They say you get better tone if you can make your oral cavity as big as possible. So does this mean that the less teeth you have the better tone you will have. Would someone with less teeth than you, always have better tone than you, because they have more room in their mouth???
Tongue blocking allows the player to get the holes of the harp deeper in the mouth past the player's teeth. If you lip purse, TILTING the harp down gets the holes in the mouth past the TOP teeth. If you lip purse you can significantly improve your tone by making the air aperture formed by your lips as large as possible consistent with still being able to get a single note. That's probably MUCH larger than you might think and is definitely larger than sipping through a straw.
I know a guy with very few teeth who has been paling a long time. His ton'e ain't that great. I'd say - go for the dentistry. ---------- *************************************************** /Greg
The idea of fewer teeth imp[roving tone is 100% total nonsense. Taking breathing exercises from a reputable vocal coach where they will teach your both good relaxation and breathing skills so that you're playing/singing with a much more open throat will do much more for you. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
There was a famous baseball manager quote about Hall of Fame Mordecai 'Three Finger' Brown. The manager said that if he thought it would help the rest of his pitchers pitch like Three Finger he'd lop off a couple fingers on all of them. (Joe Torre said something similar after a great performance by similarly digitally challenged Bob Wickman.)
But then Socrates said that every tooth in a man's head was worth more to him than a diamond.
I have the worst teeth in North America. I've lost them and bought them (implants). Each time it was uncomfortable getting used to playing again for a few but I always arrived back to where my original tone was. I feel like my tone (arrived at while trying to emulate Butterfield as a kid) comes from my soul and neurology and no matter what changes my mouth has gone through I've readjusted to once again actualize my tone. p.s. Approx. 15 years ago I was at a NYC village jam and my fixed bridge cracked mid solo - I remember (he won't) that night because Adam was there. I was so self-conscious at that time playing in front of an audience that I continued the solo clumsily with the broken device in my mouth! ---------- Facebook
Many of you know Smokey Joe Leone. If you don't you should. He's not only the self-described "most unforgettable character you ever met," but an extraordinarily fine harmonicist. Both long and short harps. Forget the fact that he's a gentleman of the first order.
Smo' Joe has wonderful tone and happens to wear a full set of dentures, which he removes to play. He says they "get in his way."
That's the way Joe Leone splits the difference.
Michelle
---------- SilverWing Leather - Custom leather creations for musicians and other eccentrics.
Last Edited by mlefree on Oct 20, 2015 10:17 AM
