latusx
1 post
Jun 28, 2015
12:40 PM
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hi! i'm on a wheelchair and due to that i don't have a good inhale. so instead of the 2 hole draw, i utilise the 3 hole blow for most parts. is there a specific reason to use the 2h draw or it can be replaced with the 3h blow instead?( i should say i have a decent 2h draw but i cannot sustain my inhalation enough to play the rest of the draw notes).
Last Edited by latusx on Jun 28, 2015 12:42 PM
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nacoran
8563 posts
Jun 28, 2015
2:43 PM
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You can bend the 2 hole draw down. That's the reason most blues players use it instead of the 3 blow. For first position stuff they are pretty interchangeable, and in fact, it can be useful to switch depending on whether you need more or less air at any given point in the song.
Generally speaking, most harp players prefer the sound of draw notes, I think. You can do more to shape the sound. That's one of the reasons most blues are played in second position instead of first. It moves some of the 'important' notes to draw holes.
That said, all players are going to have different strengths and weaknesses that shape their playing and sound, and there are always different workarounds. I've got asthma, so I pay a lot of attention to how much air I have in my lungs and have learned how to get extra air out quickly if I've got a bunch of draw notes coming up, and to play at a lower volume (using less air so I can save it to do longer runs) and let the mic do the work of amplification. I also had a habit of trying to suck as much air in every time I got a chance (when I was a kid I played baritone).
Playing harp improves your breath capacity, (which helps your harp playing) but there are lots of techniques (also used by singers) to maximize what you have already.
-It's a tough technique, but circular breathing can let you play a note virtually forever. (I think it's used more on blow notes, but I think it can be done on draw notes too. Don't quote me on that though.) Basically, you use your cheeks to hold air, and with some careful control, you can breathe out a puff of air with your cheeks while you inhale with your lungs, then switch back, refill your cheeks and repeat over and over. I've seen people hold notes for 5 minutes without needing to have a lot of air, just a lot of control over their air.
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Nate
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Jim Rumbaugh
1145 posts
Jun 28, 2015
8:37 PM
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The 2 draw can be more expressive that the 3 blow.
that being said, as I have studied lessons from Joe Filisko, I have been impressed at how often he recommends using a 3 blow instead of a 2 draw. So now my mindset is changing back to saying, 3 blow is OK too.
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Greg Heumann
3027 posts
Jun 28, 2015
8:47 PM
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Agree with the above - 2 draw can be bent and that's a significant difference. Unbent, 3 blow can be a useful way to get rid of too much air.
A difference not yet mentioned is that 3 Blow is a member of blow chords that are all major triads or octaves. 2 draw is a member of many more "interesting" chords. In blues you can "chug" by drawing 1-4 on the I chord, and blowing the 1-4 on the IV chord.
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Danny Starwars
282 posts
Jun 28, 2015
8:58 PM
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A few years after learning to play in the 80's I ended up at Brendan Power's place, and that was the first time I became aware that I was (having learned only from listening to records) that I was using a 3 blow instead of two draw.
It was a pain, but Brendan suggested relearning that note, because (as others have said), it's ability to be bent gives it that 'blue' sound. It was tricky, because I was used to going to 3.
But I never regretted having to change. IF you can use the 2 draw (and, being in recovery from a collapsed lung, I do understand somewhat the breathing issue), IF you can train yourself to handle it, it would be by far the best.
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Last Edited by Danny Starwars on Jun 28, 2015 8:58 PM
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GamblersHand
572 posts
Jun 29, 2015
11:57 AM
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Also it's quite common to hit the 2 draw with a slight "ghost-bend" before playing it straight. This can better define the notes and give more percussive options, and as others have said this also offers more expression, shape, and tonal variety.
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Gnarly
1401 posts
Jun 30, 2015
7:08 AM
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There is another thread on what to do when you are uninspired on harp--I find that going between 3 blow and 2 draw, playing the same note, leads to inspiration. I wind up somewhere that is inspired by the difference between them.
However, if you having trouble playing, go with what works.
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STME58
1369 posts
Jun 30, 2015
9:23 AM
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Switching between 2 draw and 3 blow is an interesting alternative to tonguing to articulate a series of notes on the same pitch.
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hvyj
2699 posts
Jun 30, 2015
9:26 AM
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It depends on how you want to sound. Playing 3 blow is more melodic because it doesn't flatten when played hard. 2 draw can be bent but also often tends to flatten a little (even if not deliberately bent) when played hard because of breath pressure. This can be sort of cool/funky if that's the sound you are after. One his not per se better than the other--it 's an aesthetic/artistic choice.
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Pistolcat
800 posts
Jun 30, 2015
2:25 PM
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Sure, you can bend the three blow some... It certainly do flatten when pushed. Depending on harp key it will do so more or less. I could bend down my Bb session steel three hole fifty cents according to my istrobotunerapp... The two hole blow I could get down to a c# + 8 cents or so, not particularly strong though :).
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sonny3
270 posts
Jun 30, 2015
2:34 PM
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3 blow has a lot of use in old time harmonica playing fox chase and such.Great way to get a good rhythm going down there also gives a certain pop to go from 3 blow into 3 draw bends.Sonny Terry would start a riff on three blow a lot going up the harmonica.
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Gnarly
1403 posts
Jun 30, 2015
2:47 PM
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Yes, there is the breath exchange to consider . . .
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