Re: [Harp-L] Fallacy of "Playing Wet" (was MB-D comb swelling)

["Dan Berger" <dberger1@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Aw, you're all wet!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Will duFauve" <harpguild@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2008 4:34 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Fallacy of "Playing Wet" (was MB-D comb swelling)


> Gee, guys. I guess some of you weren't around 2 or 3 years ago when people 
> were discussing the MB Deluxe comb, and offering remedies like lacquering 
> the insides with Hard-As-Nails nail polish top coat.....I only asked what 
> is current re: varnishing them, should I use the Behlin's salad bowl 
> finish, etc. That's not a cue to go off on "you play too wet, you play too 
> hard, do you soak them, it never happens to me, do you sleep with them in 
> your mouth 24/7.
>
> Thanks for the put-downs. And, what's with all the private emails trying 
> to sell me something? Your parents never taught you any social graces, 
> like starting out saying "Hey, Bud. How's it goin'? Nice day?" like I'm a 
> fellow in the brotherhood of musicians, and then try and sell me 
> something?
>
> I will now explain the fallacy of playing "wet." All harmonica playing is 
> played wet. Moisture is unavoidable. You put them in your mouth and 
> exhale. The wetness proof? 1) go outside and exhale into the air on any 
> cool day. See your breathe? Water condensation. 2) Cup it like a bullet 
> mic and breathe into a clear drinking glass. See condensed water coat the 
> glass in only one or two breathes? 3) Play any harp for a few minutes, 
> disassemble it, and observe all the little condensed water droplets on the 
> reeds, reed plates, covers and comb.
>
> Is this water (proofs 1 thrugh3) saliva from poor technique and "playing 
> wet?" No! It is condensed moisture from your exhaled breathe. You never 
> accidently gapped a low reed just a hair too tight, so the harp played 
> great for the first 3 minutes untill the condensation made the reed stick 
> and you had to go in and open the gap a little more to get it to vibrate 
> under the weight of the condensation?
>
> When you exhale thru a harp you make the innards very wet simply by 
> breathing into it. If you play that harp for a half hour, it stays wet for 
> (more than) a half hour and much of that condensation will be absorbed 
> into an unsealed wood comb, I don't care how good your driest technique 
> is. I doubt there's very few uninformed newbies anymore who think you 
> break-in a harp by soaking it in a glass of beer, and they're not usually 
> buying MB-Deluxe's a dozen at a time at $53 a pop.
>
> For the guy who said he only plays single notes, no tongue blocking, or 
> split octaves, etc., you probably need to give up keeping your instruments 
> dry in favor of developing some fat wet tone. I think I'll sparingly use 
> the Behlin's on the bare wood innards of the combs, and leave the factory 
> finish intact. That should work.
>
>
>
>
>
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