birdman
25 posts
Apr 10, 2008
9:00 AM
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i have never had such sore lips been playing so much since discovering adams lessons well its either that or kissing the wife, i could stop kissing the wife, but i couldnt give up playing the harp, any ideas for my sore lips guys.
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Jeff
40 posts
Apr 10, 2008
9:03 AM
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Very simple: play a harp that doesn't have exposed reedplates.
My practice work-horse harps have recessed reeplates for my comfort. And then I bust out my custom MB's for gigs and special occasions.
Last Edited by on Apr 10, 2008 9:10 AM
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Miles Dewar
2 posts
Aug 17, 2008
10:41 PM
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I found also that with my Hohner Blues Harp that the four corners of the cover plate (the holes on the corners of the coverplate, next to the reed plate) was sharp. i took a file and filed it down a little. but it got sharper! so i just smashed em down. its kind of crude sounding, but its better than playing with cut lips. And bloody harps taste just awful!
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------ Be Positive ------
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LittleJoeSamson
26 posts
Aug 17, 2008
10:58 PM
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There's your Blues name Miles:
"Bleeding Lips" Dewar!
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Aussiesucker
19 posts
Aug 17, 2008
11:28 PM
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Be careful of those sore lips. Some harps still have nickel in their construction ie within the covers (nickel plating) or within the reed plate material. One in 10 adults can have an allergy to nickel (check it through Google). Most allergies recorded are from jewellery in contact with the skin. It's a horrible allergy for harpists as it causes lips to blister. I gave up harp playing 50 years ago as nickel was used by most harp manufacturers at that time however with careful selection and questioning I have found that the harps I now use do not contain the nickel, or it is now coated with chrome preventing any contact. I was told by Hohner that their 10 hole diatonics are now nickel free. I have played harps daily for over 2 years now without problems. Other than Hohner Sp20's I have used LO's and Suzuki Bluesmasters, Promasters, Harpmasters without any problems. I am careful to avoid lengthy playing of any wooden combed harp and harps with protruding reed plates ie MB's, Blues Harps etc as they are very rough on the skin and once your lips are damaged it takes a long time for them to heal unless you are prepared to put off playing for a week or so. If however you develop a nickel allergy it is with you for life and will react each time you put an offending harp near your mouth especially if the skin is already broken.
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boknoy
Guest
Aug 20, 2008
3:58 AM
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I have the same problem. Once I think i burned my lips in four parts. It was so bad that i couldn't play my harp. The burns got brittle in a couple o days and sort of pealed off. But how do you avoid it? Do you constantly wet your lips while playing? Or shouldn't I slide the harp against my lips going up and down?
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Aussiesucker
20 posts
Aug 20, 2008
4:57 PM
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Constantly licking lips is not the answer and in fact it might exacerbate the problem particularly if you live in a dry climate. Drinking plenty of water helps. Having harps that are lip friendly is essential to those who experience problems. Also you should have your condition diagnosed as it could be any number of things ie simply playing too much with rough harps (wooden combs and exposed cover plates), or cold sores, chafed lips due to a dry climate ie dry winds, sun exposure, and not drinking enough water etc or more serious is contact dermatitis on exposure to nickel (an incidence as high as 10% of the population). Most modern top brand harps seem ok but within many of them is still the offending nickel that is often only coated with a barrier to prevent any contact eg chrome plating. This is fine but be aware that the problem can still occur if the harp covers are worn or damaged.Whilst nickel itself is ok it is the salts that are produced by saliva and sweat in contact with the exposed nickel that cause the allergy. If you have it a) its not a pretty site b) you need to give up harp playing until the condition completely disappears and c) you need to be certain that harps you use are nickel free.
Most harp manufacturers are well aware of the nickel problems but getting information out of them is like extracting teeth. I guess they are more aware that in extreme cases they might even be exposed to litigation. I understand that the problem used to be huge in the jewellery industry however, now in our country, I have been told that any jewellery which is in contact with skin must not contain nickel.
I believe that nickel has some very important properties that make its use in many items still necessary eg some surgical implants contain nickel and it is important that they be encased in protective coverings to ensure the salts do not occur and leach out into the body. I understand a lot of research into this is still happening.
I have read that an allergic reaction to nickel might take years of exposure to buid up before symptoms show however once it does occur any further exposure and the symptoms are back within hours or up to a few days later.
I have absolutely no formal qualifications to back up the above ie other than having myself had the nickel allergy.
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boknoy
Guest
Aug 20, 2008
10:23 PM
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Ey thanks Aussiesucker! I think wetting my lips could be one of the reasons. 'Cause every time my lips start dragging the harmonica I wet em. That could be it. Thanks! Although I don't know if my harp has nickel in it. Stupid question, but where do you check? I tried looking online but didn't find anything. By the way, I'm using a Suzuki bluesmaster.
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Aussiesucker
21 posts
Aug 20, 2008
11:32 PM
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I have been using Bluesmasters daily for the last 2+ years without any problems.
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salmon
Guest
Aug 22, 2008
6:20 AM
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I'm also a Bluesmaster user and my lips get a little sore due to playing for too long. In the case of the Bluesmaster I think the problem was due to micro bits of lipskin and general gunk sticking to the coverplates. When these dry out the harp effectively becomes a rasp on the lips. I keep a small piece of shamois leather with me and wet the harp occasionally with my lips and give it a good clean to ensure it is smooth. Shamois is good because there are no fibres to get caught between the reedplates and coverplates.
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Aussiesucker
23 posts
Aug 22, 2008
2:21 PM
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For each set of harps I carry a number of optical lens wipes ie the sort you get with spectacles. The last time I had a pair of specs made the optometrist gave me ca 50 or so wipes. They are small & lint free and you can easily fit them in a harp box along with the harp which also stops 'em rattling. Any lint free glass/ window wipes I also find work well for cleaning. With Bluesmasters I take 'em apart regularly and give them a good wash and hang the bits out to dry using bent paper clips to hook them on the line but not in direct sun. I find with some harps that I have had for years that they look , feel, taste & play like new after their regular bath.
I cringe when I read the manufacturers blurb packed with new harps re not to immerse them in liquid. I think these leaflets were written pre WW1 when all harps were wood. I figure that when you realise what nasties are contained in saliva then soap, water and denture cleansers can't do as much harm.
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