broken 5 draw reed
Hi Dave,
Now that it's happened to me, I have learned from Kinya's videos that fracturing the 5 draw reed is common, and I think you emphasized that it's especially common with beginners. I'm working on The Strut for Level 4, and my 5 draw has gone out. I'm thinking that the 5-4 draw sequence in Chorus 1 and 8 and the second one in Chorus 7 contributed. How can I play that music without damaging my replacement reed or harmonica (haven't decided yet).
Thanks for your advice!
Nance
OK. Thanks for the tips. I think Kinya's instructions for replacing individual reeds is beyond my ability. Do you recommend replacing the whole reed plate, or should I just get a new harmonica?
A related question ... until I either get a new reed plate or a whole new harmonica, I'd like to keep working with the website recordings - right now the 30% slow version. I need to alter the key to play with one of my other harmonicas. I use Transcribe to alter the keys of songs I'm learning, but the Strut recordings are on Webloc. Transcribe won't let me import them. Is there a way I can get access to the 30% and 15% slow versions of the Strut so I can keep working on it until I've got a functioning D, or do I need to just wait? I've been on a roll with this, but I can focus on other things if need be.
Hello Nance. It gets down to convenience and cost. I don't think the reed plates (they're sold as a set... both draw and blow) are easy to get, and cost pretty darn close to a new harmonica. With this in mind, most people just buy a new harp. If you have a more expensive model (like a Hohner Crossover), you may want to contact someone like Joe Spiers to replace the reed (one of my students recently told me he has an inexpensive reed replacement program).
Great idea to change the key of the track. I was not aware that the songs on the site were on Webloc. Have you tried to right-click the link and "save as" to your desktop? If that doesn't work, send me an email and I'll change the key for you and send it your way.
Sorry to hear about your harmonica Nance. There are three things to keep in mind in regards to longevity of your 5 draw (and all reeds)...
1) Volume is the #1 killer of harmonicas... play softer
2) Play with less tension... I'm not sure why (volume is easy to understand), but I've noticed that students that play with a lot of tension (tongue, mouth, neck, shoulders, etc.) not only have poor tone, but they tend to kill harmonicas quicker.
3) Don't bend farther than the reed can go... the 5 draw can only bend a little bit (almost a half step), so be careful not to try to bend it farther than it can go.