[Harp-L] the cupping thing again

[Greg Heumann <greg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well the discussion died down again, but one reply (don't remember who  
it was from) stuck with me - someone said they tried taping off the  
entire back of the harp, AND the front, and could no longer get any  
sound  - and (if I interpreted it correctly) concluded that this  
"sealing the  front of the harp" stuff must not be legitimate. Well,  
it is true - as you develop your technique, you can get such a tight  
seal that no air will flow. Then you get no sound - and shortly before  
that the reeds will often go off pitch. But the ability to completely  
block the air flow like that IS the goal. Once you can do that, you  
know you have mastered this technique. If you can't, you're not there  
yet. But getting very close to the complete containment of airflow  
through the harp is my definition of fully cupped. I did a YouTube on  
this a while back, but I just re-did it for no good reason and I think  
the new video demonstrates this better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck9SBiZw2ds


/Greg

http://www.blowsmeaway.com
http://www.bluestateband.net