I've been working on Amazing Grace, and the starting note is 1-draw. It feels like the 'root note' to me too. Looking at position charts I haven't been able to find what position I'm playing in. Can anyone help, and maybe provide an explanation too?
Good question. That's where I play it. I'd say second. This is a great song to practice practice practice because doing it REALLY well requires a whole lot of tone, delivery, and everything else.
hello ness I taught myself to play amazing grace years ago like you I start on 1-draw when the chorus finishes I do resolve on 2-draw which leads me to believe I am in second position 1 draw is part of the I chord if I am not mistaken I am sure a confirmation will soon be coming from more knowledgeable people on this forum
Ness, get on youTube and search Terry McMillan. His version of Amazing grace is what I learned. It's in 2nd and modulates up to Db for the last part. Mike
I was fortunate to go to a one off workshop in London on Tuesday with Grant Dermody on his night off from gigging in the UK.
He has fantastic tone and did 2 workshops.
The beginners was straight forward enough concentrating on 12 bars etc.
The next workshops were on some great subjects and covered getting more lung power to have the reserve left over to colour you playing even more.
He suggested that you play Amazing Grace WITHOUT taking the Harp out of you mouth from start to finish as a way of developing more expression/lung power ability.
I tried this and found it really hard and it occurred to me that my tone was suffering as a result of playing too hard and not really listening for tone.
So my tip for this thread is to play Amazing Grace with out taking the harp out of your mouth and play it with as much tone and variety as you can, listening and feeling where the breath gets close to the end and try to work out where the best place is and how to get the air out as the first out breath comes on the word 'sweet' in the lyrics.
The other thing to note is that the blow notes should be at the same volume as the draw notes and the whole song should be played as sweetly as you can with as much tone as you can.
This will indeed force you to play out of your comfort zone and develop a quieter form of playing and train you ears, lungs and emotions to deliver a much more interesting song.
I was just astonished at the control Grant had at his disposal and the effortless way he played was truly a turning point for me.
I am now looking at changing the way I play and to explore the acoustic side of shaping colouring with passion and emotion.
I thought I would share this with you guys.
His new CD Lay Down my Burden is utterly beautiful and has moved me a great deal.
Russ
---------- Oxharp
Last Edited by on May 14, 2010 6:52 AM
@ness, to answer your original question, you are indeed playing it in second position. You are starting on the 5th (a I chord tone) and resolving to the root on the last note. The 5th probably feels like a root note to you because it is the second most "stable" note on the major scale (the sub-dominant). Many tunes start on the 5th.
mr_so&so -- you're zeroing in on what I'm struggling with, even though I didn't really come at it the right way.
Can it be summed up this way: Root note isn't really a determinant of position, it's the collection of notes as a whole that kinda fit into a position on a harp, with the dominant notes kind of anchoring the position? Root note more a determinant of key, not position?
if you play if starting on the 4 draw, i think it is in second position too.. ends on the 6blow..
edit: i like starting on the one, and moving up to the 4 in the second or third verse, and back down to the one for the finnish.. sounds good to me.. still working on "my version".. havent quite got it how i want it yet..
and, jason ricci does a great live version of this you can find in the recordings you can get from archive.org ---------- Marty we're no GOD
Amazing Grace can also be played in the 12th Position (key of F on a C harp) The first part is: 4b 5d 6d 6d 6b 5d 4d 4b 4d 5d 6d 6d 6b 7b 6d 7b 6d-5d-6d 6b 5d 4d 4b 4b 4d 5d 6d 6d 6b 5d But if you want it to really wail play it in 2nd position with the first bend on the 3 hole for the missing natural note.
@mr_so&so - the 5th scale degree is dominant. The 4th is subdominant.
One way to know exactly where you are position wise is to take your final melodic note. The final note of the songs melody or head tends to be the tonic of your I chord and denotes the key of the tune. Once you know this you should be able to work out what position you are playing in using the circle of fifths. If you are playing Amazing Grace on a C harp and finish the song on either 2 draw, 6 blow or 9 blow you are playing in G. Therefore second position.
---------- "You will never get every possible thing out of an instrument, but the instrument will get every possible thing out of you" - Ray Charles.
