Re: [Harp-L] tilting the harp

[Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There are a couple of good reasons to tilt the back of the harp upwards when puckering: 

In order to get a full tone with a pucker, the active element (the reed) needs to be in close proximity to the passive element (air column in vocal tract). The only way to do this is to take the harp well inside the mouth. As Boris rightly pointed out, to get the tone on lower notes, the upper lip needs to enclose the top cover to about 2/3 of the distance towards the back. The corners of the mouth need to be in contact with the harp to prevent air loss. If you do this, how do you ensure that the lip opening is still small enough to enable a single note?

To obtain a single puckered note with this degree of lip enclosure, the player extends the lower jaw forwards, in the process enlarging the resonance chamber in the vocal tract. If you then place the harp between your lips, the extended lower jaw automatically means it will tend to be tilted up. In fact, if you don't tilt, you'll most likely be unable to play a single note with this lip and jaw position. The tilt effectively reduces the size of the lip opening while allowing the player to take the harp deep inside the mouth.

Steve Baker
www.stevebaker.de
www.european-music-workshops.com
www.harmonica-masters.de