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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Sydel A ?
Sydel A ?
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Lou
1 post
Jun 07, 2017
7:33 PM
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New guy here, just starting out & I bought a new Sydel blues session A harp it has plastic comb stainless reeds. It sounds good maybe a bit louder than the Suzuki I have but sometimes the 3 hole is really hard to get a good note out of and every so often it won't blow a note at all. I sent it back and another one is on the way but I'm wondering if on an A diatonic if the 3 hole is just hard to blow ?
Thanks
Lou
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nacoran
9484 posts
Jun 08, 2017
7:24 AM
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My first question is how long have you been playing?
It can take a little time to adjust to different keys when you are starting out. It's not so much that one key is harder to blow, but you have to change your mouth shape a little between higher and lower harps.
Play with it for a while and you should get it. If you are fairly new to harp, or just trying new keys for the first time it's probably your technique, not the harp. But you'll get it.
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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dougharps
1458 posts
Jun 08, 2017
8:27 AM
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Reasons that a reed might not sound:
If you are shaping a note with your oral cavity/throat that does not share harmonics with the reed note, the note might not sound. That is one beginner technique issue that could cause a note not to sound. The bottom three holes are tuned differently and there are missing notes. The three blow is the same note as the two draw.
The reed gap is the distance from the reed plate to the reed tip where it swings into the slot. If the reeds are gapped fairly tightly (close to the reed plate) then blowing or drawing too hard will cause the reed to "choke" or not play. Blowing too hard is a frequent beginner issue. You breathe through a harp, don't blow and suck. So you could be blowing or drawing too hard if no note is sounding. Sometimes we gently adjust gaps to suit our attack style. Steel reeds are more difficult to adjust as they don't shift as easily, and you could overdo it.
Another cause for a reed not sounding is foreign material (spit, skin, food particles, hair) getting into the harp and jamming up the reed. Play with a clean mouth, and if you are a "wet player", don't lean over. Play with your head up and harp tilted so spit doesn't drain into the harp.
Another cause for a silent reed is an improperly aligned reed or a burr on the reed or slot. First try "plinking" the reed. This means to gently lift (just a little bit) and release the reed tip to let it sound. If it makes a clean plink, then the issue is not foreign material,a burr or misaligned reed. A small knife point or screwdriver can be used. If it doesn't plink cleanly it may be foreign material, a burr, or misalignment.
For foreign matter or a burr, running a piece of very thin metal shim between the reed and slot can often clear it to sound. Automotive feeler gauges are a source, but some use metal slivers in retail security tags, and sometimes you can buy some shim stock from customizers. Reed floss...
Misaligned reeds (if riveted) can be adjusted gently with a reed wrench or by using thin paper (like cigarette rolling paper) under and around the reed to gently adjust reed alignment so it does not hit the slot (a trick from Smokey Joe Leone).
Eventually you will learn to check out these issues if you are having a problem reed. Anyone who plays much learns to troubleshoot to some extent.
I am pretty good at it, but not at the level of being a harp tech. Replacing or retuning reeds are additional skills you may or may not want to add to trouble shooting. I have learned to do these repairs, but not with the skill and focus of a pro.
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Jun 08, 2017 8:31 AM
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Lou
2 posts
Jun 08, 2017
9:34 PM
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Thanks for info. Doug the tip about blowing too hard is a good one I'm guilty of that for sure. Good news is the new harp showed up today and the 3 hole works fine, there was definitely something wrong with the one I had.
Looking forward to making it sound good.
Lou
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dchurch
130 posts
Jun 09, 2017
7:47 AM
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Welcome aboard Lou,
I'm glad you have your new A harp working. The A is a great key to have. The most common harmonica to start with is the "C". You should have one if you want to play along with most instructional videos.
The Seydel stainless steel reeds are pretty tough but you can cause damage by blowing or sucking to hard. Think breathing in and out through the harmonica, relax and let it resonate.
There's also a lot of good starting out information in the Beginners Forum.
Good luck with that new Sessions.
OT, I'm having morning coffee. The Andy Griffith show is on the TV. Goober is sitting in the Mayberry jail for some reason. He's playing a harmonica. It looks like a 12 hole Marine Band. Classic (campfires and slammers) haha
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It's about time I got around to this.
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