Re: [Harp-L] Full length covers



Vern wrote:
>
>I posit that attempts to produce perceptible effects by 
>small changes in cover design are wasted effort.  The 
>function of the covers is to keep your lips and hands off of 
>the reeds.  Otherwise, the harmonica sounds little different 
>with no covers at all.

Well, this is very interesting.  I believe the Special 20s I have fitted with Turbolids sound and play differently than they do with standard Special 20 covers.  In particular, I think the low end punches harder and the whole harp sounds louder.  I don't know for sure that it's not my imagination, or that I just think the low end must punch harder because the Turbolids have a big bulge in the low end.  But I would rather play a G Special 20 with Turbolids than without them, unless I was playing a piece where I had to put a lot of the low end of the harp into my mouth, like for example some of my solo pieces.   That bulge eats up a lot of room, and it makes it harder to play wide intervals (like 10ths, 12ths, double octaves, etc.).  

If what Vern says is true, the implication is that the best profile for a harmonica is the slimmest possible that is enough to prevent vibrating reeds hitting the covers.  That would certainly be the profile that would allow you to move the harp with the least possible drag.  It would also be the profile that allowed you to play wide intervals most easily.  Many players don't play intervals beyond an octave, but multiple artists, including Howard Levy, Carlos del Junco, Sam Hinton, and myself have recorded pieces using very wide intervals, so it's apparently an established technique.  It's easier with a skinny harp than a fat one.

Regards, Richard Hunter   



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