Re: Those higher notes

[Mike Curtis <wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> 
> I've been working on a nice straight song which gets me up into the 7 and
> 8 holes of the harmonica. I sound pretty bad up there. Are there any
> techniques or exercises ( see I'm not against work or practice!) that
> could help a little. The 8 hole sounds very uneven, like I'm flat and then
> get right. This is true on blow and draw. I'm using L.O. melody maker in
> the key of G, which I think is really a C harp with those modifications.
> I've been trying to maintain a good seal with my pucker method but probably
> lack a little. Thanks.

Be cognizant of the position of your tongue.  Also, don't play the higher
notes with nearly as much wind as the lower ones.  And you sound like you
might be tense while playing.  Try relaxing your jaw and face while hitting
the notes. Also, make sure you drop your jaw to make a BIG enclosure out of
your mouth!  If your tongue is too close to the roof of your mouth, you're
hitting the note "bent", which would explain the rise in pitch (I'd guess
you're relaxing your tongue after the hit.) 

Let me know if this helps.  If it doesn't (and you can give me more
information), I have some other things you can check.

High notes can be challenging to make sound good, but once you master them,
the audience LOVES it!  Keep working on it - you'll be glad you did!

 --  mike curtis
wd6ehr@xxxxxxxxxx