
Love from India
Thank you for your well presented tutorials. This is what I am looking for: Full scales for positions 1,2,3,4,5 &12 on the entire 10 hole richter tuned harmonica for major and blues. I have been playing a long time and am advanced in some areas and lacking in others. I play by ear and tab only and am confused by theoretical musical terminology. Although I can read enough to sing in a choir. Any ideas? I know this is not so related to this video. Figured I can ask you because you can obviously read music well. Grateful. Don
That was a simpler explanation of what the positions are, thanks.
+Edward Kornele that is what I was aiming for :-)
Well done. Thanks for your time. Can you explain the differance of a bend and an over DRAW.
+Scooter Lee this video will answer that - ruclips.net/video/-vePy5ZSvuc/видео.html
I find it difficult to not ask why all the time and literally asked "why" right before you suggested don't ask why :) Thank you for this, really helped in some ways but didn't satisfy my need to understand why all the time haha.
Tough topic to grasp, even if you've got a musical background. I think the example with you playing the guitar, Tomlin, is very helpful.
A friend of mine who has his own school of music (teaches guitar and keyboard), asked me how the keys on a harmonica work. He was totally fascinated by the fact that you can play in several different keys (not just the relative minor) on one harmonica.
If you've got no musical background, the chart is probably the easiest way to figure out which harp you need for which key.
That's a great explanation!! Do you have a simple chart that shows the other positions? Thanks!
really good...
Nice explanation.
+Bobby Cross thanks Bobby!
good advice up to the point of the 2nd position ? by a Hohner chart you count up 4 positions ? cross harp or 2nd position same
cheers for the great explination .... but ... how does the five note up and one note up system for finding keys work on sharp and flat keys ?
Thanks for the video, Tomlin! Question - do these positions apply to natural and harmonic minor harmonicas as well? Lee Oskar mentions 4 positions, why is that?
Since watching this video, I've done a lot of reading on positions. Turns out it is very difficult to explain them without getting pretty deep into music theory. However, I have discovered that without bends and overblows, all except the first position would really be in a modal key. First position is Ionian mode, aka major, 2nd position is Myxolidian mode with the tonic a perfect fifth above the Ionian tonic. 3rd position is Dorian mode with the tonic a perfect fifth above the Myxolidian tonic, 4th position is Aeolian mode, aka minor, with the tonic a perfect fifth above the Dorian tonic, and so forth. It also seems to me that of the 12 possible positions, numbers 7 thru 11 are completely useless. Do you know of anything at all that is played in any of those positions? I'm also not sure about positions 5 and 6. Even though I've never seen anything played in 5th of 6th position, they do represent valid modal keys (Phrygian and Locrian).
Thank you for this comment, a bonus after such a great video!
It sounds all Greek to me. I hope I can get by with just 3 positions. Lol
@@larrylee7188 i can play recorder, tenor , bass, a bit of sax, learned piano and i tell you i find this confusing myself ;) what i find hardest is trying not to get out of breath with the in and out... not an easy instrument but i am determined lol not being the youngest 59 and my playing days are 30 yrs ago ...
There's no such thing as "positions". It's all a bunch of garbage humans made up so they can understand it better, but sound waves don't give a shit about our "theories"
@@markc1234golf I just turned 57 years old and I just ordered a harp, we shall see!!
Hello, Tomlin, please tell how u play turnaround at begin.
thanks tomlin helps alot
My pleasure :-)
Hi Tomlin , thanks so much for your fab lessons..... Could you tell me what key harp to play with Ab music in second position......
finally i found an useful tutorial for begginners. thanks, man!
+Eddy Hinojosa awesome to hear Eddy :-)
ditto
It’s Pleasure watch Your vídeos.
I'm just starting to learn the harmonica and so far I only have a C and an A harp. Hopefully bands are willing to change their key for that because I just don't have the money to spend $40 a pop on a bunch of harmonicas at this time.
Hiya - yes this is definitely a problem at the start. You can cover most scenarios with C, A and D :-)
Sorry to ask such a basic question here. But what I really wanted to know is how to select which key to use? I just got a set, A-G, and have no idea which to pick for a particular song. Thanks!
“You have to know your alphabet.” That’s it. I’m outta here...
Great lesson as always Tomlin. Thanks!
Do your paid lessons teach music theory as well as styles besides blues?
I like your videos mate. Nice clear explanations. I'm only a beginner, so maybe I have no right even asking this question.... So if I want to play along with a blues in E, I can either get an A harp and play second position, or a D harp and play third position.....right?
