Re: [Harp-L] 2 draw woes

"Alexander Savelyev" <Alexander.Savelyev@xxxxxxxx> · Fri, 17 Nov 2006 11:03:23 +0100

Hi Bob, 

This is a common problem for beginnes on 2 draw. BTW higher notes on
holes 8, 9, 10 might be a problem too in a while. What I usually do when
such things happen is to apply the method of analogies to elucidate some
aspects of breathing and so-called sound extraction. This matter is
quite complex, but using simple explanation helps a lot. So, there are
at least 3 things to focus on: 
1. Breathing - air passage 
2. Embouchure - how one puts harmonica into mouth/lips and uses his/her
tongue and mouth muscles to extract sounds on a harmonica or to produce
certain sound effect
3. Diaphragm - as an air pumping device 

I. BREATHING - Analogy

FOR BEGINNER TO KNOW
There are two types of exhaling (1) the one we use when cooling down
hot soup/tea in the spoon before taking it into mouth - so we are
cooling down the substance and (2) the other one for warming up
something like the hands of the beloved one while outside during the
cold weather or, say, for warming up the cold window to alow for
condensation so we could draw with with finger on the window spot that
became sweat or misted. CONCLUSION: one needs to apply the second way of
breathing as it ensures full air passage and therefore no turbulance of
air occurs - the result - even and full sound. Attention should be paid
that inhaling occurs in the same way - with the wide throat. In general
we breath rather than blow and draw. 

FOR YOU TO KEEP IN MIND
Beginners tend to be shy and therefore their muscles are constricted.
To make them relax you can ask them to jump several times with the feet
put together while landing on their socks or hills (depends on
idividual) - at the same time they should apply the second method of
breathing (warm with wide throat - simetimes it helps when you tell
about yawning - lowering larynx provides for wide throat breathing) -
jumping will make their muscles  relax and will make the diaphragm
automatically press the lungs which in its turn makes their breathing
almost ideal for harmonica playing as in normal situation. As a result
the air will move actively along the passage way and the beginner will
feel its effect either consciously or unconsciously. 

II. EMBOUCHURE
FOR BEGINNER TO KNOW
1. Just remeber the movies with cowboys and indians, do you recall how
indians kept their knives in the mouth when climing the hill? They bite
it completely putting their upper and lower lips almost around the
knife. So should we do when taking harmonica into mough - put it deep
enough so our upper and lower lips are resting upon the upper and lower
covers of the harmonica - almost half the way from the face side of the
comb to its back side. 
2. for single note extraction - one has to narrow down his/her corners
of the lips so as to direct the focused airplow into one hole. 

FOR YOU TO KEEP IN MIND
When biting our harp as described above and narrowing and focusing the
air flow, the harmonica tends to get away from our mouth because of the
tension and pressure - so to prevent it we have to apply some pressure
by pushing it back into the mouth. As a result we provide for better
compression - no air lickage should occur. An external effect of all
that is extra tension between the comb/reed plates and our lips (more
often corners of lips) and as a result an irritation of lips when moving
the harp left/right (rubbing our lips a lot). It should be taken into
account that some irritation will occur from time to time anyway and the
more one plays the less it happens in the future - that is our lips get
accustomed to the pressure, etc. Anyway, to lower the irritation effect,
one should use natural  lubrication - own saliva - and by sliding with
the tongue along the comb back and forth lubricate its surface before
playing some lick, etc.  NB. it is advisable to recommend a pucker
embouchure at the very beginning. 

III. DIAPHRAGM - AS AN AIR PUMP
FOR BEGINNER TO KNOW
One should clearly realize that there's such a natural air pumping
device as a diaphragm. In simple terms, it's a muscle that squeezes our
lungs (imagine when you sit down or try to touch your socks with hands)
and makes the air get out of our body. When the diaphragm relaxes lungs
tend to get filled with the air automatically, but that doesn't happen
automatically all the time. So, there are two observations (1) when the
belly or abdomen moves inside the body - exhaling should occur, (2) when
abdomen increases moving forward as if it is filled it with air -
inhaling should occur. 

FOR YOU TO KEEP IN MIND
To feel the effect of the diaphragm breathing just ask the beginner to
put his hand against his/her abdomen just below the belly button while
reathing. Ask him/her to press on the belly when exhaling, and then
observe his hand raising while the abdomen enlarges and inhaling occurs.

You can ask the person to do several sit ups in a row using this type
of breathing - it's better comprehended when done by the person rather
than explained several times. 

GENERAL COMMENTS
Such things as posture, hands and ankles postition - anything blocking
rib movement and diaphragm, position of the larynx, neck, tight collar
etc., do-o-o-o-o matter a lot. So, the main thing is that the person and
his body should be relaxed to allow for good pumping of the air and
free, smooth and full air passage through the body (2 main things - air
pressure and air passage). Embouchure is important too, so just add
these three important elements into the beginner's agenda - no
memorization or comprehensive visualizations needed - just ask to be
aware that such things exist and they greratly influence the quality of
sound to be produced. As it was mentioned before, when the person
smoothly plays chords, say, 1,2,3 draw / 1,2,3 blow - not
blowing/drawing, but rather inhaling/exhaling (second method described
above - no air turbulance that makes note bend, fade, squeal or buzz) -
it can help a lot if he/she can then switch to one hole with the same
air passage pattern and breathing. 

Hope it helps. Any comments are welcome, by other harp-L members as
well. 

thanks, 

Alex

>>> Bob Cohen <bcohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 17.11.2006 4:25:42 >>>
One of my students can't seem to produce a clean G note from the 2  
draw hole on his C harp.  No matter how he holds the harp, how far  
into his mouth he holds it, what he does with his tongue, the damn  
thing chokes and goes flat.  I can play his harp all day long.   
Regapping didn't work.  I'm flat out of ideas (pun intended).  Any  
help would be appreciated.

Bob Cohen
Principal, MojoTools Web Design
Blues Harmonica Lessons
Web   :   www.mojotools.com 
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