Re: [Harp-L] Re: 2 Questions from newbie ~ embouchre

["Abner Galdos" <cdgaldos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

thank you sir, I just saved and copied this for continuing reference..
please keep them coming.
I'm still learning how to do single notes and taps is about as far as I can get..

abner (blueyes, an infant to the blues)
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John F. Potts 
  To: Blueharp1@xxxxxxx 
  Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 1:44 PM
  Subject: [Harp-L] Re: 2 Questions from newbie ~ embouchre


  Jeff,

  Yes, you're missing something.  The inside of the mouth just past  
  the edge of the lip is in contact with and holds the harp to form the  
  seal.  Because you pout your lips out forward and put the front of  
  the harmonica IN your mouth, it is the area inside of your mouth just  
  past the lip line that grips the harmonica.  You are basically  
  wrapping your lips around the harp, so it is the INSIDE of your mouth  
  just past your lips which makes contact with the cover plates of the  
  harp.   Of course, the corners of your mouth stay put when you pout  
  your lips forward to make a "fish mouth" so at the corners you can't  
  wrap you lips around the harmonica, (which will extend past the  
  corners of the mouth on either side anyway if the harmonica is of  
  normal size).  So, at the corners, the front of the comb rests  
  against your lip area at that location since it cannot get it in past  
  the lip line.  But the rest of your lips should be OUTSIDE of the  
  harmonica with the inside of the mouth just past the lip line  
  gripping the harmonica and forming the seal.  Does this make sense?

  If you ever watch Christelle's videos, sometimes right before she  
  plays she pouts her lips out, like she's about to give someone a  
  kiss. It's not necessary to do this until you actually put the harp  
  in your mouth but she seems to be getting her embouchure in position  
  ahead of time for some reason.

  If you go to the "Harpgear" site and click on "acoustic tone"   
  there's a pretty good explanation of embouchure with pictures  
  illustrating what I've been trying to describe.

  JP

  You asked:

  Okay, maybe just me, and if it is I'd like to be informed and  
  educated ~  but
  "with the lips being actually not in contact with the harmonica  
  except at
  the corners of the mouth" is making no sense to me. How can the upper  
  and lower
  lips NOT be in contact with the harp "except at the corners" without
  comprising  your "seal" and inviting a huge influx of air both above  
  and below the
  harp? Am I missing something here?
  Jeff G
  Denver CO



  In a message dated 1/15/2009 11:18:58 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
  harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

  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
  consistent with getting a  single note, 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".

  JP
  _______________________________________________
  Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
  Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
  http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l