geordiebluesman
679 posts
Feb 02, 2013
10:11 AM
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I was playing yesterday with my Astatic JT30 through a digital delay into my VHT6 trying to improve my tone and almost breaking my fingers straining to get an air tight cup when something strange happened.
I suddenly got a noticably fuller tone and I noticed that I was breathing through the Harp differently, my cheeks were really popping out on the blow notes and I could feel the notes resonating right through me right down into my gut, I presume I must have somehow stumbled into Diaphramatic breathing and I am almost afraid to try playing today incase I can't do it again, but you know that I can and I will! Yeeha the joy of learning this little Tin Sandwich is intoxicating.
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Thievin' Heathen
142 posts
Feb 02, 2013
10:28 AM
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Practice Practice Practice
There just ain't no substitute.
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Rick Davis
1269 posts
Feb 02, 2013
10:29 AM
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Well, first of all you don't need to squeeze the mic in a death grip to get a good tone. It does not really need to be "air tight." I tighten up a little occasionally to vary the resonance but usually my grip is pretty loose. I know others may disagree.
I guess you could call it "diaphamatic breathing" but I think of it as a column of air that extends from your sinus to the bottom of you lungs that resonates like a pipe organ. Be relaxed, make your mouth big inside, open your throat as if you are about to yawn, stand up straight... all these things help. When I get it just right and I'm playing a fat low tone it jiggles my innards. Cool feeling...
Congrats on getting that tone. It's fun.
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-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
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Kingley
2284 posts
Feb 02, 2013
10:47 AM
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Well done Steve. Sounds like you're getting there.
I agree with Rick though. Don't get too hung up on the airtight cup thing Steve. It's not essential to getting a good amped tone. It can help and is good to use now and then, but mostly it makes players sound too muffled when used all the time. If you watch people like Kim Wilson and Rod Piazza they have a relaxed loose cupping style and get a great tone. William Clarke often played totally uncupped and he had monstrous amped tone. The open airway that Rick talks about is the most important thing. It's important whatever cupping style you use to make it relaxed. If you're straining to get it, then it's not relaxed and that is one of the enemies of getting good tone.
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geordiebluesman
680 posts
Feb 02, 2013
11:07 AM
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Yep I get the cup thing now that was actually partly the point I intended to make I just did'nt word it very well, what I should have said was that the finger breaking cup was'nt working then suddenly my breathing tecnique changed in some unconcious way and I found myself getting a much fuller fatter tone with a nice loose comfortable cup, the Harmonica really is an instrument of subtle precision.
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Greg Heumann
1975 posts
Feb 02, 2013
5:40 PM
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"Harmonica really is an instrument of subtle precision."
Amen!
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/Greg
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