Skip to main content

David's Tip of the Day: 7 Positions in One Scale - Part 4 (5th Position)

David Barrett Admin's picture

The third of the seven positions starts on the 3rd Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 5th Position... this is playing in the key E on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Phrygian Mode.

The notes are as follows:
E F G A B C D E (same notes as the C Major Scale, just starting from E)

Intervals:
Half | Whole | Whole | Whole | Half | Whole | Whole

Scale Degrees (Relative to its equivalent Major Scale):
1 Flat-2 Flat-3 4 5 Flat-6 Flat-7 8

Full Scale:
1+ 1 2+
2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+ 4 5+
5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+ 8 8+
8+ 9 9+ 10 10'+ 10+

Though not a common position by any stretch of the word, it's a fun position to experiment with when playing in Minor. The Flat-2 is an interesting sound.