Chromatic Positions
Winslow Hi I continue to try and understand positions and whilst making progress I run into issues that I cannot understand.
Example:
I wanted to play a song from the 1975 period. Very popular and have been requested to give a rendition. It is a song from the Dutch group Pussycat and the song is titled Mississippi. (goggle versions abound) A very melodic tune sung with a harmony of the three female singers. Having worked out that the song was sung in the Key of Bb, and this I confirmed with some music score. I set about learning it. Very easy but if I play it on the low section of the diatonic harp (preferred) the notes don’t go low enough, missing notes. Play it in the middle octave and the E is missing and also bit too high. Could leave that out but decided to investigate the Chromatic. It’s a C chromatic so exploring the different position I discover that the 11th position (C harp Button In) gives me Bb. But very few of the notes I need for the song are available. Could you tell me what I am missing. Or have I got it totally wrong.
Appreciate you comments.
ALL the notes are available in terms of the chromatic scale, which in turn gives you all the major scales, all the minor scales, etc.. However, a standard 12-hole C chromatic has the same range as a diatonic C harp. If you have a 14 or 16 hole one, then you get more low range. Not sure if that's the source of your problem.
However, I notice you said "Button in." if you mean simply holding the button in to play, that's the wrong way (or at least, an extremely limited way) to look at the chromatic. All you get when you do that is a Db diatonic, and what's the point of that?
When you play the chromatic, the button moves in for some notes and out for others. For instance, the Bb major scale is:
Bb (button in) C (in/draw or out/blow), D (out) Eb (in) F (in/blow or out/draw) G (out) A (out).
Maybe the tune you're trying to play uses notes beyond that scale. Figure out what notes they are, then figure out where they are on the chromatic.