[Harp-L] Practice drills for clear single note playing?

[The Iceman]

Practice LONG TONES - let a single note hang in the air for as long as you can - then, start to examine it in real time....does it sound solid and strong for the duration? Does it wobble a bit, increase/decrease in volume over time and totally poop out at the end?
The goal is to create a single solid steel beam of sound for each individual note (inhale AND exhale) as well as a longer sustain time. 30 seconds is not too difficult to achieve here.
Once this becomes "inbred", if you need shorter notes, just cut a thin slice from that big fat beefy note.


-----Original Message-----
From: Opus314 . <opus314 at xxxxx>
To: harp-l at xxxxx <harp-l at xxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Mar 28, 2020 2:33 pm
Subject: [Harp-L] Practice drills for clear single note playing?

Been a long time since I've been on Harp-L. Refreshing to see that it is
still going. I think it is about the oldest harmonica community online.
My question(s)...
I have not been religious about picking up the harmonica... do it on
occasion.. but am not accomplished.
I can bend notes on the diatonic and play the chromatic scale on the
chromatic but I play so little that my single note accuracy is poor...
sloppy may be more accurate :-(
Now, with some time on my hands I want to improve.
As a former drummer...
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTDiUSW0QkM
back in the day... we got better by slowly repeating each rudiment or
"lick" until the mussel memory started to develop. Then gradually got
faster & faster but never going so fast that we sacrificed accuracy.
I'm guessing it is the same for harmonica but the urge to go faster
accelerates inaccuracy... so...
Are there any particular practice drills that can help one develop better
accuracy on the harmonica?
PS - The drum solo was recorded incidentally after many years of not
playing... so it is an example of remnant muscle memory :-)
Thanks.