benditlikeWalter
3 posts
Oct 08, 2011
5:39 AM
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It seems to me that one of the pluses of playing the harmonica is that it seems to be injury free!
I've had a go at lots and lots of instrument and at every stage of playing I had to be careful not to get injured.
I've had brushes with tendonitis, shoulder problems, strains here and strains there etc but playing the harmonica seems to be pretty much injury free.
Or is it!
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chromaticblues
1029 posts
Oct 08, 2011
6:23 AM
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No it isn't injury free. It's probably like everything else. If you play a rediculous amount of time every day you will have problems.
I have had lung problems were I quit playing once for six months. I had an aching right jaw from tounge blocking on the chromatic. I didn't play the chromatic for two years. I have constant neck strain issues.
Most of this is my fault. I play to aggresively and I know it.
Moderation and relaxation!
Two things I constantly work at!
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toddlgreene
3377 posts
Oct 08, 2011
6:33 AM
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Other than lip abrasion(something I dealt with a lot in my John Popper-emulating days), folks with facial hair sometimes deal with the harp yanking their beard out...ouch.
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Todd L. Greene
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Stickman
706 posts
Oct 08, 2011
6:47 AM
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I have heard (on this forum) of people inhaling reeds. that would suck!
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Last Edited by on Oct 08, 2011 6:48 AM
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2chops
44 posts
Oct 08, 2011
7:22 AM
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I've had the edges of my lips turn raw from long practice sessions. Not that this was while using a harp with exposed reed plates. Like a Blues Harp for example. Never had problems while using SP20's. Also nearly choked on a broken reed twice. Once while in the middle of a gig. Once @ home just noodleing around.
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groyster1
1476 posts
Oct 08, 2011
7:38 AM
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the old wood combs of blues harps and mb 1896s gave me sore lips but never happens now when I play harps with wood combs
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Pistolcat
3 posts
Oct 08, 2011
10:52 AM
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I got my first suzuki harp in the mail last week. A promaster in Bb. The little paper, in addition to the usual stuff about singel note playing etc, had a caution: "Do not swing your harmonica around. You may hurt yourself or your friends!".. So now I have to get a new warbling technique.
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Greyowlphotoart
846 posts
Oct 08, 2011
10:54 AM
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Dropped my harp in the road once, picked it up and got hit by a bus. B flat, I think :^)
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Grey Owl YouTube
Grey Owl Abstract Photos
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nacoran
4714 posts
Oct 08, 2011
11:05 AM
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One of the reasons I play harp is because I've got recurring problems with tendinitis. That put the kibosh on guitar and piano for me. It's also supposed to be good for treating breathing disorders.
Sure, you can slice up your lips, but that's no different than the calluses a guitar player would get on his fingers. YOu can get calluses where the corners of the harp hits your hand, and even hurt your hand if you hold the harp too tight. It is possible to inhale a piece of a reed, but it's pretty rare and usually just results in a couple minutes of coughing.
All in all though, I'd have to agree that the harp is a pretty injury free instrument, at least compared with other instruments.
Greyowl, on the topic of roadsides, the harmonica is an invaluable learning tool. Tinkering with my harps has given me the tools I need to fix Ab, which has got my car back on the road safely a couple times.
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Nate
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Stickman
707 posts
Oct 08, 2011
1:13 PM
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"All in all though, I'd have to agree that the harp is a pretty injury free instrument, at least compared with other instruments."
So..O.K....now I'm getting visual imagery of possible injuries with various instruments.
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
735 posts
Oct 08, 2011
2:24 PM
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HA! You should look at smile. Tooth busted on a 48 chord. Also took a chip out once with a chromatic.
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
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"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
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harmonicanick
1322 posts
Oct 08, 2011
2:53 PM
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Tendonitus in left arm after long gigs
Sores on lip area
Head aches from feedback when the guitarist knob twitches
Tinnitus and loss of balance when the band is too f'ing loud
Bruising from tripping over leads
Hangovers as per Geordie
Hoarseness from using the muscles in the throat for long periods
Accentuated pain from previous injurys
Tongue block syndrome
Lip pursing spasm
Back ache and shoulder ache
Feeling pissed off because they are playing the same old shit again and again..
Boredom (need for adrenalin)
Muscle cramp in the left hand from holding the harp
Muscle cramp and fatigue from holding a heavy bullet mic
All varieties of stress disorder from having to deal with musicians and obtain paying gigs
Other than that its ok
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cliffy
2 posts
Oct 08, 2011
7:40 PM
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I chipped a front tooth playing a gig at a bar in Rutgers University. A fight broke out mid-song, and a guy fell backwards into me, drilling me in the teeth with my green bullet mic and Marine Band. The reedplate edge took a chip out of the tooth. I was pretty pissed about it for a while but the edges of the tooth wore smoother over time. That made it easier.
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nacoran
4716 posts
Oct 08, 2011
8:54 PM
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Harmonicanick, don't forget the tragic injury NOD suffered because someone didn't like his harmonica playing. He posted a famous picture in the 'Practice Your Forum Skills' thread. :)
Stick, how about a ruptured lip? Look up Satchmo's Syndrome for a great example of a trumpet injury.
I have a trumpet lying around my house. I intended to learn to play it (I played the Baritone when I was a kid.) I can't play it without pain though because of a pre-existing chipped front tooth. It's the only thing that bothers the tooth. The Carpel Tunnel problems I had were work related, but the piano and guitar made it worse quickly.
