salmon
Guest
Aug 27, 2008
7:39 AM
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Been playing for about 15 months now and making steady progress. Got through the usual stuff Red River Valley, Oh! Susanna etc and now getting into a bit of tongue blocking and blues improvisation etc.
Anyway the other day I just happened to pick up an empty tea mug as I was playing and cupped it a bit like a mic and got some great rounded sounds from it. The mug was being held with my hands and my harp was laying across the top of the mug, makes a nice big sound chamber. A bit like playing with an amp but without an amp if you know what I mean? The lower notes with hand vibrato sound great.
The other thing is I have recently developed a head cold and am currently as deaf as a post. I'm still playing my harp and I can hear only the sounds in my head. It seems to be helping me develop my tongue and throat vibrato because I am more able to focus on the sound in my mouth and throat cavity without it being drowned out by the sounds through my ears. I seem to be making some interesting discoveries by playing like this for a while. It will be interesting to see how my techniques have developed when my hearing returns to normal.
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HarpMan Freeman
2 posts
Aug 27, 2008
12:07 PM
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Check out these two URL's and see the same idea.
Very cool sound...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pktKkMJe7vg
http://www.seydel1847.de/epages/Seydel.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=259851&Locale=en_GB
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snakes
22 posts
Aug 27, 2008
12:17 PM
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I saw one of our local harmonica players named Jim McLaughlin use the coffe cup technique during a train imitation that was amazing. He imitates two trains simultaneously passing each other while in a tunnel (use of coffe cup here), then a single train passing a fight between a mule and another farm animal (I can't remember what kind the second animal was), and finally a single train which a car was trying to out run to a crossing which led to the crash of the two. I heard from someone else at the venue that this guy actually was blowing out of one side of his mouth at the same time he was drawing out of the other side of his mouth. Is that even possible?
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mic
67 posts
Aug 27, 2008
3:36 PM
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I'm with superchucker, don't know how you could inhale and exhale at the same time.
Sometimes when I'm setting on the back porch. I play into a coffee can, one of the small ones. Kind of like the coffee cup thing. I'm sure it don't look cool, but it sounds fantastic its portable and you dont have to plug it in. I think it sounds good to the player because the sound is bouncing right back at you. I wonder if it produces the same sound to those around you?
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snakes
23 posts
Aug 27, 2008
4:17 PM
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When I saw Jim McLaughlin do that train imitation using the coffee cup he was also using a microphone and it gave a real tunnel like effect. I thought it was cool. I thought I was being gullible when I heard that story about the inhale/exhale. Oh well, guess it just shows what a newbie I am...
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SUNDOG
33 posts
Aug 27, 2008
6:12 PM
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Them Abohridgeknees from Australia do a "Circular Breathing" thing when playing the digeredoo but that's in through their nose while blowing out the last of the air in their mouth with their tongue...... I can get about a quarter of a second of out air while sniffing in through my nose but then with the harp it's all about out-n'-in anyway..... Google on circular breathing .... there are some words on it there...
R,
Neal aka: Sundog
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Philosofy
46 posts
Aug 27, 2008
7:03 PM
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I can do a blow and draw note at the same time, and I'm sure everyone here can as well. Its very easy, but not very melodic. The only good I've gotten out of it is winning bets against other harp players. Put the harp in your hand, making sure the palm of your hand covers the openings on the back. Then take the fingers of that hand and cover holes two through nine. Blow into hole 1, and the air will escape out of hole ten and sound that note as well.
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Gray
20 posts
Aug 27, 2008
10:40 PM
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Re SUNDOG "ABORIGINES" Indigenous Australians.
And yes it can be done.A good freind of mine plays didgeridoo and harp together.He use's cirular breathing and cheek pressure together.
Sounds out of this world.
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