[Harp-L] What's that trick?

["Harmonica Jervis" <harmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

after watching the great American Folk Blues Festival DVD's, I have a
question. I see SBWII and Sonny Terry doing it a couple of times: holding
the harmonica in their playing hand (SBWII: left, ST: right) and as they are
playing, they bring the other hand up to the harp and put 2 or 3 fingers to
the harp and place them on the body of the harp. (Sonny Terry does a lot of
other things with his non-playing hand too, but I mean just placing those
fingers on the body). The fingers just rest on the body.

I do not hear any special effect, so what's the point of this technique?
Does it just look good? Is it to keep the harmonica in place? Is there a
secret button on their harp? Does it guide the airstream through their
sleeves and do they do an armpit-vibrato?

Regards,
Jervis Groeneveld
www.harmonicainstituut.nl
(+31) 20 774 8657 (home)
(+31) 6 4231 3333 (cell)