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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Playing Softly But Still Bluesy
Playing Softly But Still Bluesy
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SmokeJS
93 posts
May 13, 2013
3:12 PM
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One of the fundamentals I've learned is that too much pressure can cause all kinds of issues when playing harp. By learned I mean understand but that doesn't always turn out to be the case while playing. I recall someone mentioning hearing Big Walter demonstrating a lick while playing acoustically at a volume so low he was barely audible. Do you have any tips or perhaps an explanation of how you manage to play in a manner that keeps things clean and clear?
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The Iceman
866 posts
May 13, 2013
3:35 PM
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Sure.
Breathe through the harmonica. Don't suck and blow.
Let the equipment deal with volume.
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The Iceman
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Frank
2384 posts
May 13, 2013
3:38 PM
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Ones experience will instantly make them a believer that a note can sound forceful without using force. Awareness of breathe control is a place to start.
Also even though relaxation is paramount when it comes to the having a tonal arsenal - there are muscles in the face, mouth, throat, lips, tongue, etc... that need to be exercised and strengthened over time (this can't be rushed) and these muscles when working properly also make playing softly feel effortless because they can be used in a powerful way even when playing in a relaxed and soft state of mind.
I recently read a very interesting technique that Harmonica Guru Winslow Yxera has posted on David Barretts Bluesharmonica.com...Where he suggests the correct breath pressure to maximize a reeds response.
Winslows expert advise is below...
Try the warm hand exercise:
Hold the palm of your hand about an inch from your open mouth and exhale gently onto your hand.
Notice the warmth of your breath?
Now try breathing so gently that you can feel the warmth but not the wind (not the force of the air hitting your hand).
Now, try breathing into the harmonica - both exhaling and inhaling - with that same gentle breath.
That's all you need to make the reeds sound. And you can make the harmonica sound fully with not much more air than that. Same thing for bending - it's all a bout persuasion and setting up the right conditions, even when playing very softly.
Also, you can breathe deeply from the diaphragm and move a large amount of air gently. The mass of all that air, even when it moves slowly, gives you plenty of control over volume of sound and also over your bends.
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Rgsccr
160 posts
May 13, 2013
10:16 PM
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What has really helped me in this area is trying to play several Little Walter songs - specifically "Juke," "Blues With A Feeling," and "Confessing the Blues." I am sure there are others by LW (and others as well). Although I can now play these songs relatively well, I don't even think that is the key thing with respect to your question. What I like about LW's technique, at least on these songs, is that there is a constant ebb and flow from soft to hard(er). You can really hear this with "Juke." I play "Juke" at least once a day, and it has taught me a lot.
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