[Harp-L] Misc. harp questions and thanks

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

Tom,
	This is in response to your second question which is reproduced  
below.	To bend the 3 and 3 draw (especially on the lower tuned harps  
like G and A) requires that the player open the throat which is  
difficult to explain,  The lower jaw should be dropped and the throat  
is pushed out in front--the Adam's apple will actually move when the  
player is doing it right.  If you are moving your tongue to bend  
(which should not be necessary if you are drawing the air from your  
diaphragm and using your throat-- but is nevertheless commonly done)  
try to have any tongue movement occur as far back in the mouth as  
possible close to the root of the tongue to get the throat muscles  
involved-- (I'm assuming that you are a lip purser, not a tongue  
blocker--if you area tongue blocker, you will necessarily be using  
the throat to bend anyway).  This requires a great deal of effort to  
learn and is initially very difficult, but once you get it, it  
becomes very natural and easy to do.   I wish I was able to explain  
the actual process of opening the throat with mote clarity, but is an  
important technique to learn and difficult to describe in words.   
Keep in mind that a softer initial breath attack is required on the  
lower turned harps anyway. (This has been discussed in other posts  
under the heading "Problems with A Harps" or something like that).
	I do not wish to sound mean or disrespectful, but complaints about  
the quality or consistency of A and/or G  harps  is usually an  
indication of a player who has poor breath technique, or one who has  
not learned to open he throat in order to accomplish lower key draw  
bends. i have never found it necessary to "break in" a plastic or  
metal combed harmonica.  I play stock harmonicas out of the box and  
the only tweaking I have ever done is occasionally opening up he gap  
of certain reeds if a harp is unusually "tight" which rarely occurs  
and almost never on the lower tuned reeds.
 	Btw, good, deep embouchure will help. Get the harp deep in the  
mouth so that it presses against the corners of mouth and tilt the  
holes down slightly, drop the lower jaw and keep it  down and relaxed  
(there may be slight tightening of the lower jaw muscles as you open  
the throat, though) and produce all your air flow (blow and draw)  
from your diaphragm. Also make the largest opening or aperture in  
your lips as physically possible which still allows you to get a  
single note/hole.  This will also produce better tone.
	Good luck!
	JP


Second question.  I am having some difficulty with a few of my  
harps.  Specifically in holding the bend on the 2 draw or getting the  
full 1 1/2 step bend on the 3 holes. (For example the G harp)  Others  
I can bend and hold without difficulty.  I fully accept the  
possibility that "user error" might be the primary source of my  
difficulty ('m working on it).  But I am wondering,  a) how long does  
it take to "break in" a new harmonica?;  and b) I've been reading a  
lot about tuning and customizing harps and there is an apparently  
good book on Amazon about the subject (Make Your Harmonica Work  
Better - Douglas Tate) so is it common for you pros out there to have  
to tweak a new harp in order to get it just right? It appears that  
building a complete set of harps that play and sound the way you want  
them to is a little more of a challenge than just buying a bunch of  
harps (understatement of the month I presume).