[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 24, Issue 60



Thanks all. Your replies were most helpful, and I went back to the Myquill site and re-read his stuff also. It is obvious that I was using too much lip pressure, and your advice has helped immeasurably.
In a related matter, I had asked what to do to free up a stuck reed in a Suzuki. I bought a Lee Oskar tool kit and followed the instructions, and it worked perfectly. I am sure I stuck the reed bending it further than it was supposed to go and it got stuck. I will get rid of the "trombone" mentality when I pick up the harp.


Thanks again to all.

Bill

Bill wrote:



I am a beginner harpist, but an experienced trombonist. I have been advised
that in bending, the only thing that matters is the shape of the tongue and
the oral cavity.




8<<<<



Hmmmm. Tongue shape depends on your embouchure, pucker vs. Tongue blocking.
In a pucker embouchure, the tongue is relaxed at the bottom of the mouth.
In a TB embouchure the tongue is forward blocking the requisite holes. The
size/shape of the oral cavity will certainly help the tone of a draw bend.
By dropping your jaw you create a larger oral cavity. This would help.
However if I were to pick one thing, I would suggest that the "only thing
that matters" is creating a point of constriction in the air stream as you
draw through the harp.




Think of the air stream entering the mouth through the harp. At some point
along that air stream you must create a constriction point. You can hear
the effect by tilting the harp downward toward the lower lip. As the lip
constricts the air flow, you will hear the pitch descend. This is not the
best place to do it, but it demonstrates the effect of constricting the air
flow. Better tone is achieved by using the K-spot as the point of
constriction. The K-spot is where you would pronounce the letter K in the
back of your mouth.




Drop the jaw and use the K-spot. Tell us if that helps.



8<<<<<



What about "pucker pressure" around the hole by the lips? Do you, when
bending, need more pressure around the hole to keep the air isolated, or do
you keep the same pressure all the time, and just change the tongue
placement? I find myself using more lip pressure around the hole to get the
deep bends, and I don't know if this is a bad habit, or not. I still have
terrible tone on those 2 and 3 draw deep bends.




8<<<<<



Any slight bends you are getting right now through "pucker pressure" is
because you are constricting the air flow at the lips. (There may be some
"pucker pressure" used to create blow bends, but very little.) For the most
part, and especially on draw bends, the lips should be supple, soft and
comfortable. You will create more "pressure" in the air stream by thinking
about where you place the point of constriction. If you have "terrible
tone", you are not doing something right. Move your thoughts away from the
lips and toward the back of the throat and the K spot.




Hope this helps.



Best Regards to All,



Larry Boy Pratt

www.parkhousejam.com <http://www.parkhousejam.com/>















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