|
Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
How to get a fat amped tone
How to get a fat amped tone
Page:
1
Kingley
806 posts
Feb 08, 2010
2:04 AM
|
Inspired by 1/2's great music theory lesson on the Bushman forum, I thought it was time to give something back as well.
Want to know how to get fat amped harp tone?
Here's a little tip on how to learn to cup a mic properly and how to learn to work that cup.
Too many people think that just wrapping their hands round a mic is cupping it and that's all there is to it. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. A properly sealed cup will give you a significant volume boost and will also allow for many varied tonal variations just by the slightest movement of your fingers.
OK now here's the tip.
Don't have CD's etc playing in the background. You want to concentrate on just you, the harp, mic and amp. Take out any effects as this will colour the sound, which for the purpose of this exercise you don't want.
Get your amp volume to the lowest audible level that you can hear it at. Now get your cup on the mic. Start playing long single notes and bends. For the purpose of this exercise it's best to stay around the bottom end of the harp (holes 1-5 for example).
Get your cup as airtight on the mic as you think it can be, whilst still being relaxed (relaxing is very important for good tone).
Now whilst playing those notes and using the same amount of air pressure (don't start blowing harder to make it louder). Vary the position of your cup, i.e. move the mic further back in your hands, move it more into your cheek, etc. At a certain point you'll find that the amp seems to get markedly louder. That is the optimum closed cup working at it's best.
Now when you have found that optimum position, very slightly open the fingers of your right hand (reverse this if you hold the mic and harp in the right hand). You will with practice find that you can get quite astonishing depth to your wah-wahs and hand tremolo using this method.
Over time with plenty of practice your amped tone will become fatter using this method. You will also have a greater dynamic range available to you with the amped hand techniques at your disposal.
Of course I'm not saying this is the only way to learn this. Because it isn't. Like most things in life there are many ways to skin a cat. It's just one of the things I discovered by myself on the never ending learning curve of playing the harmonica.
Hopefully it may just assist some of you on the road to getting good amped harp tone.
|
toddlgreene
741 posts
Feb 08, 2010
5:19 AM
|
Great post, Kingley. I spent some time working with this over the weekend(when not jumping for joy because the Saints won the SuperBowl!). I got the most success with my JT30 due to its smaller diameter, but can get a pretty good cup with the Bullet as well-I just have to vary my technique a bit. I stood in front of a mirror and turned from side by side to look for obvious holes. I'd slowly open the cup at first by moving the heel of my right hand outward, then varying the fingers being opened in a fluttering motion.
I also realized that it was the right hand I'd get the most dramatic wahs from, as my left hand holds firmly onto my harp and the mic, with the right completing the cup and seal on top, along with my lips and cheeks.
----------
 
Todd L. Greene, V.P.
Last Edited by on Feb 08, 2010 6:02 AM
|
MJ
70 posts
Feb 08, 2010
8:00 AM
|
Kingley, Great tips. Thanks for the advice. I am going to try them out.
Last Edited by on Feb 08, 2010 8:01 AM
|
Post a Message
|
