Re: [Harp-L] Changing the Way You Hold the Harp (long)



Pic2318834@xxxxxxx wrote:
What about if you are left handed?

An interesting set of problems arise. If you hold the Adam Gussow way most of them are mitigated. If you hold in the conventional manner gripping with your left hand then your non dominant hand ends up involved in the more difficult task of the cup. If you hold right which is the left handed way then the cup ends up biased towards the wrong end of the harmonica. That problem is solved by flipping the harmonica so the low notes end up on the right instead of the left side of the player. There was a person, Vinny I believe, he maintained it made absolutely no difference. Hold left hold right it's all the same. I think that idea is flawed because it assumes a symmetry of layout that does not exist with either human hands or the harmonica. Personally I had started out playing with the low notes to the right. I saw the numbers on the coverplate and was bothered that I had them upside down and progressing from right to left so I changed my way of holding the harmonica to the more conventional numbers up. I do hold in my right hand. I'm sorry I switched. It's too late for me but if I had it to do over I'd go with hold right numbers down. It does create a certain uniqueness in my playing. How I get to the notes differs from the way a conventional right handed player accesses the same notes and trills and triplets are easier because of the mechanics of the human wrist. fjm





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