And of course tinnitus seems to get a lot of musicians, no matter what instrument they are playing.
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Nate
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harmonicanick
1323 posts
Oct 09, 2011
1:48 AM
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@ Nate
aaah TNF......happy days, and NOD too:)
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Greyowlphotoart
849 posts
Oct 09, 2011
2:32 AM
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Not exactly an injury but playing a metal comb harp such as my Suzuki Promaster harp Tongue Blocked sets my teeth on edge. Mind you, my neighbours complain of the same problem no matter what harp I'm using.
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Last Edited by on Oct 09, 2011 5:40 AM
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Stickman
708 posts
Oct 09, 2011
10:56 AM
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Harmonica Injury by proxy
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Last Edited by on Oct 09, 2011 10:56 AM
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MP
1858 posts
Oct 09, 2011
12:02 PM
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-i'd forgotten all about this incident until just now.
our drummer played a very inspireing solo piece entitled 'cuba libre' in between sets. bitchin' workout!
after he was finished i played a solo piece of my own invention.
when i sat down the guitar player noticed my palms were bleeding profusely- i didn't feel a thing-
he laughed and said, "look! stigmata!".
those MB 1896s sometimes have pretty sharp corners on the reed plates.---------
MP
doctor of semiotics and reed replacement.
"making the world a better place, one harmonica at a time"
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harmonicanick
1324 posts
Oct 09, 2011
1:13 PM
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@ stickman
Jesus what a story!
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Greg Heumann
1297 posts
Oct 09, 2011
10:58 PM
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I was about to say "I threw a harmonica at somebody once and it injured him." But that would have been a lie. On the other hand - the article Stickman posted is a hoot.
Now, if it was a chord harp, then it WAS a deadly weapon......
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/Greg
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marcos
61 posts
Oct 10, 2011
7:52 AM
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@Stickman: It's good to see someone ELSE's harmonica being called a "deadly weapon" for a change.
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shadoe42
63 posts
Oct 10, 2011
6:57 PM
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So far the most serious thing I have had happen is pulling out mustache hairs when i forget to trim before a gig :)
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The Musical Blades
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rbeetsme
430 posts
Oct 11, 2011
3:47 AM
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Then there was this story...
harp attack
Last Edited by on Oct 11, 2011 3:50 AM
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Stickman
709 posts
Oct 11, 2011
1:59 PM
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Wow rbeetsme, that story sounds familiar. 8^)
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DirtyDeck
186 posts
Oct 11, 2011
5:20 PM
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I get sore throats all the time! Caused me to stop practicing for months at point as it affected my singing voice and , then, 'profession' as Professional Numeracy Announcer. I've recently started back up again playing real soft, making sure not to practice toooo much lol.
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bluemoose
622 posts
Oct 11, 2011
5:47 PM
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....ok...I'll bite.
What's a 'professional numeracy announcer', he asked innocently?
MBH Webbrain - a GUI guide to Adam's Youtube vids
FerretCat Webbrain - Jason Ricci's vids (by hair colour!)
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Pistolcat
5 posts
Oct 12, 2011
1:20 PM
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@STME58 Yeah! Maybe I should do that. That sucker is all metal and quite heavy. Slippery too after excessive use of lip balm to protect my soft tender lips from chafing and sores...
Speaking of deadly weapon: I once got stopped in airport security and asked what I was carrying in my bag, if I packed it myself and if I was carrying any handguns. Three lovely officers then asked me to open my Hohner case and produce it's contents slowly.
I successfully suppressed an urge to cackle "Say hello to my little friend!"
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nacoran
4741 posts
Oct 12, 2011
2:28 PM
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Pistolcat, I'm not the sort who goes around armed myself (a combination of being fairly big and looking really poor keeps me out of most trouble) but I always thought, maybe for a movie or something, it would be really badass if a character had a harmonica with a switchblade hidden inside it. From a practical perspective it would have to be up against the covers so it didn't impair the reeds, at least if it was going to function as a harp too.
I also thought it would be sort of cool to make a survivalist harmonica. If you extended the little part of the harmonica on the end you could maybe put a small compass on one side and maybe an old fashioned watch on the other (since you always see people starting fires with the thick lenses on old watches.) I got the idea watching Les Stroud playing harmonica out in the woods on his survival show.
I got stopped at a security checkpoint once with a harmonica. I'd gone through the same checkpoint a few times during the course of the day with no problem (we were doing public relations stuff up by the state capitol). The last time through for the day they didn't want to let me pass, not because they thought it was dangerous, but because they considered it a noise maker. I'd actually been playing it very quietly all day at our booth and no one had complained.
I'm not sure about the First Amendment ramifications of the noisemaker thing, but anyway, it was pretty frustrating. I've got heel spurs and my feet were tired. I'd just walked half way down the plaza to get a wheelchair for our groups leader who was pretty tired out from the days activities (she's an elderly lady). They didn't want to let me take the wheelchair the 50 feet past the checkpoint to get her (I could wave to her from where I was) and they wouldn't let me leave the harmonica with them for the two minutes it would take to get her and come back. I think I finally asked to see a supervisor and they let me through after I promised for about the 50th time that I wasn't planning on staging a protest.
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Nate
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