Andrew
743 posts
Nov 17, 2009
1:46 AM
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I went away to a friend's house for a few days this weekend and took my D harp (MB) with me because I've never really blown the thing in or got myself accustomed to the higher harps.
Well, I'd left it in my coat pocket in the cold porch, and my friend wanted an explanation of how it worked (he only listens to classical music). I explained what the notes were and what overblows were but found I couldn't get any, so I just told him I hadn't done much gapping (I couldn't remember, as I hadn't touched the harp for a long time). Then a minute later all the blow notes jammed, so I apologised and said I didn't know why that had happened. Another minute later I was getting perfect overblows and I could even bend the 5 and 6 up a semi-tone, although I couldn't do it on the 4, which is unusual (and it's unusual for me to be able to bend the 5).
So finally I diagnosed that I had gapped it pretty tightly but cold harps behave strangely! The 3-draw bend notes are horribly unstable. I promised him that on the Bb and below they are stable as a rock. I left him thinking that I was shit on the harp, which is probably a fair assessment: I blame the 3-draw bends on me, not on the harp.
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
Last Edited by on Nov 17, 2009 1:47 AM
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wallyns10
87 posts
Nov 17, 2009
2:01 AM
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makes sense that cold reeds would brittle and take a little while to warm up. If you haven't touched the harp in a long time the 3 bends could be a function of you not being used to that size reed and also that it isn't broken in. I think that I am much more accurate with bending to a specific pitch on harps that I play more often. Probably a combo of you and the harp I think. Don't be too hard on your self man
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Andrew
744 posts
Nov 17, 2009
2:23 AM
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You've got to be a little bit hard on yourself or there won't be the motivation to improve.
For me the problem with the 3 bends is that I can use my throat on the low harps, but it's entirely mouth shape and tongue position on the high harps and I find that the notes are incredibly sensitive to the tongue position and I just can't keep it still (let's try to keep this thread innuendo-free!).
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
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wallyns10
90 posts
Nov 17, 2009
2:34 AM
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thats why I tend to use my sinuses when I bend on high harps, but I am trying to get away from that and develop my throat to do more of the work because regulating air pressure with my sinuses takes away from my diaphragm and I get a different almost mellower tone. I like it but I want to expand the range of qualities of (good/better) tone I can get
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