Re: [Harp-L] 9 and 10 blow out

[Russ Bradley <wbradley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Two things:
1 - Marine Bands need breaking in.  The reeds on Marine Bands are 
somewhat stiff when new.  A Marine band doesn't achieve its full 
potential until after it's been broken in.  Start off playing them very 
lightly, just scales or something, and gradually increase the air column 
you are pulling through.  After a little bit of this, the reeds start 
becoming more responsive.

2 - You need to use a MUCH lighter touch at the higher end of a 
diatonic.  You can't attack the 9/10 the same way you attack the 1/2.  
You can work on that while you are breaking in the Marine Band.  As you 
draw harder and harder on the Marine Band, notice that as the air column 
gets stronger, there is a point where the 9/10 become less responsive.

Hope this helps,
Russ


Bill Hines wrote:

> Blow lighter. It's sometimes tough to get the sounds out of those 9/10 holes
> and takes practice. Did they ever work? Are you pretty new to harp? Excuse
> that question if you are experienced and there is something genuinely wrong
> with your harps, you don't say if you are new. It's not likely that you have
> more than one defective harp. For some reason, I find the upper register
> much easier to play when I'm tongue-blocking rather than puckering. You can
> open the harps and tinker with the gapping of the reeds, but I wouldn't
> recommend that if you are new to the harp, it's probably related to your
> embochure/technique.
>
> Bill Hines
> Hershey, PA
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of TomEHarp@xxxxxxx
> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 9:26 AM
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [Harp-L] 9 and 10 blow out
>
> i'm doing some songs that i'm doing some 9 and 10 blows on a c harp.my 
> problem is they don't work. the harps are only 2 weeks old.they are marine
> bands.is 
> there anyway i can repair this problem??
>
>
> thanks for any help
> tom in ct.
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