[Harp-L] RE: Blowing too hard...

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

Two issues re: getting volume without powered amplifcation:

First, Winslow raises a core issue of playing harp, I've an intersesting twist on it, a la Scientific American, see below;

Second: One might play into a cup to increase the tone/overtones, I find a small bowl, or wide-mouthed cup, with the sound not being cupped in but rather almost megaphoned out,  often increases the perceived volume.

OK, the Scientific American mag, January '08 issue, p. 94 - 101, has a really remarkable article about voice, which pertains here.  Basically, if one opens up the airway just above the larynx, it can operate as a sound resonator, effectively amplifying the volume (and enhancing the tone) .  I was taught this, walking along a highway in 1970 or so, by a harpfiend named Logan Lee Glascoe  III,  now in Eureka CA.  He basically showed me to open wide my throat as low down in my neck as I could go, in order to achieve better tone, I found this also enhances volume.  it takes a bit perhaps for some to get the hang of it, but once you get the feedback-feeling of the thing it can become second nature. 

Elementary I guess, but since I had a scientific article I figured it would be legitimized for the eggheads of the coop.  Check out the article, at your library maybe, it's got tons of interesting info about voice and physics and etc.

Or just go somewhere and blow til you get it right!

-Dave Fertig
Winslow Yerxa wrote:
Loud volume does not require blowing hard. You *can get loud volume
without amplification by blowing hard, but it's *not the only way.



To get a big acoustic tone - and plenty of volume - you can cultivate resonance
in the air column inside you body.



The sound of a harmonica is NOT the sound made directly by the
vibration of the reeds. Even when you play with a lot of breath, that
vibration is not very loud.



Here's what really gives you volume.



Every time the reed swings through its slot in the reedplate, it
"chops" the air flow, momentarily interrupting the passage of air.



Each time you chop the air flow, the chop sends a vibration forward
from the harmonica, and back into the air stream coming from your body.



You can amplify the ripple from the chop by opening up your throat to
widen the air passage to let lots of air pass, and by breathing as
deeply (but as gently) as you can to let the moving column of air be as
long as possible for maximum amplification. All that width and depth
gives the ripple coming from the reed chop plenty of space to vibrate.



You can further focus and amplify the sound by shaping your mouth cavity and
hands to favor specific pitches.



I'm not saying that I never play hard - I do play hard. But playing
hard alone could never do for me what air column resonance does.



Playing with resonance, I can easily hold my own acoustically (i.e.,
with no amplification at all) with several fiddles . Even in a very
large fiddle group (80+) players tell me they can hear me several rows
away.



And I don't break a lot of reeds (on average, about 2 reeds a year).



Even when you play softly, having a lot of resonance behind your
playing gives you power and control (including control of bends, both
valved and unvalved). It's like the difference between a hard blow with
a tiny hammer, and a gentle tap with a huge hammer.

Winslow
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