Header Graphic
beginner forum: for novice and developing blues harp players > Draw 6 and 7
Draw 6 and 7
Login  |  Register
Page: 1

Wannabee Bluesman
1 post
Jul 03, 2017
12:22 PM
I have recently started playing and just joined this site. This is my first post so I suppose "Hello" is in order and a thank you for the use I have already made of the forum as a non-member.

I have a problem and would appreciate any advice I could get please. I can't see a search function and haven't seen anything on a trawl so I do apologise if I am asking something that's been covered 6000 times already.

I got a decent draw 2 from the off and found isolating using a pucker a lot easier than I was anticipating. My problem is that I simply cannot get an easy note on draw 6 or 7. Both require a big effort and seem to choke on me. 6 almost pops if that is the right word. The internet has coughed up loads of info for draw 2 but nothing for these. 1-5 and 8-10 are fine.

I have read many references to beginners wrongly thinking their harp is faulty, but I have had access to 2 Bluesmasters, a Golden Melody and a Blues Session (all new and in C) and the problem is the same across them all. Reason really does say it is tremendously unlikely that 4 harps have identical faults. It's me for certain.

I suppose I have 3 questions
1. Is this common?
2. If it is, why do I only find stuff online about draw 2 and sometimes 3?
3. The biggee - what do people think I am doing wrong and how can I solve it?

Thank you in advance to anyone who is kind enough to take the time to give me some advice.
Wannabee Bluesman
2 posts
Jul 03, 2017
12:29 PM
Soz - so there is a search function after all. :)
Can't find anything about my issue though.
SkullKid
65 posts
Jul 03, 2017
3:42 PM
Hey Bluesman, welcome to the forum!
It is, I think, common for raw beginners to have trouble with the higher notes, but you said that 8,9 and 10 sound okay - interesting.
I will still recommend the same thing that I would recommend if you had trouble with the high notes in general:

1. Check the position of your mouth, jaw and tongue (These two sites can help you do that:
http://www.harpgear.com/
http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/tone/
The advice on the two sites is generally helpful for achieving good tone on the harp, so I recommend checking it out regardless of your problem - still, I assume it will help with your issue).

2. Relax and breathe (don't suck!) from your diaphragm. Tomlin has a good video for that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0osUHhwpvE&t=131s

I hope you can resolve your problem with the help of this material - please keep me posted on your progress!

Skullkid

Last Edited by SkullKid on Jul 03, 2017 3:45 PM
ME.HarpDoc
255 posts
Jul 03, 2017
4:51 PM
Welcome,
I'll second what SkulKid said. I tried to duplicate your problem on a C and found that if I puckered with my "fish lips" too tight and too close to the edge of the harp, I could choke off 6 and 7. Besides breathing THROUGH the harp instead of sucking, try placing the harp further into your mouth so that your top lip almost touches the back of the cover plate. Adjust your embouchure (mouth shape) so you are only breathing through a single hole (still considered a pucker position) and see if the sound improves.

Some people find tongue blocking easier, others don't. Search YouTube for videos by Lee Sankey re: tongue blocking if you want, but get those single holes down first.

Here's another thing you can try: Place the harp deep in our mouth. Don't pucker as much as OPEN your embouchure and cover holes 5,6,and 7 or 6,7 and 8 with your mouth and breathe in (draw) softly. How do holes 6 and 7 sound when you play this chord? If they don't sound choked then try the above stuff to get single holes. This exercise will help you get the feel of getting the harp deep in your mouth.

Last Edited by ME.HarpDoc on Jul 03, 2017 4:52 PM
Wannabee Bluesman
3 posts
Jul 04, 2017
5:09 AM
Thank you both very much. Very kind of you and the advice has me quite optimistic. Will find a couple of hours this week to work through your suggestions. Will let you know how I get on.
knight66
27 posts
Jul 04, 2017
5:52 AM
I had problems with the 2 and the 6 draw when I started. Why I had trouble with the 6 I couldn't work but practise and the info on here sorted it. Can't offer any better info than that above, just keep at it.
SuperBee
4768 posts
Jul 04, 2017
2:39 PM
Seems like good advice above.
As posted above, I'm not sure why 6 & 7 and not 8,9,10, but agree with your analysis if it's across 4 harps it's likely the player.

Maybe some songs or licks that involve those chambers, to just get very familiar with them. I mean relatively short pieces you can play a lot. I used to play the accordion part from the pogues 'sick bed of cuchulainn' which would get you all over it I reckon. No time to worry about anything on that one. But lots of first position type folk melodies make use of that section. I'm sure you'll come up with things.
Whistling really helped me actually. I used to find that if I could whistle the tune, I could play it. That's about mentally hearing and anticipating the pitches, maybe it helps your mouth take the right shape for each note? Playing harp is a bit like singing, but it's also a little like learning to speak; much of the same apparatus is used, but in slightly different ways than you may be used to using it.
Wannabee Bluesman
4 posts
Jul 09, 2017
7:37 AM
Thanks some more for taking time to help me. Will get some time tonight/tomorrow and will investigate all your suggestions. I love the Pogues btw. :)

I will report back how I get on. Cheers
Wannabee Bluesman
5 posts
Jul 13, 2017
10:13 AM
Right.
I've finally found the time to try out the advice you gave me. Huge difference. Massive. Feeling very positive right now. A big thank you to all of you.

In terms of what I was doing wrong, it seems to be that the answer is pretty much everything. I have improved so many things like relaxing and holding the harp - pretty much everything. If I had to isolate the most damaging thing I was doing, I would probably say it was the sucking from the mouth instead of using the air chamber. That probably links to the tension I felt approaching the "failed" notes. Bit of a vicious circle.

I am still absolutely no closer to knowing why it was only draw 6 and 7. Probably never going to know either. I'll live with that.

Thanks again guys. The temptation to pick it up has risen considerably.
SkullKid
67 posts
Jul 14, 2017
4:04 AM
Amazing, Bluesman! That's great to hear! :)
From my limited experience I can already tell that relaxation plays a big part in everything harmonica related (tone, playing fast, etc.) - whenever you can't seem to get something, first check if you are tense, chances are that you are.
Another thing I would like to point out is that this kind of experience - failing miserably at something and hating yourself until you figure it out in pure joy - seems typical for learning the harp - maybe others can verify or deny that claim, since I'm a raw beginner as well. So get used to it. :P


Post a Message



(8192 Characters Left)


Modern Blues Harmonica supports

§The Jazz Foundation of America

and

§The Innocence Project

 

 

 

ADAM GUSSOW is an official endorser for HOHNER HARMONICAS