Thanks for the video, I like this style better than the standard. It's crazy how much of a tone difference you can get by moving your fingers and hand in different ways!
To bad you can't use the grip with a mic...or can you? ---------- HARP ON.
that is exactly how iv'e always held my harps. i have a callus in my left palm.
yes, that grip is very mic friendly ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
Last Edited by on Nov 04, 2010 3:32 PM
I can't fill that triangle space. I don't have the chin for it. Maybe if I used a better conditioner in my goatee...?
Jackster, you just stick the microphone in there between your hands. I just can't get the cup sealed that way, but it actually feels more natural to hold a mic that way.
There's one way of doing the wah-wah more effective... (a tip by DevonTom I think)
When opening the hands/the cup also change your embouchure to a thinner tone. This actually has IMO the biggest effect on the awesomeness of your wah-wah.
I can't hold a harp that way without leaving huge gaping holes in the area between the bottom front of the harp, my chin and my hands. Can't get a tight cup that way at all. His hands are way bigger than mine too.
I will swear to this: Different faces and hands call for different grips. ---------- /Greg
agreed, greg, i have medium sized hands but the grip like adams' just dont work for me. it makes a HUGE difference when amplified. ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork
David is doing a great job with collecting all those players. i love those interviews.
i tried that grip for a while. it worked fine for me but i just didn't really like how it felt... inspired by Ron Sunshine, i returned to my "traditional" (i dunno...is there such a thing?) grip. it worked fine too...in fact it worked better than ever! I think the work i put into changing grips led me to really focus on what was going on with it and get it right.
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2010 5:51 AM
@ Greg: "I will swear to this: Different faces and hands call for different grips." Agreed 1000,000 %.
@ GH: "...the 'wahwah' can be greatly! amplified with tone. Just go from a full to a thin tone while opening your hands..." That might be true, but I've found that if you can manage to find a completely sealed - and consequently relaxed - grip, then you will be able to produce a wah wah that is as good as anyone's. I know I'm not a pro, GH, but I have spent a hell of a lot of time on this and, on a good day, have it nailed down absolutely perfectly.
I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that if I had a student, I wouldn't advocate DevonTom's suggestion as a means of learning how to do a good wahwah. The sudden release of pressure that's created by a good seal should be enough. Not trying to be argumentative here, just constructive.
While on the subject of holding the harp, one thing I often think, and did mention in one thread - is that there aren't really any books I've seen using Google Books and Amazon's 'Look Inside' feature that adequately explain the subject. They all seem to just tell you how the author holds their harp. For example, Barrett's DVD and quite a few other sources suggest putting the right index finger over the end of the harp. If I do this the pain in the back of my right hand is intolerable.
Another example is how most methods show a picture with the right thumb on the side of the harp, underneath, or behind it. I can't think of any accomplished players who hold their harp that way.
Gindick's is the only book I've seen that tells you it will be impossible to get a good wah wah if you hold the harp too tightly.
In short, I think that by stipulating a particular method instead of explaining general principles, most books on playing harp do more harm than good. Just my honest thoughts.
@Jackster, i hold both the mic (bullet or stick style)and the harp in my left hand. now that i think of it, i'll have to withdraw my claim that it's "mic friendly". it works for me but it may cramp some peoples hands. especially if their hands are small. ---------- MP hibachi cook for the yakuza doctor of semiotics superhero emeritus
.....Grips do seem to be personal and vary considerably between acoustic and amplified. . In my John Sebastian lesson DVD he shows the student how to hold the harp in the traditional way...and then proceeds to not hold his that way! I guess that in the traditional way, the left thumb is below the harp and wah-wahs are made with the right hand. When John plays, his left thumb is pointed north beside his nose and wah-wahs are made with that hand! ----------
MP: thanks for the advice, I'll try and figure something out that works.
Nacoran: Thanks for the help.
The Gloth: In the pic it looks like you are holding the mic that way (even though it's on a stand, I believe you are using the same grip as in the video). Thanks I'll try it out. ---------- HARP ON.
Last Edited by on Nov 06, 2010 8:06 PM
I think what Germanharpist is refering to is going from a bent note when your hands have enclosed the sound to the same note unbent when you unclasp your hands. Sonny Boy Williamson 2 would do this and also Sonny Terry but the former would use a very small bend and the latter a full on bend. Combined with the release of the sound from inside your hands you can get a variety of different wahs. A common use of this bent /unbent wah is very popular with amplified harp players, usually on the three draw. I am dealing with an altogether different wah right now as I had a lil baby girl on Halloween night.
Last Edited by on Nov 07, 2010 12:03 AM
HarmonicaMick, at its most basic the release of sound from the enclosed chamber of your hands in the correct manner should be enough to get a good wah sound.You are spot on. I think Germanharpist was refering to something I did on our MBH Skype extravaganza, which I explained above.Looking back on the Skype deal, that was fxxking hilarious! Hello, is anybody there? .......random harp sound..........who was that?..........Hello?Hello?
Last Edited by on Nov 05, 2010 6:54 PM
