David's Tip of the Day: Nose - How To Control It, Part 1

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

Take a deep breath and play a blow note on the harmonica (any hole). Keep your nose closed. After two seconds open your nose. Air should rush out of your nose and your upper body should visibly deflate (unless you have good posture... which most blues harp players don't ;-)... then you'll only see/feel your stomach sink in (bellybutton to your spine is what breathing specialists suggest you visualize). You should run out of air within four seconds. If you're able to hold the note for longer, your nose is still partially closed and you'll need to continue your work on learning how to fully open your nose.

The key is to really feel the sensation of your nose being closed when you start, and really feeling the air rush out when you open it. You may need to think like you're blowing your nose when opening it, this helps to link a common sensation with this new focus of control while playing the harmonica.