[Harp-L] Sticking reeds

[Vern]

Your point is well taken .  An insufficient gap could be experienced as a jam.  However, it should be easily found by examination.  The gap should be larger than that of the shorter neighbor reed and smaller than that of the longer neighbor reed. A harp customized for easy bending and over-blowing might have smaller-than-normal gaps.

Another symptom of insufficient gap is responding to a gentle breath and choking on a harder one.  A ?properly? set gap should allow the read to speak at 0.5 inches of water pressure and not choke up to 10 inches.  This rule is not widely acknowledged but is the one I use for adjusting my own instruments.  

I made a chart to facilitate measuring and setting approximate gaps that I?ll send to anyone requesting it off-list.

Vern
jevern at xxxxx <mailto:jevern at xxxxx>

  
> On Jan 4, 2018, at 3:14 PM, Steve <moorcot at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Vern, if he's having issues with several reeds, do you think that choking due to slightly narrow gaps could be an issue? He says that he thinks he could be blowing/ drawing too hard... I play pretty robustly myself and found with a good number of harps that I needed to ease a few gaps just a little bit to prevent that horrid hesitancy....
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Steve Shaw
> 
>