David's Tip of the Day - Challenges of Playing on the High End - 3+ used for Octave Substitution

Thanks for your patience while I was traveling... Tip of the Day is back! Take a look at "Challenges of Playing on the High End - Octave Substitution" from 10/12. In this I used the opening to "Juke" (minus pulls and such, just the basic pitches) and wrote 3+ 3 4 5+ 6+ 6+.

He could have played 2 draw, to make it 2 3 4 5+ 6+ 6+. Whether he did or not, using 3+ makes the lick easier to move up an octave. When moved up an octave you get 6+ 7 8 8+ 9+ 9+. The opening blow (6+) is your only choice for G in that octave (referencing a C Harmonica), so making a point to use 3+ over 2 draw in licks that you're going to move up an octave is a good idea to save the step of converting a draw to a blow (the only case where breathing needs to be altered).