Re: [Harp-L] tilting the harp

[Music Cal <macaroni9999@xxxxxxxxx>]

One of the problems that I have with putting my chromatic harp deep in my
mouth is that it tends to result in more frequent abrasion/irritation near
the corners of my mouth. I have found ways to cut down the frequency of
these - mostly be make sure the harp is really clean in key places - but I
have not eliminated them entirely. Any tips?

MusiCal


On Wed, Oct 9, 2013 at 8:19 AM, The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> It would be nice to somehow remove the word "pucker" from harmonica
> pedagogy.
>
>
> The word suggests to the student to purse the lips and tighten muscles.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Baker <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wed, Oct 9, 2013 10:54 am
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] tilting the harp
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>