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Open mouth, insert harmonica... that simple.

The common error is to bring the harmonica near your mouth and pucker your lips out to meet the face of the harmonica. Your mouth closes down towards the harmonica, the jaw raises (like when blowing out a candle) and the tongue raises with it, all creating a narrow air passage that's the perfect embouchure for thin, wimpy tone. continue reading...

Yesterday I shared with you the important tip of using a yawn to create an embouchure conducive to creating big tone. Today I share the second element of how I create big tone on the harmonica... it's the word "radiant." This helps me to both play softly and direct warm/radiant air through the harmonica. Playing softly is at the core of controlled technique and the ability to play with dynamics (playing softly as your default provides a large dynamic range in performance). continue reading...

Big Walter Horton train imitation lesson with Joe Filisko is now up under the "Train Imitation Study 2 - Artist Studies" at BluesHarmonica.com

Close your mouth and yawn. This will give you the sensation of what it feels like when a professional harmonica player with big tone plays the harmonica. The jaw is slightly lowered... middle and back of the tongue is lowered to the floor of the mouth... throat is slightly ballooned open... and soft palate is raised to close off the nasal cavity. continue reading...