Re: [Harp-L] saliva/gapping

[Keith Dunn <keith@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom,

Drinking water between songs and tapping your harmonicas into a towel as 
recommended by Jonathan Metts <jonathan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> is good advice. Be 
sure to dry your hands and mouth as well. Yes, you may have to be quick to get 
all of this done between songs, but it is essential.

I wonder if you play one particular brand or a variety of harmonicas. And do 
you find your harmonicas physically difficult to get a sound out of. This 
brings me to a pet subject, working on your harmonicas yourself and 
specifically, setting up your harmonicas so that they play the way you want, 
which is not necessarily the way the manufacturer sets them up. 

Your problem could stem from that fact that the gap is too high for you. In 
other words, the distance between the reed plate and the reed is too great so 
it takes more air i.e., you have to blow harder to produce a sound. I find this 
to be the number one problem with the out of the ?box harmonica?, which is all 
I play by the way. 

If this is a problem for you as well there are many people on this page who can 
give you expert advice about gapping as well websites I would imagine. But here 
is a simple explanation.

Test all of the blow and draws holes on your harmonica using what you feel to 
be the minimum amount of air to make your basic sound. The amount of air you 
would use to play a quiet passage of a song in other words. If you find you are 
using more air than you would like then your gap is too high meaning there is 
too much space between the reed plate and the reed. After you have marked down 
on paper the blow and draw holes that need to be adjusted, take the covers off 
of your harmonica. I usually take the screws off of the left side only so it is 
easier to test my adjustments. With a tool very gently push the reed towards 
the reed plate thereby making less space between the two. Place the covers back 
on, holding them down tightly to avoid having to put the screws back in and 
test you harmonica. Be advised that this is a very subtle operation. You will 
not have to move the reed very far. You may want to practice on an old 
harmonica. However you will get the hang of it and a whole new world will open 
up to you as you will no longer have to fight with your harmonica to make a 
sound so you can use that energy to create.

Gapping is an essential part to being comfortable with the harmonica and 
creating your own individual sound. 

A little aside; I was discussing gapping with Howard Levy one year at the 
Hohner festival in Trossingen. We both became curious so we decided to take our 
harmonicas apart. What we found was that, although we could not have more 
different styles, we nevertheless used the exact same gapping and for the same 
reasons.

I hope that some of this helps you. Have a good time.

Keith Dunn  
 
<TomEHarp@xxxxxxx> wrote:
"thanks for all you people replying to my problem regarding holes 9 and 10 
notes eather woking very little or not at all.someone did mention to much 
saliva getting in the reeds. and i think that is my problem.so if that is the 
problem how can i fix it?"

thanks for any kind of help
peace on earth
tommy in ct.


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