[Harp-L] Problems with A harps



Dave,
Right on. The different things a player can do or choses to do with good breath control is a major component in defining a particular player's style and tone--how the player interacts with the instrument. This is one of the things that makes playing the harmonica such a personal expression. I tend to play fewer chords and more split tongue intervals. But certainly good breath technique gives chords so much more texture, depth, and dynamics (as you describe)--and also helps make split tongue double stops sound deep, fat and full. ( Some of this also has to do with the differential tones that are produced.) But, as you say, a player can get really interesting chord sounds with good breath control and attack especially on the lower key harps. For example, I like to do this when playing "High Heeled Sneakers" on a G harp. Generally speaking, though, I'd rather not play the G or A harps if given a choice, and I don't even carry a low F myself.
Whatever one's preferences might be, other considerations include how deep your embouchure puts the harmonica into the mouth and how relaxed you can keep you lower jaw (which should be dropped) to enlarge the tone chamber in your mouth. Also, how deep from the diaphragm , throat, or mouth you are able to pull or draw the air. The lips should ordinarily not have much to do with generating breath pressure. And it's easier to play really fast by articulating the notes with diaphragm movement. Once a player is able to do that, all of the bending technique can occur farther back or deeper in the mouth/throat. This is why full time tongue blockers are able to bend--all of the muscle activity involved occurs deep in the mouth/ throat well behind the tip of the tongue. I'm a mixed embouchure player myself and although I am able to, I don't usually tongue block when bending. But, it is significant that tongue blocking allows the holes of the harmonica to be inside of the player's mouth past the teeth which provides a different (larger) tone chamber. This can also be accomplished when playing tongue split intervals. HOWEVER, a player can employ breath control even when generating breath pressure from the mouth instead of the diaphragm if the proper attack is used.
Controlling the attack is easier to learn than generating breath pressure from the diaphragm, good embouchure, keeping a relaxed oral tone cavity, tongue blocking, etc. Once a player is able to play a clean single note and bend it, working on attack will improve his or her playing significantly, even if good embouchure, and diaphragmatic breathing and other techniques are not immediately developed. Working on attack is relatively easy and pays off quickly even if the player is blowing too hard, with poor embouchure, shallow breath production, constricted oral chamber, and otherwise sloppy technique. You don't even have to be a good harmonica player to do it and it will make playing easier and a whole lot more fun.
Hope this has made sense.
JP






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