+Craig Martin Craig, of course you are allowed to ask questions. And yes, you are correct. Blues in E would be an A harmonica in 2nd position or D harmonica in 3rd.
+Tomlin Leckie Thanks! I wish we could just use ONE harmonica to play everything: (
I never learned much about playing a chromatic harp but that seems to be the one you can play multiple keys (though I don't know about ALL keys).
Seems as if he lost a number of us? Duh?
If you played 3rd position using a D harp you'd be playing in E minor.
2nd watch update: October 25th 2018
Awesome!
hi, what is the name of that song you were singing, really like it
Three years and not guy came to help a brother out!! Shame RUclips.
If anyone knows the song , please tell me. I'm wonder too.
Great lesson. Interesting that Neil Young uses a G harp on the solo in "Harvest Moon", which is in D. Any thoughts?
(1st) D harp in D ) D E F#G A(5) B C#D (2nd) G harp in D) G(4) A(5) B C#D(1) E F#(3) G (3rd) G harp in A ) A(2) BC D E F G#A .. Chris.. so so so much shared stuff ... but yeah... G is a fourth above D (yet D is also G's 5th) thats 2nd position (draw 2 as the 5th (D on a G harp)... what dont D and G share ? D(1and5) E (2 and 6) F#(3 and7) G (4 and 1) A (5 and 2) B (6and 3) .. C ? (4 in G.. but b7 in D) C# (#4 in G ... 7 in DM) .. b7 of 1(C)...is 4 of G.. and M7 of 1 (C#)... is #4 of G... and that (#4/b5).. is the note between 4 and 5 (tritone)..its the halfway point.. (the teeter totter if you will) its where the tension is... and it is the blues turn around.. so that area... is either 5 b5 4 or 9 b9 8ve (or 2 b2 1... which really is 3rd position) ... making that A the 2 on a G harp... and that A ..can be the 5 and down to G as 4 (I dont know what NYoung is doing) ... but D is G.. outside of that C#(b5) note.. the best prractice anyone can do on any instrument... is just play ascending 4ths C F Bb Eb Ab Db F#(Gb) B E A D G C .. and learn that every note... is a 1 a 4 a 2 a 5.. and all the rest chromatically ..( every 3 in a row.. from anywhere.. is a 251 ( Am DV7 GM) .. everyone is the same thing .. all 12 keys..in one chromatic scale.. it looks crazy difficult.. but its 7th grade stuff...lesson # 1.. it will teach you .. !
Best explanation yet. But I do find that this topic is like a slippery eel, I think I've got it and then the next time I think about it, it has slipped away again. I plan to watch this video a few times to cement the concept in my head. I have been playing for 38 years on and off...yes I started young and taught myself (mostly). I am now teaching myself some music theory so I can play better with a band.
+Louise Guest hi Louise, I'm glad you liked the explanation. I think the key is to not think about it too much in theory. Positions make most sense in practice when you are actually playing.
How do you manage to play blues scale on 1st position in 5:37, does it need overblowing?
Fark!! downloading now I'm going to need it.. yikes😱
One friend just gave me an A harmonica. I already can play it somehow, but I wonder, if it's possible to also play minor on it or do I need a different harmonica for it?
You have a nice voice also !
Thanks Mike
Tomlin Leckie oooosaiil
Good lesson, and I like how you actually answer questions, but I'm puzzled. The chart I have says that if the song is in A, then 2nd position (blues) is a D. ?
Hi Judy, I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson. The chart shows you what harmonica you would need to play in 2nd position and 3rd position. So if you want to play in the Key of A, you need a D harmonica in 2nd position. Cheers, T
Thanks for the reply. The chart I downloaded from you says 1st position for an A song is A. I get that. Then you say in this lesson (and on the chart) that 2nd position would be an E. But, In your reply you said D would be 2nd position in an A song.. D is my understanding, but again you say E and your chart says E. That's why Im confused.
I never thought mcaluin culkin would teach harmonica lessons on youtube
A former child star still has bills to pay ;-)
Don't worry about that, just be happy with it!!!!!!
Do they make Gb harmonicas?
Thanks Tomlin, I am trying to figure out what would be best for me to use to help our county cowboy church band. Since we are not playing blues I figure I need to stay with 1st position harmonicas is that correct? Some of our songs are in G, C, A, Ab, B, and E. Should I just buy harmonicas in these keys that are 1st position on the harmonica ? That is what I am understanding from your video which is a good explanation I think. Any advice you or anyone has would be appreciated. I have only played in 1st position anytime I ever picked a harmonica up and had no idea about a 2nd or 3rd position. Thanks for any information.
