Hoping some of you have a minute to help. I've been playing harp for about 7 years now and bending on 9 and 10 blows (which I think is the same as overblowing) has always frightened me. From playing Blues Traveler - Hook over and over, I feel my D harp has broken in and the bends come easier. Still I worry about hitting the notes when I play it. I also find it easier to bend the note if I happen to be rockin' several normal blows on those holes before. I'm wondering if you have any and all tips for mastering this and getting the harp to do what I want everytime. Is it my lips, my tongue position, air flow, etc? I ask because Whammer Jammer requires that 9 blow bend in the beginning without bending down to it from the normal blow. The 10 bend that follows is easier for me.
More importantly, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or advice with soaking a harp. I've always heard about it...old blues guys soaking in vodka vs whiskey vs water. I guess half of the that concept just comes from the blues being the blues. But is there a way to break in the reeds without breaking them? Do I just keep playing it? Can I soak it or use a vacuum? My current A harp happens to be pretty new so I don't think that helps too much. I'm most interested in the concept of soaking as I've been curious but never had the guts to try. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Soaking is done to make wood combs more airtight by swelling the wood. once it dries and shrinks the comb is ruined (until you soak it again). It doesn't help the reeds. Don't do it. ---------- Ozark Rich __________ ##########
I second NC. If you do that you will notice improvement in your playing abilities.
I see this is your first post, so welcome to the forum! This place is an awesome learning opportunity and there are some really smart folks in here.
If I worry about hitting a certain note or technique, the first thing I do is practice. I make sure my technique is correct. Then I do drills that make me use that note in ways I don't normally use it. Like hitting it from different notes than I normally do. If that isn't the case, then you may find that doing a little tweaking can help. I'm new to the whole harp tweaking thing but what little I do to my harps definitely makes a difference in ease of play. Overblow.com has alot of videos to learn from.
Might I also point you in the direction of nacoran's thread organizer- http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/board/board_topic/5560960/600087.htm
There are a lot of guys in here who know a ton about harp customization. So you can learn as much or as little as you want.
---------- Be safe, keep the faith, and don't let em tearrrrrr ya down.
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2011 9:01 PM
Ozark is right about soaking a harp. Don't do it! The swelling-drying cycle will loosen up all the nails. I've rinsed cheap plastic harps and played them and it changes the sound a little bit for a few seconds, I think because the water seals the gaps between the reed and the reed slot for a moment, but it only lasts for a few seconds and it might damage the harp.
As for 9 and 10 hole bending, that's called a blow bend. Normal draw bends and blow bends happen between the frequencies of the two reeds in the hole. Since the low note is on the bottom on 1-6 you bend the draw down, whereas on 7-10 that is available as a blow note.
Over blows bend the note the other way. They take the high note in the pair and bend up. I can get blow bends but over blows still escape me.
edit- Lots of people even take apart their wood combed harps and seal the wood to make it so slobber doesn't make the comb swell. On a side note, all that nasty stuff that builds up in your harp can actually help, at least until it doesn't! As crud builds up in your harp the air pressure pushes it into little cracks and crannies and just like a air filter, they start to block up, which improves the seal, right up until a piece of gunk dislodges and jams a reed, or sweeps down into your lung. :)
---------- Nate Facebook Thread Organizer (A list of all sorts of useful threads)
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2011 9:32 PM
I agree that soaking isn't a good idea. If you have problems with swelling you can do one of the following...
Seal the comb when you get new harps. Buy a sealed comb. Buy a different model of harmonica.
I've had good luck with the Crossover after flat sanding, otherwise, the Sp20 might do it for you. The Marine Band Deluxe is pretty nice too, but it isn't totally sealed.
Actually, you could just get the Deluxe and some spray lacquer. It is easy to take apart and seal then. I does cost more than a Marine Band, though, assuming that is what you are playing.
Regarding blow bends, obviously finding the right technique is the ultimate answer. Having played the song Hook a billion times, I've found that the 10 blow bend is the most likely to squeal and be hard to play harp from harp. It sorta has a torsional vibration thing going on at times. D is a pretty high harp for most players to be blow bending on and you will notice less of an issue on a lower harp - assuming the gaps don't suck!
There are interventions like gapping, arcing, and embossing that will help with that. I am very anal about how the high end plays. It needs to play fast and expressive like how John Popper does it. I don't want any lag or drag - but the harp needs to overdraw too.
If you get to the point where you want to gap the harp yourself, which you could do with a toothpick and just the covers off, see the following vids...here is number one:
This video is from Joe Spiers (harpwrench on this forum) and anything he says to do to make a harp better should be taken as gospel. He is THE man when it comes to custom harps.
Visually, the reeds should look flat and the gaps should be very tight - about the width of the reed is a good place to start - from the reed plate. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas Updated 1/11/11
Last Edited by on Jan 12, 2011 6:06 AM
Yes! I meant thickness. I can't think of a way to explain it so it makes more sense, but if you start with the draw plate on 7, 8 and 9 and the gap is as wide as the reed is thick, that is a good place to start.
If you are looking at the blow plate reed slots, the gaps from that side will look almost totally closed. For me, it is always easier to start with my gaps too tight and then loosen that it is to go from loose to tight.
If I was more motivated, I'd totally make a video for YouTube, but I am lazy about that.
hey everyone, thanks so much for the excellent feedback. i guess i should have known better. when i first learned the hook solo, the harp broke in after a few days of just putting the time in. i guess im just pressed for time now, and living in the city isnt conducive to constantly making loud squeeky sounds in my apartment. plus i always thought soaking might have some ancient secret behind it. ill keep playing but in terms of tweaking the harps, do you guys have experience with that? ive had reeds that were a little off in the past and ive bent them just a tad to fix them. however, if i've fixed 2 or 3, i've broken 7 or 8. any advice on how to avoid that? the vid helps but there is a certain level of precision necessary or else its a waste of a harp. thanks again for any help. and thanks for the warm welcome!
So Nacoran, in reference to the chart, what does it mean by alternate overblow ? And on the 7-10 holes are those extra notes also known as overdraws? ---------- My YouTube Channel
