David's Tip of the Day: 7 Positions in One Scale - Part 6 (2nd Position)

Our next position starts on the 5th Scale Degree of the Major Scale and is called 2nd Position... this is playing in the key G on the C Harmonica. The Mode created is called the Mixolydian Mode.

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

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

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

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

This is our all-so-common 2nd Position. The Flat-7 (2", 5 and 9) are great bluesy-sounding notes and one of the important reasons why we play in 2nd Position. If you play all the draw notes on the harmonica you achieve a I9 Chord (One-Nine Chord = G B D F A)... so ALL draw notes work for the I Chord. If you play all the blow notes on the harmonica you achieve a IV Chord (Four Chord = C E G)... so ALL blow notes work for the IV Chord. The V Chord is more challenging, but doable (Five Chord = 1 2' 3" 4+ 4 for example). Roughly 99% of all blues played on the harmonica is in 2nd Position (less percentage for top-level players since they know how to play well in other positions).