Re: Tilted embouchure (part 2)

["G." <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<quote>
Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 09:01:10 +0200
From: "HIH Jervis Groeneveld" <harmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Tilted embouchure (part 2)

I really would like to get some experiences on the original issue, i.e.
the tilted embouchure (as "opposed" to playing straight ahead level).
Background: one of my students once showed me a video of Don Baker where
Don promoted the tilted embouchure. At the time I thought it was awkward
and unnatural and it had certain risks. Recently I purchased David
Barrett's "Basic Blues Harmonica" DVD and the guy has great tone and ..
he promotes the tilted embouchure, too! So.. 2 great harpists can't be
wrong. How about your experiences and opinions?

Jervis Groeneveld
</quote>

When I started out I played with the harmonica pointing straight forward or
slightly up because that was the advice I was regularly given both in books
and on this group.  However a local professional harmonica player gave me
advice to work on my tone, to get the instrument deeper into my mouth and
find a way to bring out a fuller tone.

A couple of years after I had got to this stage,  I was at a Sydney
Harmonica convention, I was talking to a professional player and as soon as
he saw me play he stopped me and pointed out that I was playing with my
harmonica tilted down at the back, and told me my tone would be improved
dramatically if I pointed it straight ahead or tilted slightly up.  It was
at that point in time I realised I had an overbite, and later found I can
play a harmonica pointed at the ground without having to adjust my head!
The pro also commented there was another player he knew with an overbite and
he'd never managed to get him to play with his harmonica tilted up.

So, based on this expert advice, for the month that followed I focused on
pointing the harp straight ahead or up slightly while trying to retain the
deep tone I had strived and achieved previously.
The end result was I got a very sore mouth and jaw, and I became fustrated
and disillusioned.

The only two advantages I can see in playing with a harmonica pointed
straight ahead over pointing down are:
* the business end of the harmonica is pointed at your audience and possibly
a bit louder for it;
* and if you are a wet player it stops your drool going into the instrument.

At that point I gave up on trying to do this because it did nothing to
improve to my tone or my technique, it didn't work for me and  it was
fighting the shape of my mouth which is a bad thing to do.  I'm only
interested in what works, not what other people think is good advice.

If I am playing acoustically, I know for a fact that my playing is loud
enough to be clearly heard no matter which way I pointe the damn thing.
I've had complaints I was too loud when playing acoustically, even
neighbours knocking on my door when I've got carried away practicing late at
night.
If the accompaniment or the venue is so loud that I can't be heard
acoustically, then I use a microphone which will work just as well no matter
which way I point the harmonica.

So my advice is, rather than thinking about which way the instrument is
tilted, focus on how to generate the tone you want from the instrument, and
trust your ears and your body guide how to do that, the only way to achieve
this is with lots and lots of practice, listening to other great musicians,
and recording yourself to hear what you are doing and working out what you
need and want to improve.

Focus on what works, ditch the theories, opinions and harmonica lore, after
all you've only got so many years on this planet.

- -- G.