apskarp
566 posts
Dec 22, 2011
12:49 PM
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We had a gig last night. It was great gig, we celebrated the publishing of our record there and the evening continued with local blues association's xmas jam event.
However, there was one thing I wasn't satisfied. My C harp got stuck every now and then making it very hard to maintain the groove in the solos. It happened with the A harp also few times. These are pretty closely gapped and tight tolerance instruments (the C is actually Buddha harp).
I'm thinking of making dedicated harp for gigs as the adrenaline, sweat and moisture tend to make these high-tolerance instruments to stick. In rehearsals and daily practice I don't have these problems.
Any tips?
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Hoodoo Sauna
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shadoe42
95 posts
Dec 22, 2011
2:47 PM
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I occasionally have this issue as well but normally I can adjust my attack and clear it up. tends to happen when I get a bit of adrenaline going and play a bit harder than normal near as I can tell.
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The Musical Blades
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Honkin On Bobo
874 posts
Dec 22, 2011
2:50 PM
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i'll second what shadoe said, backing off on how hard i'm playing usually remedies it, first time it happened i thought i blew the reed, but later i tested the culprit with lighter breath force and it played fine.
i assumed that what i was experiencing was that i was "choking" the reed, not that it was stuck, or is that the same thing?
i'm unclear on the nomenclature but the "symptoms" and "cure" were exactly what shadoe described above.
Last Edited by on Dec 22, 2011 2:55 PM
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LittleBubba
137 posts
Dec 22, 2011
3:00 PM
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I agree with the above because I usually take backup harps in the 3 keys we play in most often, and I've found that when the problem occurs, it occurs quite often with the backups too and I then adjust my attacks.
I've been playin' harp gigs since 1967 and I sometimes still get too enthusiastic for the harps.
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FMWoodeye
154 posts
Dec 22, 2011
3:08 PM
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Seems like you guys hit a dead hole and never miss a beat. I commend you. I would be trying not to blush, and you know what happens then. That's why I always wear tap shoes. If the harp breaks down, I can always tap dance.
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hvyj
2024 posts
Dec 22, 2011
3:16 PM
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I carry a spare set of harps in the 8 most used keys and keep them where i can reach them. If you are a gigging harp player, sticky reeds are an occupational hazard. It happens, so plan for it and have spares handy to use when necessary.
Personally, i don't gap tight because i want the harp to RESPOND no matter how I'm playing. I don't like how tight gapped harps react to varying breath pressure. But i don't OB.
On the other hand, no matter how you gap them, Buddha harps tend to be sticky. These days my performing set are Quicksilver custom GMs from HarpNinja. They play better than my Buddha harps and the tone is smoother.
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chromaticblues
1106 posts
Dec 22, 2011
3:41 PM
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@apskarp I know you like to work on your own harps so if you would like you can Email me and I can tell how to set your own reeds so that won't be an issue.
Kevin Baker at:
sbaker60@cox.net
Oh and to answer your question NO! Do not get in the habbit of have practice harps and gigging harps. These harps that are sticking on you live you should use those to do all your OB and OD practicing, but don't use them live or even really for anything else.
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shadoe42
96 posts
Dec 22, 2011
5:25 PM
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@FMWoodeye hahah oh I blink.. just ask my girlfriend she can tell you every time it happens. But the only thing you can do is keep cruising on the song. It has happened to me both while soloing and while popping a rythym pattern. Mostly for me though it happens while I am chugging a rythym. And almost always turns out to be my attack and not the harp. However I do carry a spare in a couple keys just in case.
@chromaticblues I like to set my own reeds as well mind if I pick your brain on that same subject?
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The Musical Blades
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Willspear
14 posts
Dec 22, 2011
8:43 PM
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I always try and have a spare of my half dozen most used keys. I play seydels 99% of the time but sometimes I like a hohner when I feel trill happy as the tighter hole spacing makes a tighter trill for me at least.
Also I do my best to warm up my harps before playing. I chug a few chords before the song for good measure.
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boris_plotnikov
671 posts
Dec 22, 2011
8:54 PM
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Sometimes it become a real problem.
Be sure that you perfectly hear yourself. If don't try using earplug in one ear.
You must control your breath even during a gig. It's not easy sometimes, but it's the aim.
I don't gap my harps too tight. Even I have two C harps, one (1847 silver) is gapped very tight and I use it for jazz tunes with bunch of overblow, while other one (Session Steel) is gapped a bit wider (still overblow very well but a bit less controllable) and I use it for blues and rock tunes.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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boris_plotnikov
672 posts
Dec 22, 2011
8:54 PM
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Sometimes it become a real problem.
Be sure that you perfectly hear yourself. If don't try using earplug in one ear.
You must control your breath even during a gig. It's not easy sometimes, but it's the aim.
I don't gap my harps too tight. Even I have two C harps, one (1847 silver) is gapped very tight and I use it for jazz tunes with bunch of overblow, while other one (Session Steel) is gapped a bit wider (still overblow very well but a bit less controllable) and I use it for blues and rock tunes.
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Excuse my bad English. Click on my photo or my username for my music.
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HarpNinja
2037 posts
Dec 22, 2011
9:33 PM
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You're playing too hard. If you aren't playing too hard, then your harps aren't set up right.
Personally, I never have an issue with choking reads, and I think it is foolish to have a set of overbend harps that aren't gig worthy.
It defeats the purpose of tweaking/buying customs if you can't use them for routine playing. I don't know too many pro OB players with that problem.
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Mike
VHT Special 6 Mods
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas - When it needs to come from the soul...
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apskarp
567 posts
Dec 22, 2011
10:45 PM
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Thank's for your comments guys. I do think part of the problem was that I was blowing too hard. However, the choking only happened with some holes (mostly blow 6 if I remember right). This hasn't been always a problem, so there was something different in my playing on wed (or then the harps have changed).
I assume it was mostly my playing as it happened with two different harps (C&A). Sometimes I was able to overcome that problem by starting the note "with force", which tells me that there was probably saliva / moisture. But sometimes I felt that I was choking the harp by blowing too hard. (Now I also remember that the 6 blow starter sticking always after 6OB so perhaps it was too tightly gapped.)
Obviously the breath control plays a part here. I might try to be more conscious of it, but it is hard to control one's feelings.. :)
I might try to also set up the harps a bit wider so that I don't have to have a different harps for the stage. Mike has a good point there. Perhaps it is a better goal to build more breath control than overcome it by different harps...
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Hoodoo Sauna
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apskarp
568 posts
Dec 23, 2011
4:49 AM
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One interesting note is that I can't make my A harp to choke now even if I try to blow as hard as I can. It would suggest that the moisture/saliva played a part there..
However, the 4 draw on my C harp chokes easily even now (unless going from 4 blow to it). Obviously the setup with that one isn't right.
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Hoodoo Sauna
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