Hi, Just got a Hohner Super 20 in C, a little confusion here because I asked for a Super 20 and it has Marine Band marked on... this is a plastic body, are these the same I ask?
Finding trouble getting those single notes, sometimes cleanly sometimes not. I seem to be trying everything with very little success, I know it's just gotta be me!
Lastly, is there any easier harps or is this model like any other for a 'single note beginner'.
Guess this is about the hardest thing to learn, would I be right? Thanks,
You have a Hohner Special 20. It's a fine harp. No, there is not a better harp for beginners or for hitting single notes. Here is a video on the topic of hitting clean single notes.
Just keep working at it. For a lot of things on the harp, the secret is to put in the time. That makes success all the more satisfying!
Hardest thing to learn? Depends. It's your first hurdle, so it may be hardest in that respect...
Thanks for the quick response and indeed the video.
Yes sometimes the notes sound exactly like the bad two hole draw example, usually end up playing two notes.... well, two and half to be honest.
I know it's not the harp because the notes are nice n' clean when using the fingers, covering the adjacent holes and then blowing and drawing - they are far, far cleaner.... so guess this points to one thing, practice, practice and practice.
By the way, I use the pucker technique rather than tongue block. Thanks again,
All part of the learning curve Dave. In a little while you'll be asking yourself,"why did I think it was so hard?". Next step will be finding the 2 6 and 9 holes first go when you put the harp to your lips. Muscle memory will kick in soon and you'll be flying. Special 20 is a very good harp and it's not just for beginners either. A lot of the pro's use them too. ----------
I use 'Special 20's' all the time. Great harp with excellent tone. These are not the easiest to bend however if you're looking to do that sometime. I think Lee Oskars might be easier for beginners.
Wow, some fine tips there from K, thanks for sharing.
A fine example where I am going wrong in the video, certainly will be trying out at the earliest opportunity.
I think I can say the six blow and draw is appearing cleaner as time goes by, the 8th hole I'd say was the grottiest of all on both blow and draw, straight out the box the 6th hole was just as bad even the ducks complained.
Special 20 or Lee Oskar are not my favorite harps but they both are just fine. Everyone has their favorite harp. Before this becomes an opportunity for everyone to tell you which harp is best (or more like which one is worse!), keep the following in mind:
Low-quality, thin reed harps are hard to bend. Think made in China. Anything else is fine and the only difference is how the harp is set up. Most Out-Of-The-Box harps - from any and every manufacturer - are not perfectly set up. A basic part of how a harp is set up is how the gaps are set.
If, at rest, a reed is too close to the reedplate, it will tend to only respond to light breath force. It will choke (not move) when you play it hard. If the reed has a wide gap (is far away from the reedplate) is will be leaky and require a lot of air to get it to start to sound.
The catch-22 is that you need to have experience and develop your playing to determine how your harps should be set for your playing. Yes, you can also screw up your instrument if you don't know what you are doing or are not careful and go at your harp with a sharp pointy object!
Back to Out-Of-The-Box harps: No manufacturer is very consistent. Some harps may have most of the reeds set with a close gap while others may have wider gaps. Some vary depending on the hole (which is the worst for a beginner!) These things are variable from box to box. My first harp had gaps so wide, the thing was unplayable. Others have had great experiences with that same brand. If I knew then what I knew now, I would have set the gaps to the way I like them and that harp would have been a great harp to learn on.
So if you are having trouble with bending a note, I would suggest you work on your embouchure or get a harp of a different key before buying a harp from a different manufacturer. Even better, if you know someone who plays harp or can find a harp teacher, bring it to her/him to show you how to set it up properly.
I prefer plastic combed harps like the Special 20 to the 'regular' Marine Band, although I haven't played a Deluxe or a Crossover. Marine Bands wooden combs shred my lips. The wooden combed ones have slightly different coverplates too, which some people prefer because they are a little more open in the back, so they project better, but it's a matter of taste. Welcome to the forum. :)
Rather than tape I use the finger method to block unwanted holes - I just gotta learn not to blow the unwanted.
Just for fun well, finding out really I ordered a Lee Osker Major Diatonic in C.
Yep, practice seems to be doing the trick and the notes are coming, as someone said 6th hole came first then 5... the others are coming. Usually spend 10 minutes here and there then when all is quiet I spend much longer.
Not really interested in bending at this point, hitting the right notes cleanly both blow and draw I feel is the way to go, then bending comes after I guess
Practice every day and the single notes will come. If you want to get a single note quickly, blow a chord using the 3,4 and 5 holes and tilt the harp up until only the 4 blow sounds. It happens automatically. But you still need to learn the pucker method and eventually tongue blocking to get single notes.
The best exercise for developing the ability to play clean single notes is to play the do-re-mi scale in C on your C harp, up and down: 4B 4D 5B 5D 6B 6D 7D 7B.
Note the breath shift between holes 6 and 7. Play this scale up and down getting the breath shift correct every time and make sure you are starting on the correct hole. No bending required, and it makes absolutely no difference what brand or key of harmonica you are using.
Last Edited by on Jan 26, 2012 9:05 AM
