Re: [Harp-L] problem: lowest draw reed clicks

[Oliver Schoenborn <oliver.schoenborn@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob Maglinte wrote:

> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Oliver Schoenborn" 
> <oliver.schoenborn@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>
> > Hi folks, I have a low F Special 20 that I bought new a couple months 
> > ago. I noticed right when I first tried it that the lowest draw reed 
> > makes a clicking sound when I draw, and the sound goes away if I take 
> > the cover off, so I figure the reed is so bouncy it touches the 
> > cover. This is odd 'cause you'd think the Hohner engineers would be 
> > smart enough to make the cover higher for the lower key harmonicas. 
> > What's even weirder is that recently I noticed the same now happens 
> > with my G and C (I don't have A or B yet), but they definitely didn't 
> > use to do it. So I'm wondering if there's a way of raising the cover 
> > (short of carving a wooden piece for it) for the low F, and if this 
> > signals the end of the lifetime for the G and C.
>
>
> Hi Oliver,
> It's not the fault of the harmonica at all. This is common with all 
> harps pitched lower than Bb, and 99% of the time, the problem is that 
> the person who's playing it usually plays excessively hard to begin 
> with. Try playing much softer and it shouldn't be a problem. From your 
> post, I am going to assume that you're essentially a beginning player 
> and 99% of all beginning players have this problem in common, and most 
> harp problems stems from this bad habit many beginners have.
Hi Bob, It could be that I'm playing too strong, but I've been playing 
for a couple of years now (I don't consider myself intermediate yet, but 
I'm not beginner either), and have never had that problem until recently 
(except for low F, out of the box). It could be that my breathing has 
become more powerful with practice and I need to practice the finer 
muscles.

Oliver