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new harp 1 hole difficult to play
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doug happy
2 posts
Oct 21, 2016
7:22 PM
I just got a new Manji D harp, and I find that I have to blow and draw really hard on the 1 hole to get a note; and even then it's kind of airy. Is there some adjustment I can make? Is this typical of D harps?

Though this harp is in general a tiny bit harder to play than the Hohner I have, every other note seems really clean and relatively easy to play.

Thanks,

Doug
Killa_Hertz
1828 posts
Oct 21, 2016
11:37 PM
Hi Doug.
Sounds to me like the gap is too open.

I usually find that holes 123 are usually this way.

Look up videos on Gapping.


In short, what you want to do is ... take off the cover plates, and check too see the gap in the first reed. It will likely need to be closed.


The rule of thumb is, the gap sound be any equal to the thickness of the reed at the tip.

Hope that helped.
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SuperBee
4203 posts
Oct 22, 2016
12:06 AM
Yep, you're gonna need to inspect it. If either reed is set too wide both will be affected to some extent.
may not be the gap, but the first step is the same in any case.
doug happy
3 posts
Oct 22, 2016
9:46 AM
Thanks to both of you! It was a half-hour long trial-and-error process, but the harp plays consistently on every hole now.

Thanks again!
SuperBee
4204 posts
Oct 22, 2016
1:15 PM
Winner!
Great news.
Killa_Hertz
1833 posts
Oct 24, 2016
4:48 AM
Great to hear!
Now you ve opened Pandora's box. Lol. Forever trying to make your harps better.

Kidding (kind of) 8^)
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curlycatvaughan
9 posts
Nov 06, 2016
6:15 AM
Another 1-hole question. I bought a G harp a while back and noticed that the 1 draw reed chirps when I articulate it. Not every time I play it, just when I articulate. Is this likely a gaping issue as well?

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"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on." --Led Zeppelin
Killa_Hertz
1867 posts
Nov 06, 2016
6:34 AM
Curly
Now when you say chirps ....

Do you mean like a Squeal?

Or like a rattle?

Rattle is most likely so I'll start there.

The 1 hole reed is the longest so if it is gapped just a TAD too high it may rattle against the cover plates if you play hard on it. Sometimes if it is gapped WAY too high. It will happen even under light breath. But since yours only happens sometimes, I'm assuming it's just slightly high.

If it is indeed a squeel (disregard that last bit.) I think this can be fixed by the nail polish meathod. People stick nail polish on the rivet end of the reed. I have never done this myself, so i won't go in to detail, but there are videos on it on youtube that could explain it.

Hope that helps.
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SuperBee
4246 posts
Nov 06, 2016
12:50 PM
Yep I reckon it's banging on the cover. G harps, even A harps will do that. The reeds are weightier so they can get a bit of a swing up if you play too hard. I guess if they are set too high you have to hit with a bit of air to get them started so that's probably why setting them lower will help.

Last Edited by SuperBee on Nov 06, 2016 4:43 PM
curlycatvaughan
10 posts
Nov 06, 2016
1:41 PM
@Killa, it's probably a type of rattle, but it makes a single chirpy sort of sound. I've had a hard time describing it. It's high pitched/metallic, but it's only at the point of articulation, so if I keep drawing the note, I don't have additional "chirps." If I say ka ka ka, I get chirp chirp chirp, but if I just say kaaaaaa, I get only one chirp. Does that make sense?
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"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on." --Led Zeppelin
Killa_Hertz
1870 posts
Nov 06, 2016
7:15 PM
It does Make sense, but im not exactly sure what the issue is. Seems like the reed may be sticking? When you first draw on it, does it feel like no air is coming through ... and then *pop* its sounding?

Or perhaps it is hitting the cover, but only doing it when you hit it with that initial attack?

Either way, i would take the covers off.
The try playing it without the covers.

If it's gone .. it's hitting the covers, and just close the gap some.
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dchurch
56 posts
Nov 07, 2016
8:36 AM
Killa nailed it. When in doubt take the covers off. From there you can check the gap...

Here's a low Manji I was taking apart for cleaning. There is no exact gap measurement but it should look something like this... (as per Killa).



A small gap requires less air to play the reed. The gap is not wide enough if the reed chokes or stalls when try to start it aggressively.

So a good gap is partly determined by how you play a particular harp. Lessen the gap by gently depressing the reed beyond its norm.

The #1 "G" reed takes a pretty long swing especially at high volume or on attack, so it can be prone to hitting the covers. Some harp covers have a pretty tight space for this.

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It's about time I got around to this.

Last Edited by dchurch on Nov 07, 2016 8:38 AM
Killa_Hertz
1873 posts
Nov 07, 2016
12:20 PM
Gapping is a very good place to start. There are many other factors that contribute to how a reed responds/plays.

But that's a whole other can of worms.
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