[Harp-L] Re: 2 Questions from newbie ~ embouchre



Jeff,

Yes, you're missing something. The inside of the mouth just past the edge of the lip is in contact with and holds the harp to form the seal. Because you pout your lips out forward and put the front of the harmonica IN your mouth, it is the area inside of your mouth just past the lip line that grips the harmonica. You are basically wrapping your lips around the harp, so it is the INSIDE of your mouth just past your lips which makes contact with the cover plates of the harp. Of course, the corners of your mouth stay put when you pout your lips forward to make a "fish mouth" so at the corners you can't wrap you lips around the harmonica, (which will extend past the corners of the mouth on either side anyway if the harmonica is of normal size). So, at the corners, the front of the comb rests against your lip area at that location since it cannot get it in past the lip line. But the rest of your lips should be OUTSIDE of the harmonica with the inside of the mouth just past the lip line gripping the harmonica and forming the seal. Does this make sense?

If you ever watch Christelle's videos, sometimes right before she plays she pouts her lips out, like she's about to give someone a kiss. It's not necessary to do this until you actually put the harp in your mouth but she seems to be getting her embouchure in position ahead of time for some reason.

If you go to the "Harpgear" site and click on "acoustic tone" there's a pretty good explanation of embouchure with pictures illustrating what I've been trying to describe.

JP

You asked:

Okay, maybe just me, and if it is I'd like to be informed and educated ~ but
"with the lips being actually not in contact with the harmonica except at
the corners of the mouth" is making no sense to me. How can the upper and lower
lips NOT be in contact with the harp "except at the corners" without
comprising your "seal" and inviting a huge influx of air both above and below the
harp? Am I missing something here?
Jeff G
Denver CO




In a message dated 1/15/2009 11:18:58 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

If a lip purse player can get the front of the harp in against the
corners of the mouth, tilt the holes down slightly, drop the  lower
jaw and keep it relaxed, and produce air from the  diaphragm, ALL
notes will be easier to play, tone will be  consistently deeper and
fatter and you won't have to adjust  lip position. It also helps to
make as large an opening with  the lips as physically possible
consistent with getting a  single note, which requires that the inside
of the  mouth adjacent to the edge of the lips grip the harmonica with
the lips being actually not in contact with the harmonica except  at
the corners of the mouth--this has sometimes been referred  to as
"fish mouth".

JP



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