Re: [Harp-L] 4 Blow Reed Failures - Is it just me?

[MundHarp@xxxxxxx]

Barbeque Bob Maglinte, of  Boston, MA  Said:
 
<<
Too many players tend to blame the harps, gear, or anything else FIRST  
before considering what more often than not is the REAL problem usually is, and  
that's playing with EXCESSIVE breath force AKA blowing them WAY too damned hard  
ALL THE TIME, which is the single biggest cardinal sin of harp players and a  
problem few players are gonna want to admit to. It not only hurst harp  
longevity, it also hurts your tone control, control of bends/overblows, kills  your 
dynamics, and kills your agility  on the  instrument.
>>

Well, I guess I agree, mostly! 
 
I think it mainly depends on style of music the harmonicist is playing. It  
depends on the amplification too.
If the harp player is playing through a small amplifier, and the bass  player 
and lead guitar have 200 watt Tube amp stacks... Without a good "sound  man 
with a wonderful PA... To be heard at all, the harmonica player will blow  out 
several harmonicas every night. It's not "poor technique", it's just the  only 
way to be heard in those circumstances.
Back in the '60's (am I really that old?) I bought Hohner short harps BY  THE 
DOZEN... And I'd chuck away 2 or three harmonicas at every gig, every  night. 
 Then I was using a 100 watt Vox Supreme solid state amp, but I  couldn't 
compete with the lead and rhythm guitarists, I simply could not use MY  
transistor (STATE OF THE ART... Then!)  amplifier at it's full  power up against their 
200 watt 2 x "4 x 12" Marshall stacks. I used  to put the speaker cabs in 
front of me, but it would still feedback, before I  could get anywhere near to the 
guitarist's volume. Yes just tell the other  musicians to "turn down"... But 
they probably won't.
OK I know all about "resonance"... Douglas Tate demonstrated HIS superb  
technique during a series of chromatic lessons I was lucky to have enjoyed,  about 
10 years ago, here in England. But "resonance"  is just what I'd  always done 
any way!
Over the past 4 or 5 years, I have played a series of tours with the  Matthew 
Jones Orchestra, (25 piece band) ,mostly playing "Carpenters" and "Dusty  
Springfield" tunes,
We had a FANTASTIC sound man. I didn't blow out ANY harmonicas, over  perhaps 
200 + gigs and rehearsals.
Earlier this year I played a "Gaelic" style gig, & only the guitar was  amped 
up, but there were two powerful fiddles un-amplified. It was a  noisy bar, 
perhaps 250 in the audience, and I blew out 2 of my "270" Chromatics  in the one 
evening. I was playing loud and unamplified. I KNEW it was too much  air 
going through those reeds...
I made the decision TO BE HEARD. It was a CHOICE. Not bad technique.
I can play soft & I can pay loud. I believe that "dynamics" are an  essential 
part of good music! The late great Douglas Tate was surprised by just  how 
much volume I can get with.. for example my "Renny"...
My point is simply, if you are playing amplified, LET THE AMPLIFIER  increase 
the volume. Alow the AMP DO THE WORK!
Should you be lucky enough to be playing a gig with a pro PA system, please  
make friends with the engineer!
He (or she) can make or break your performance.
To summarize, it is quite easy to play loud or soft acoustically. It just  
takes practice.
Sometimes, one shall abuse ones musical instrument, simply for the effect.  
Be prepared  however to replace the reeds! Or buy a new harmonica the next  
day. It can be worth it. 
Kind regards,
John Walden
London
England