FreeWilly
128 posts
Mar 29, 2012
11:22 AM
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Dear harpologists,
I have a problem cupping Marine Bands. I can very well get a good muffle on the Sp20's, but the Marine Bands...
first of all, they're to small (I have very big but thin hands, and when I take one between indexfinger and thumb, those fingers both stick beyond the thick part of the covers a few mm's), and second of all, there is the side vents.
I like how they play though. Just whished I could cup them like I can Sp20's!
Should I move on to Seydel 1847's because of this (I don't like the sp20's because of the comb and the recessed plates) or learn how to fit MB's with Sp20 combs, or is there a special trick that I can work with? At a session I met a guy that plays Marine Bands acoustic, and Meisterklasses when amped up. Is that normal?
(This all just occurred to me now, as I found a band that wants me to play with them. Which was about time.. my chops have been there, but I was too shy to try. But now I need to fast track the whole amp-thing.)
I would appreciate input very much!
Last Edited by on Mar 29, 2012 12:49 PM
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groyster1
1825 posts
Mar 29, 2012
11:53 AM
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@Free
do you think the problem may be grip?its possible that rounding the corners of the comb will help you grip the harp better
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FreeWilly
129 posts
Mar 29, 2012
11:58 AM
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mm, grip isn't the problem I think. I have a good strong hold on it I believe. It just doesn't cover the side-vents. Or could that be bettered that way too?
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waltertore
2136 posts
Mar 29, 2012
12:09 PM
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You probably just need to spend more time with it. There is nothing better that spending time for getting something mastered :-) Any harp I play I can cup, including MB's. Stick with it! Walter
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FreeWilly
130 posts
Mar 29, 2012
12:17 PM
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So it can be done?! That's cool. What part of your hand do you stick into the side vents? A part of the indexfinger? Could mine be too thin for that?
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nacoran
5470 posts
Mar 29, 2012
2:49 PM
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It depends on which grip you are using. Are you playing two thumbs up or are you using the crab claw grip with your left hand?
Which raises my next question... anyone have any solutions for how to take a picture with a Cannon Sure Shot while gripping a harp with both hands and no one else around? This is one of those picture is worth a thousand words moments. :(
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Nate
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FreeWilly
131 posts
Mar 29, 2012
2:54 PM
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ehh, that would be the 'crab claw'. Converted 9 months ago, and like it very much now.
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oldwailer
1865 posts
Mar 29, 2012
3:57 PM
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Take a look at Sonny Boy Williamson II on YouTube--or anywhere you find him. He had hands as big as a fuc*in house and it didn't bother his playing much--MB or whatever. . .
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Jehosaphat
206 posts
Mar 29, 2012
4:10 PM
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Just put some tape over the vents or fill em with some blue tack.
has worked for me in the past
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Willspear
110 posts
Mar 29, 2012
7:42 PM
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I cup the left including vents with the I guess crab claw. I come under and over the side of the harp with the right with my thumb on the 7-10 holes unless playing them.
The right vents are kind of by the meat of my index finger to cover them.
I like vents to have major contrast with slight cup changes. They really make it easy to bleed in some presence with a slight release of the right hand. Allows for some cupped mic wah sounds that sound pretty cool
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nacoran
5471 posts
Mar 30, 2012
10:16 AM
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If you can block the vents on the left side with the fleshy part of your hand between the thumb and index finger, see if you can block the other side with your thumb on the bottom pointing towards your ear and your index finger across the top in front of (closer to your face) than your left index finger. I use my face to block any of the holes I'm not using.
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Nate
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laurent2015
86 posts
Apr 03, 2012
11:38 AM
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I tried to learn tongue-blocking for about seven months
on a Hering Black blues, which is deeper than a Marine Band 1896.
Tongue blocking with this last requires anyway a good managing of the cupping, that's what I observed; it's possible to make things with one harp, which are sometimes more complicated with others, don't you find?
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FreeWilly
143 posts
Apr 03, 2012
12:36 PM
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I don't know what you mean by 'deeper', but I agree that different harps do different things well.
Because of finances, and because of efficiency in practice, I would prefer to use one model for everything though.
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laurent2015
87 posts
Apr 03, 2012
4:48 PM
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By "deeper" I mean that the Hering's covers are wider than those of the Marine Band, hence an easier holding.
When you tongue-block, you have to put the harp deeper in your mouth and cupping a Marine Band turns then tricky.
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colman
147 posts
Apr 04, 2012
5:13 AM
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remember,most of the great blues harp recorded in 50`s ,60`s were marine band harps. so you got, hug them till they hum...
Last Edited by on Apr 04, 2012 9:28 AM
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laurent2015
91 posts
Apr 04, 2012
7:12 AM
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Yeah, Colman.
This instrument is certainly feminine gender.
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