[Harp-L] Re: 4 Blow Reed Failures

[Robert Bonfiglio <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The most common reason for a single reed failure is that when they  
grind the reeds for stock, they can groove the stock in one place  
across the reeds and then punch thousands of 4 blow reeds out of the  
same stock with the same fault or groove cut across them.  The  
interesting experiment would be to see if the metal fatigue is  
happening in the exact same place.  Of course the reed you use the  
most often is the one most likely to break.

As far as volume goes, I try to get my students to play faster and  
louder all the time.  This will open up your sound after about 5 to  
10 years of learning to play as fast and loud as you can and then  
learning how to focus the sound.  This requires that you hit the  
harmonica with as much power as possible, kind of like shouting as  
loud as you can and then learning how to focus the shout.  Then  
learning to play even louder and faster and then learn to focus this  
new level.  This gives you immediate pickup on the notes so you don't  
push notes by starting them softer and then pushing louder but you  
get the full volume right at the beginning.

The end result is that you should be able to play just  below the  
point where the reed balks and stay riding on this volume whenever  
you you want it for emotion.  One can always play softer if you have  
the power to play loud, but the reverse is not true.  A quarterback  
who can throw the ball on a line for 80 yards can always throw a 5  
yard pass, not the other way around.

When you make the attempt to gain power, the initial stage will  
require that you blow the hell out of the instrument before you gain  
focus.  This will break reeds, but so what; learn how to replace them  
our buy new harmonicas or put new plates in.  What is the big deal.   
Violinists and guitarists break strings all the time.  This is price  
you pay to put excitement into your music.  Once you gain that  
technique you won't break as many reeds because you learn how to get  
the power more efficiently, but if you are like me, the quest goes on  
and on so I go after it again with my practice harmonicas and blow  
the hell out of them.

Right now I am working this place in the Benjamin Harmonica Concerto  
slow movement where I am focusing the high register with as much  
volume as I can blow into the harmonica.  It is extremely tiring and  
probably causing me brain damage from the back pressure.  But when it  
works, I get a lot of thrill from the sound.

Harmonically yours,

Robert Bonfiglio
http://www.robertbonfiglio.com