Harmonica POSITIONS Made Easy

This week's question of the week is - What Is The Simplest Explanation For 1st, 2nd And 3rd Position?
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[@TomlinHarmonica]

✏ Get your FREE harmonica tab PDF and audio clips here 👉 foxly.link/f5gidD

[@RikklesFisher]

Thanks again for answering my question! Still working on grasping the whole concept but it definitely helps to start!

[@michaelmccatty1341]

All of your videos are great. Thank you so much for all that you do!

[@andrerenou1742]

You are living in a beautiful country !!! I love Scotland !!!

[@ThePumpkinToad]

Holy shit I finally get it!!! The idea of harp positions has vexed me since I started playing a few months ago but it's like a lightbulb just clicked on and now I'm finally starting to get it! Thanks so much for the videos. You personally have basically taught me how to play harmonica for free and I love you for it

[@tonycannon3906]

That makes it a lot clearer for me , thanks as always Tomlin .

[@adrianjabs5752]

Really liked your last comment basically just play & your musical ear will grow !👍

[@sunnyscott4876]

And I like the NATO watch band too ! Looking good as always !

[@adriandrake4208]

But Tomlinson, does the second position involve bending? Thanks, Adrian

[@harvendarbains3864]

Using a harmonica in the key of C - why play second position on this harmonica to be in the key of G instead of just playing in the first position on a G harmonica? I don’t understand the rationale.

[@MrFoolingyu]

Because sometimes bullshit baffles brains and the gobbledygook sounds so much more professional. Teachers in many fields are guilty of this because they fear the threat of "demystification". It all has to do with ego. There is a saying: "If the pupil has not learned, the teacher has not taught."

[@billychan4633]

[@themixmusicandmore6280]

Its like modes

[@tperki2322]

Nice explanation. You're like the Chris Buck of harmonica. Are you related?

[@robertho4337]

I don't know if this is simple but in terms of music theory positions I am learning that it's equivalent to a mode so... 1 = ionian 2 = mixolydian, and 3 = dorian. If you are guitar player this may make sense to you.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

This is a really interesting idea but personally I don't agree. You can play any mode in any position (theoretically). Ionian is easiest in 1st, Mixolydian is easiest in 2nd and Dorian is easiest in 3rd but you aren't limited to those modes or positions.

[@terrorbirds9835]

I got the same idea as @robertho4337 and I think it’s more that modes (positions in this case) are based on playing the same diatonic scale (or same ten holes in this case) but determined by which is your starting or home note. That’s as far as it seems to go. As a new harmonica player hopefully that concept will work for me 😅

[@a3xloser]

good try but still know wiser, whats a home note for example?. ok try this. -2 4 -2 -3. manish boy, is that in a position, and do I need to know what it is? and could it be played in a different position, and what would the tabs be for that?. thx

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Hiya, the home note is the note that the key you're playing in starts in. It is also the note that will feel like a resolution point at the ned of a lick. So, Mannish Boy is -2, 4, -2, -3', -2 It ends on a 2 draw and that feels like a resolution point. This means we are in 2nd position. You could play it in any position. It is just super easy in 2nd position.

[@a3xloser]

we are close now,so whats tabs for Mannish Boy in 1st 3rd or 4th postion for example?. is a position a bit like what key you in a bit of info you don't really need as long as your sucking and blowing the right hols at the righ time.?

[@us254761]

@@a3xloser 1st position: +1, -2'', +1, +1', +1 with +1' being an overblow. 3rd position: -1, -2, -1, -2'', -1. 4th position: -3'', -4, -3'', +4, -3''.

[@Eddy_Hammer]

Why it isn't a first video on the channel?😣

[@jameslewis9343]

Great advice, but it's slightly over my head!! I don't see myself ever playing 3rd position!!

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Give it time James :-)

[@hh-ck6ko]

In my opinion, that's the main weakness of the instrument. The player really can't have all the chords. One can play in all 12 positions, single notes are all available, some even have multiple ways to play them, some are more boring sounding, some are hard to play, but sound more interesting. The intended way to play harmonica is the 1st position, which has much needed chords, but just so happens to have the most boring sounding notes. I wonder if there's a chord-based tuning, that allows maximum number of chords, as long as there's still some way to play all the single notes.

[@edmulvey9458]

More confused than ever. I have tried to understand positions for years and I am still clueless. Your explanation did not make any sense to me. But thanks for trying

[@kevgermany]

You lost me completely. If you'd given the final explanation at the beginning, it would have made a lot more sense.

[@JohnCBurzynski]

Doesn't help at all

[@brutus4013]

Sorry , not made easy and even you sound confused .