Re: [Harp-L] New to list (and to harps) - pre-bending issue

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Doug Essinger-Hileman <greypilgrim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<snip>
 
> I quickly noticed that on the Hohner harp, it is very difficult to 
> get good sound out of 2draw. (I'm not sure that is the correctly 
> notation, but I hope you get the idea.) Instead of a good clean note,
> 
> I get a very wispy, raspy, faint sound. I thought that this might be 
> my particular harp, but I've discovered the same thing happens with 
> my Lee Oskar harp, too. 

This is a fairly common occurence for neophyte players, and HOle 2 draw
is the most likely spot for it to happen, though it may show up in Draw
1 and 3 as well. It's often referred to as pre-bending, as in, you're
bending the pitch of the note down without intending to or having
learned the technique of bending, and the tone suffers along with the
pitch.

It usually indicates that you are constricting the airflow at some
point in its travel between your lungs and the harp. Could be at the
lips, somewhere in the oral cavity by placement of the tongue, in the
throat or the glottal area.

The remedy - though it sometimes goes away by itself - is to relax and
breathe easily. 

Relax the throat, relax the tongue, relax the jaw, relax the lips. 

Yawn, taking in a deep breath. Note how the throat muscles open out to
admit a large amount of air. This open throat is something you want to
cultivate, though you want to be able to do it in a relaxed way. 

So, with this relaxed, open configuration, you want to apply the harp
to your lips as if you are nestling the harp into a deep cushion, one
that is both airtight - nothing leaking from the corners of the mouth -
and lubricated - the harp should slide easily from side to side in you
lips.

Now just breathe, gently, depply, easily. You ight try doing this first
with a three- or four-note chord, breathing in for two seconds, then
out for two seconds at a steady rate of air movement and volume of
sound (no big blast training off to a gasp).

Doing this with single notes at the low end of the harp, you'll sooner
or later find you can play the draw notes without depressing the pitch.

<snip>
> 
> that the technique of drawing for holes 1 and 3-10 is slightly 
> different than that for drawing hole 2?

No. But the low holes will expose problems in technqiue that the others
will not.

The practice routine sounds fine overall. A coupl eof things I would
add: 

While playing long notes, concentrate on allowing the sound of the note
to enlarge itself without any increase in breath volume. Also, all the
air should go through your mouth.

Specific exercises may address one or both of two things:

- musical materials (scales, arpeggios, etc.)

- the physical act of playing a specific instrument

The physical sequence of acts in getting from one note to another on
the harmonica should be attended to. While the ideal is that technique
melts away and you're just making music, in fact it is important to
give attention both to the the actions required to produce indivdual
notes, and the transitions required for sequences and combinations of
notes. Any set of exercises not specifically designed for this purpose
on the instrument being played should be approached from this
awareness.

Winslow


 
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