Re: [Harp-L] Help understanding a section of Winslows book

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Just to amplify on Iceman's comment:

The high notes re sensitive to suction in your airstream and also to how your mouth is "tuned." Your mouth can literally be tuned to different notes - that's how you whistle and it's also how you bend notes on the harmonica.

High pitched reeds are tiny and they are set closer to the reedplate than the lower pitched reeds. Suction that might not affect longer, higher-set reeds will suck small reeds close to the plate, making it impossible for them to get the air lift beneath the reed that allows it to spring up and down - which is how it makes a sound.

At the same time, if you tune your mouth to a note that a reed can't play, it will play reluctantly at reduced volume and depressed pitch, blank out completely, or make a lot of high pitched squeals.

They key to many things in harmonica playing, including getting the high pitched reeds to respond well, is to

1: Breath from deep, starting each breath in the area between your ribcage and waist.

2: Breath gently. You only need a very small amount of airflow to get a reed to sound, and this is always a good starting point until you discover how much more airflow you can add and still get the reed to respond. Let those high notes float out o the harmonica.

3: Open your throat as if you're yawning. This helps to reduce any possible suction and allows that big mass of air moving through your abdomen to flow freely and to carry the vibration of the reed.

4: Keep your tongue on the floor of your mouth. Again, you're opening the airways.

4 & a half. Try breathing without the harmonica in your mouth. If you hear any sound, that's a suction point. Your gentle, deep breathing should be virtually silent even when you're moving a lot of air quickly.

5. Dropping your jaw can also help, though the actions above should take care of most things.

6. Make sure your lips and tongue are not obstructing the hole in the harmonica, as this can also create suction and cause problems with both pitch and reed response.

As to why the placement of the draw notes shifts relative to the blow notes:

The scale has seven notes: A B C D E F G

Three of the seven notes are blow notes: C E G (These notes together form a C major chord)

The four notes that are left over, D, F A B, are draw notes.

So with four draw notes and only three blow notes, they will get out of alignment as you go up. On 12-hole and 14-hole diatonics, things get even farther out of alignment for the same reason. 

So if you're used to playing a particular melody, lick, or riff a particular way in Holes 4 thru 7, you have to shift every draw note one hole to the right when you try to play the same thing in Hole 7 thru 10.

I hope this helps.
 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com


________________________________
From: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
To: danchristhomas50@xxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Help understanding a section of Winslows book

If you are having trouble getting the high notes to sound, you are probably using too much energy.


Try breathing gently rather than blowing/sucking.



-----Original Message-----
From: Dan & Chris Thomas <danchristhomas50@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Oct 11, 2011 7:56 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Help understanding a section of Winslows book


I am having continued difficulty hitting high notes. mostly on my c,d,f
harps, they are sep.20's and manji's, on page 77 of Winsows book it says
"you will find the draw notes one hole to the right of where you would
expect them to be", I know tha at hole 7 the breath pattern changes, but I
dont understand why there would be a left to right change? I am wondering
 if
not understanding this, is part of my problem.
The funny thin is most instructional material referances having difficulty
with the 2 draw, I have no difficuty with the 2 draw but high end has been a
struggle.
I thank the comunity in advance for any help
Dan