[Harp-L] To cup or not to cup.

[B Boggs <ceudoazul@xxxxxxxxx>]

As I jump in:
   
  Perfect point, Iceman.
  Without the aid of seeing what a player is doing internally to get their sound, it narrows the field as to who can accurately convey the dynamics of playing a harmonica, in my case, a diatonic harmonica. 
  If I want to learn, it makes sense to find out how to do it, from a good source.
  It also makes sense to save my soul from the ready league of teachers who serve to scold, shame and insist they are the only way.
  The bottom line for me to remember is - do I like it? is it fun? is it healing, not hurting?
  I learned from listening to records and then learned to play with other musicians without much instruction. Now I appreciate the value of a community and more formal and focused learning.
  I recall Howard Levy, at a workshop, sharing how his friend in medical imaging imaged Howard playing harp in real time showing, the interplay of muscles and tissue.
  At a local blues jam with five harp players using the same equipment (some tongue blocking, some not, some both) had five different sounds.
  Besides the different skills and abilities, the tone varied greatly from player to player.
  Lip blocking is how I started playing and so I had to figure out how to get some quality of tone without even knowing what tongue blocking was. I used my tongue to produce staccato, but did not practice tongue blocking until recently. Now I find I can curl my tongue in a U and know that it will never end.
  It is the journey, not the destination- you might check out unexpectedly, so this makes sense harmonically speaking.
  Tongue blocking skills produce "fat" tone and allow other techniques and each player may have tweaked some ability to nuance the reeds using any combination of methods which may be constantly evolving.
  It is the journey, not the destination- you might check out unexpectedly, so this makes sense; harmonically speaking.
  The harmonica as an instrument of growth.
  Anyway, as I strive to learn more, I see the need to define terms more clearly and understand them more completely. So much of my confusion comes from the ambiguity of terms, how they can be used carelessly or misinterpreted, and the differing opinions of experts.
  Several days a week, I take a copy of of, The Complete 10-hole Diatonic Harmonica Series D Harmonica Book, by James Major (they have a booklet, about 45 pages, for each key).
  Slowly I am grasping musical concepts that are very difficult to translate into understanding.
  This will help until I get to another teacher.
   
  Oh, I sure wish more would play below Mach One volume levels.
  Thanks for letting me ramble.
  B
   
   
   
   
   
  Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:13:43 EST
From: IcemanLE@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Annie's Rig (was Laredo)

  If you like Annie's sound, which is BIG, then, according to her, tight
cup  
is not important.

If you like Smith's sound, which is BIG, then according to him, tight
  cup is 
important.

You takes your pick.

The Iceman


In a message dated 2/20/2008 11:02:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
special20harp@xxxxxxxxx writes:

In Gary  Smith's videos, Joh Gindicks books, Brian Purdy's website,
  (and
about  a zillion other places), pro blues players stress the vital
importance
of  the tight cup on the bullet mic.

So which is it?  It it important  or not?

-Spec20


On Wed, Feb 20, 2008 at 6:31 AM,  <IcemanLE@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hopefully the last few comments  from Annie aren't missed by the
readers
>  on
> this list  -
>
> it's not about volume on stage and breathe through the   harmonica
>
> Annie mentions that she doesn't have an airtight  cup, yet still
sounds
>  huge...
>





       
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