[Harp-L] Re: questions about high keyed harps

[David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

JP, I might not have been clear on this, what I meant by upside down is that if you play a 8 draw, for instance, thinking it is a 3 draw, the note will not sound. The only way I could think of to express thinking you're playing a 3 instead of an 8 is to pick one up upside down. Your lips don't change, but your resonance chamber does. 

Dave 
_______________
www.elkriverharmonicas.com



----- Original Message ----
From: John F. Potts <hvyj@xxxxxxx>
To: David Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 6:40:48 AM
Subject: questions about high keyed harps


DAVE, 
I don't think I agree with you on this:

if you pick up a harp upside down and don't realize it, and hit a note, the reed usually won't play, that's because the embouchure for each reed is slightly different from one hole to the next, WAY different for a 1 blow and a 10 draw.. After you've been playing for a while, you don't even think about it, you just do it. 

I use the same lip purse embouchure for all single note playing with the harp deep in my mouth and i get consistently good tone and articulation on the high end and the low end whether the harp is upside down or not and regardless of the key of the harp (although the breath attack, NOT the embouchure, must be varied depending upon the key and particular note/hole being played).  BUT, before I began to play with the harp deep in my mouth I would adjust my lip position for the high notes as you describe... but my tone was not as good.  If a lip purse player can get the front of the harp in against the corners of the mouth, tilt the holes down slightly, drop the lower jaw and keep it relaxed, and produce air from the diaphragm, ALL notes will be easier to play, tone will be consistently deeper and fatter and you won't have to adjust lip position. It also helps to make as large an opening with the lips as physically possible which requires that the
 inside of the mouth adjacent to the edge of the lips grip the harmonica with the lips being actually not in contact with the harmonica except at the corners of the mouth--this has sometimes been referred to as "fish mouth". Btw, I've watched some YouTube videos of very very proficient players some of whom have relatively weak or deficient tone.  Even if one plays really well, a deep embouchure for a lip purse player combined with breath production from the diaphragm will greatly improve tone and ability to play all notes/holes consistently and, if desired, much faster. That being said, it is sometimes necessary to open the gap on the reeds slightly if the harp is really tight. 
JP