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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Spit Problem Learning Tongue Technique
Spit Problem Learning Tongue Technique
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Johnnie 9-Toes
7 posts
Sep 03, 2017
7:36 AM
Hi all

I was always a pucker player.. I am now 73 years old and trying to learn Tongue Technique.. Took me a while HuH !! I am getting a pretty good handle on it except for ::

I get spit every where.. I don't have a problem with that cuz the spit is my spit LOL,, other than I worry about my Harmonicas. I have Lee Oskar's Susuki Manji's and worry about them getting gummed up.

I been slapping my knee for years also .. Got pretty good at it. :-)

Is there a way to get rid of it all with out taking the things apart.. ??

I have always thought running it under a tap would do the trick other than worrying about rust.. would that be a problem. Rush that is.?

So I ask you fella's out there what do you all do?

thanks

Johnnie
hvyj
3477 posts
Sep 03, 2017
7:57 AM
Get a little ultrasonic jewelry cleaner on eBay. They are inexpensive. Then get some Sterisol concentrate (a brass and woodwind mouth piece cleaner) which is available on line from Musicians Friend and is also inexpensive.

Put warm water in the ultrasonic cleaner with a little Sterisol, and put the harps in one at a time for a long cycle. Remove and rinse the harp out under a faucet with warm water. Then tap out excess water and gently blow and draw to remove the remainder to free up the reeds. Then leave the harp out to dry.
Johnnie 9-Toes
8 posts
Sep 03, 2017
8:49 AM
Hi and thanks for the tips

I am going to do as yu say BUT I don't want to do that every time I play. I am not in a band or anything just play along with my stereo, guitar etcetc..

If after playing say for an hour or two.. Can I just run warm water to rinse them off...?? would that help..?

then once a week or month use the Ultrasonic cleaner and Sterisol..? How much Sterisol for a clean session.. teaspoon Capfull etc. ?

Or a routine you or others would suggest?

Just checked out the cleaners Geeezus more of em than there are ants..
Any particular brand out there you suggest??

tnx
Johnnie

Last Edited by Johnnie 9-Toes on Sep 03, 2017 9:01 AM
dougharps
1550 posts
Sep 03, 2017
9:00 AM
Try to play in an upright position so your saliva is not directly draining into the harp, head slightly tilted back. Tapping out is good. If you play with a clean mouth (no food particles in mouth when you play!) and tap out saliva you should be OK.

You might occasionally use a toothpick to remove any dried (whatever) off the opening tines of the comb. If there are problems that you eventually notice, you could try a quick rinse with clean water and tap the harp out. Leave it out to dry, don't seal it up in a case when wet.

NEVER SOAK WOODEN COMBS!!!

The next level of intervention is to disassemble the harp and rinse all the parts under a gentle lukewarm water flow (no pressure washers, no temperature extremes!) and clean off the comb tines. If it is a wooden comb, minimize any use of water and dry immediately.

The level of intervention beyond that may be disassembly for manual gentle brushing and rinsing or using an ultrasonic cleaner, which may vibrate out any bits of skin, dried saliva, and errant food particles without risking bent reeds. If a reed seems obstructed when you play and when you plink it, try running shim material down the side edges of the slot.

I have an ultrasonic cleaner that I have used from time to time when there is need, and it works OK. I find little need for it in day to day playing. People played harmonicas for a long time before ultrasonic cleaners.

My focus on harmonicas are that they function, not that they are shiny inside. Some have suggested that some dried saliva can actually tighten up air leaks in a harp! It is sort of like a show car vs. a car that it used. Does it look pretty with the hood up, or is it just a reliable vehicle for getting the job done?

Play with your head up so saliva drains down your throat. Tap out the harps. Rinse on rare occasions when you think it is needed. Harmonicas are not surgical instruments...

My #1 rule for maintaining a well functioning harp:

"If it ain't broke, DON'T FIX IT!"

*If you love working on small musical instruments to try to improve their function, and you don't mind pitting your tech skills against possibly damaging the instrument, then please disregard the above #1 rule. Have fun!
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Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Sep 03, 2017 9:04 AM
hvyj
3478 posts
Sep 03, 2017
10:24 AM
Well, I play quite a bit. I use the Ultrasonic Cleaner less than once a month, unless there's a problem with a jammed harp or something. Btw, it's safe for wooden combs, just be sure to take them out immediately at the end of the cycle and don't leave them to soak.

The one I have looks like a small white plastic tub. No brand name. But it cost less than $35.

Be sure to get the Sterisol CONCENTRATE, not the pre-mixed cleaner. Assuming a small little tub, perhaps a little more than a capful but less than a teaspoon of Sterisol Concentrate is about right. Some people use ammonia instead. I do occasionally, but the Sterisol seems to work just fine.

But, yeah, tapping out the harps after playing and rinsing them out after a playing session works just fine in between ultrasonic cleanings. I usually don't rinse that regularly, but if you are a "wet" player it's not a bad idea. Btw, since I started to use the Ultrasonic cleaner, I RARELY have to disassemble any harps to clean them.

Last Edited by hvyj on Sep 03, 2017 10:46 AM
nacoran
9592 posts
Sep 03, 2017
10:38 AM
Get a microfiber cloth and wipe your harps off when you are done (Seydel and Easttop both include a nice one with their harps I think, but even a dish rag from Walmart should do the trick. That should keep the covers in good shape. If you see crud building up in the holes, use a toothpick to scrape it loose- just make sure you are holding it so it falls out of the harp, not in. And keep slapping it on your knees when you are done. Ultrasonic cleaners are a nice way to clean them up every so often. Even if you don't take them apart, just setting them in there on their backs will get a lot of gunk out of them (which is fine to do with the combs you've got on your harps, not so much on a Marine Band). Avoid sugary stuff right before you play, anything that would make the harps sticky, keep water nearby to cleanse your pallet if you do eat something sticky.

And tilt the harp up a little when you play if you have problems with too much spit while you are actually playing.

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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
slaphappy
313 posts
Sep 03, 2017
10:39 AM
I think if you just keep tongue-blocking the "spit problem" will eventually go away on it's own.

I had this same issue with TB blow bends in the high octave but it just disappeared eventually after about 9 months or so.

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4' 4+ 3' 2~~~
-Mike Ziemba
Harmonica is Life!


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