breath

Our most common position is 2nd Position, and when playing in 2nd Position we draw (inhale) much more than we blow (gives us access to draw bends). For this reason, every time you pick up the harmonica to play your reflex should be to exhale before starting.

This is consistent with 3rd Positions as well, but not so for 1st Position where we focus on playing more blows than draws.

In Hob's first lesson we cover holding the harmonica; cupping a bullet mic; throat tremolo; importance of playing softly; playing with a relaxed embouchure; closing the nose for breath control; Solo Harmonica Study 1, examples 1.2 and 1.4; Tongue Block Study 1, example 1.2 and Walk With Me Study song, Chorus 1; Music Theory Study 1, Section 1; and bonus footage on the definition of tone in music, and how to create big tone on the harmonica. http://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/hob_bosold

Today's exercise is fairly simple, but is exactly the way you'll use your new-found power of nasal cavity control. Play the following bass line, one note per beat...

2 3 4 5+

Follow these steps:

1) Exhale before starting

2) Make sure your nose is closed

3) Play the 2, 3 and 4 draws being conscious that your nose remains closed

4) Open your nose for the 5+ (bring your bellybutton to your spine to help get rid of your air quickly)

5) Close your nose when the 2 draw comes back to repeat the lick

Now your goal is to open and close your nose in middle of your breath stream.

Again, start with a deep breath and play a single blow note on the harmonica with your nose closed. After two seconds open it (thinking as if you're blowing your nose) while the note continues to sustain and feeling your bellybutton go to your spine to use your diaphragm to help get rid of air. Close your nose after two seconds, stopping the air from leaking through your nose so that air is only traveling through your harmonica. continue reading...

Hopefully you had some success learning how to close your nose from last week's tips. Let's now exercise that skill. continue reading...

Before you can explore how to use the opening and closing of your nose to balance your breathing while playing the harmonica, you first need to learn how to close it. Here are some ways to explore closing your nose. Try all them, you may find one that works better than the other. If you're not sure if your nose is closed while trying one of these (in other words, if the technique is working or not), simply plug your nose to see if there's a marked difference. Another way to check is to place your finger under your nose. continue reading...

For most students, the slippery slope of opening the nose while playing the harmonica begins unconsciously. Their body learns that if the nose is opened, the issues of unintentional bending of holes 1 and 2 are fixed. When opened, the tuned size of the mouth cavity that was causing issues with that hole/note is combined with the nasal cavity, creating a cavity that's lower in pitch than those reeds can be bent to, which results in better tone and no possibility of unintentional bending. continue reading...