RE: airtight diatonic cup (was Chro cup; longish)

["Scorcher" <s_c_o_r_c_h_e_r@xxxxxxx>]

> > Scorcher spoketh:
> > I think the advantage is that you have just that
> > little extra edge of control, like with a diatonic. I rarely ever cup
> > my 'tonic _absolutely_ air-tight - I just use it for effect.

> Michelle:
> Ah, but why not, ole Scorch?  You obviously know the benefits of
> cupping an amplified harp.  (You started this thread dinchya?)  I suggest
that there
> are corresponding benefits to be gained from a tight hand grip
> while playing
> acoustically.

Scorcher:
Wait. Before you go any further, my original post was referring to a
LITERALLY AIRTIGHT cup around a chromatic harmonica and mic  - no air in, no
air out (OK, maybe a TEENSY bit). This technique is only used by most
diatonic players intermittently (for dramatic effect) with a mic. The rest
of the time, some _modification_ of this effect is applied, for tonal
variation. The more "open" the brighter the tone. The more "closed"
(air-tight) the darker & more distorted, compressed effect.

When we're talking acoustic, the more "closed", the more MUTED one's sound
is. This can make your playing hard for your audience to hear.

<HUGE SNIP>
> Michelle:
> Like you mentioned with your taped chrom', Scorch, I
> can feel the pressure change inside my cup from blow to draw.  The
> dramatically improved cup allows me a far greater range of tone
> than I ever before possessed.

Scorcher:
YES. That's why I'm trying so hard to get it with a chromatic - for a
greater RANGE of tone. The muted/compressed effect is only ONE end of the
spectrum. BTW, I mostly play Golden Melodies when I play diatonics - the
cover design make them INFINITELY easier to get a tight cup on. And yes, I
DO use these techniques when playing "acoustically" (mic'ed to the PA), but,
again, like ALL the techniques I try to apply, I use them sparingly. (I
don't play a whole song muted, for example, or "open"). In fact, I like the
muting effect for chording in an "acoustic" environment, because the
harmonica tends to "cut through" -sometimes too much - when we use a
unidirectional mic.

> Michelle:
> Scorcher, you and the other harp-ler's might be surprised at the kind of
> tonal fruit you can harvest by only slightly altering your harp
> grip to make it airtight, guided by Phil Wiggins' wisdom.

Scorcher:
I think we're saying basically the same thing, Michelle. But since you wound
me up, I'll go a little further with you...one of the points I've been
trying to make on the list for the last several months is that the shape &
configuration of the covers of one's harmonica DO have some effect on one's
tone, or, to put it another way, "overall sound". I learned about a tight
cup while trying to deal with a mic & "tame the beast". And then I learned
that it also works acoustically.

I hear a LOT of players say they prefer 1896 Marine Bands because of their
"tone". The point I think most people miss is that the way the PLAYER
experiences the sound coming out of a MB is VERY different from the way that
the listener hears it - especially playing with a relatively "open" hand
position. This is mostly because the "vents" on the ends of a Marine Band
cover let some of the sound come back to the player & diminish some of the
airflow inside the covers (lookout, here comes Vern!)- they're made for the
PLAYER'S ears, to put it another way.

In fact, if you think about it (although I have no idea what model harmonica
he plays) I bet Phill Wiggins' grip comes from trying to deal with exactly
this "problem". He wraps his hand around the WHOLE harp & gets a tight seal
to his FACE with his HANDS so that sound/air pressure that would normally
"escape" out the sides doesn't. He has, in effect, made Turbo-lids of his
hands!

(Digression: no amount of persuasion will get me to put my thumb over ANY of
the holes - I'm not willing to limit my mobility - hey, we've only got 10
freakin' holes - let's use 'em! I do, however, use my cherubic cheek to help
seal things up!)

But wait, Michelle, there's more...

Then, Phill Wiggins takes it a step further...he SHAPES the insides of his
hands to resonate with each note. Douglas Tate does this, too, I understand.
You can add a TREMENDOUS dimension to your sound by opening up this tight
grip and SHAPING your hands around the notes you play.

And it all starts (IMO) with holding the harmonica tight. -Not a death-grip
that fatigues your hands, just one that's tight enough so you could drink
water from it.
- -Scorcher