Re: [Harp-L] Pure Tones

[Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx>]

On Aug 23, 2005, at 9:33 AM, Howard Parks wrote:

> I attended a workshop a couple weeks back with Allan Holmes and Nicolas
> Fouquet. As it was the first, we were sitting around at the start
> listening to and critiquing each other's tone. I was surprised to hear 
> a
> slow, pulsing vibrato in my own "pure" tone, caused by... you guessed
> it... my own heartbeat. I hadn't really noticed it before Allan pointed
> it out. Last night I was reading Kim Field's book, the chapter on Tommy
> Morgan, where he speaks of spending five years trying to get the
> heartbeat out of his tone. My question is, has anybody talked to him
> further about how he did this? Short of stopping your own heart, how do
> you even begin?
>
> Otherwise I guess I'm going to have to live with it...
>
> Howard Parks
> _

 Don't have a large meal right before you play. A large meal will fill 
your stomach and press UP on your chest cavity causing pressure (that 
bloated feeling). Pressure will accentuate your heart beat.

 Don't have a candy bar or excessive amount of sugar laden substance 
right before you play. The quick energy conversion as the sugar 'burns' 
will cause an increase in blood pressure, (again with the pressure)
and accentuate your heart beat.

 Don't sit while playing as this squeezes your torso and makes your 
internal organs closer together (your stomach rides UP), causing 
pressure which accentuates your heart beat.

smo-joe