Hi Sonic Harpers!
Dennis Gruenling here with my new study piece, First Class. This is my first 1st Position study song! Keep in mind, when you change positions, you need to change your mindset because the whole layout of your note patterns and the scale completely changes. But don’t let that scare you, it’s not that difficult once you start practicing these patterns.
If you’re a fan of blues harmonica, you’ve already heard many licks like these most likely, and now you can start working on them in context yourself. We will be sticking to the bottom end of the harmonica for this piece and make sure that you are working on your bends on holes 2 and 3 draw as well…
I hope you enjoy my first 1st Position study piece here on SonicJunction - First Class!
Dennis Gruenling
Topics and/or subjects covered in this lesson:
1st Position
Print Chords & Tab
G Harp in the Key of G.
Loop 0:00 Introduction to First Class and How To Learn 1st Position
Loop 2:18 Loop Whole Song
Loop 2:18 First Verse
Loop 2:40 2nd Verse
Loop 2:58 3rd Verse
Loop 3:17 4th Verse
Loop 3:36 5th Verse
Loop 3:55 6th Verse
Loop 4:13 7th Verse
Loop 4:32 8th Verse
Loop 4:51 9th Verse
Loop 5:10 10th Verse
Loop 5:30 11th Verse
Comments
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Damn, Dennis, you sound so good. What are you playing through? It sounds like a fucking train! So cool.
And your glasses are very hip, also.
Is first your favorite "posish"?
Thanks so much!! Using one of my vintage Crystal microphones and a small 5 watt amp with 8" speaker for this one. Actually, I really like 1st Position, but it's not my favorite...however I do like coming up with new ideas in 1st because so many players just do the same kind of licks over and over and there is lots of cool stuff in there still to be found. 3rd Position may be my favorite though.
is there a backing trace for this lesson ?
Hi Alan - thanks for the reminder. The backing track is up.
Now that I've listened to it about 20 times and toyed a little with it I'm seeing some other notes. I'm not ready for overblows, though I now have some incentive to work on the high end blow bends in anticipation of working more with first position. Thanks.
Glad you are working more with his and feel inspired! There's so much to do without overblows that people haven't even explored really yet anyway...!
Very nice lesson. First position is a good one to work on thanks for the lesson
Thanks Boyd - glad you like it so far!
Hi Dennis
This is the first time I've tried anything in first position. In the first and second octaves the flat third isn't available- is that right? You still make it sound bluesy - wow! What a devilishly tricky instrument. The major pentatonic falls very naturally - are those the main notes you're working with?
This is expanding my world - thanks!
Hi Bill -
Yes, the flat third (b3) is not available unless you overblow, which I don't go into and I don't recommend until you really master playing and using the "regular" bends. But as you can hear, you can still make 1st position bluesy.
The Major Pentatonic is easy in the middle octave, but in the bottom octave one of the notes is the 3 draw whole step bend, which is tricky to always hit in pitch. I don't use the complete Blues Scale (the b3 is not easily attainable) but I also don't use only the Major Pentatonic either (not bluesy enough for our purposes), so I use most of the blues scale with the natural 3 and a few other notes here and there.
Glad you are digging it!!