Franko S, I also played in a cowboy church band. I used 1st position most of the time, but I did use 2nd and 3rd. 3rd position is for songs that are written in a minor key. Are you comfortable playing in 2nd position or is 1st your choice?
hi tomlin. whats the best key of harmonica for playing jazz?
+Alireza Alavi hmm, I'm not sure, all keys would be useful.
HOW DO YOU DRAW THE FIRST 3 HOLES IT'S SO HARD TO GET IT TO SOUND LIKE YOU.
So does it take "bending" to be able to play anything other than 1st position?
I detune half a step on guitar so if in standard tuning id play in the key of G but detuning in play in Gb so what harmonica do play
Harp in Cb (B) when songs in Gb
Jesse James was my 5th grade teacher's great grandpa
+Jeremiah Temple lol, very cool :-)
Kit Carson was my sixth uncle.
what key should my 1st harp be in? I'm buying a hohner crossover. not playing in a band, just making the dog howl.
Hey, great lesson, as always, but I must ask, what's the name of the song that's played in the end of the video? :D
ruclips.net/video/M8qGXk8cGyE/видео.html
its basically a maddy waters song
@@zy6354 thanks!
@@zy6354 Yeah, I love the blues and all things related to it, but I don't really know a lot about it, nor about the musicians. It's a shame really.
Need to learn. A echo honner14 hole
I wish I could figure out how to play the Blues Scale I try and try and 3 yrs and i get tripped up
I am a total beginner and I don’t know what you mean at all....what exactly are you doing, can you show me?!? Thank you
7:45 to go from first to second position here Tomlin counts five, but for me it´s four: D (1), E(2), F(3), G (4), why do we count also the C if we start counting with C?
In music, you should always include the first (aka the note you started at) when talking about relationships. So to count the notes in the key of C, you would go C (1), D (2), E (3), F (4), G (5). The reason for this is essentially so that if you have three notes in a chord, you have a name for each of them.
So can I play blues in E on a harmonica in the key of C?
Yes, that is 5th position and starts on the 2 blow :-)
I'm still a little confused. If a song is being played in the key of G and I played along on a C harmonica is this the same as playing cross harp? I have seen several charts online suggesting this.
Hi Paul, yes 2nd position is the same this as "cross harp". So playing in the key of G on a C harmonica is 2nd position/cross harp.
Can anyone tell me, lf l would be able to play the Tune,"Zip a deeh dooh dah", lf l bought a Lee Oskar - Harmonica, ln the Key of G?
When The Band is in Key,,, Harmonica Becomes The 4th,,, Band Plays E,,, Harp Plays A... Cross Harping works Fast n Fits anywhere in Key... it's That Simple... Key with Key is Country or Folk... Blues is 4th of Key or it Becomes another Beast...
thank you! That cleared it up for me. Key with key is country or folk. I had to scroll down through ten million comments to find this gem. Thank you!
I grasp all of this so far, but what I haven't been able to grasp is WHY I would play in 3rd rather than 2nd position. I get why 2nd rather than 1st when playing bluesy music. But how do harmonica players think, "I'd better play this one in 3rd position, not 2nd"? What's the decision process?
That's a great question David :-). A lot of it is down to what feel you are wanting to for and also what keys you are playing in. I will often play 3rd position on a C harmonica instead of 2nd position on a G harmonica so that I'm playing in a slightly higher range which will cut through a mix better than the lower harp. Personally, I love all the bends in the lower octave for 3rd position Blues playing - you can be extremely vocal and expressive with it. The only way to develop your preference is to experiment with different positions over the same song or backing track and see what advantages/disadvantages they each have. :-)
@@TomlinHarmonica Thank you so much. I really like your suggestion. I play harmonica for a (mostly) bluegrass outfit, and several of their songs are in minor keys. I haven't been comfortable in 2nd position on those songs, so I guess I need to commit to practicing third position scales and then try playing them in third position. Being 2nd position primarily, I suspect I'll struggle at first to land on the right holes for resolution notes, but...that's why you practice, I suppose! Thanks again. I think your lessons are so well put together.
Wow - never knew there was a 3rd position! Very well explained - shame they didn't have RUclips 30 years ago... I went through loads of harmonicas trying to get the right key to match Can't Hold On Much Longer (Blues Band). Keep up the good work :-)