Dry mouth problem when playing 2 note combinations for a long time
Hello David,
Here I am with another strange question :).
I am curently practicing chorus number 5 of the "Temperature" song.
I have cume upon a strange (for me) problem.
At a certain point after playing those 2 note combinations for a while I get not only dry lips, but the right side of my tongue gets dry as well.
Considering the intensity of the song at this point it is difficult to find a rest long enough so that I can get my mouth wet + get my lips wet + to get the harp wet.
I know it may sound funny, but I am usually a drooler :) and I have had more problems with having too much seliva in the harmonica then the other way arround, so I fing it odd to cope with this issue.
Perhaps the answer would be pretty obvous like "breethe more softly through the harp", but I still have decided to ask:
How can I avoid drying my mouth when playing 2 note combinations for a lont time?
Thanks in advance!
Angel
Hello Angel. You're right, breathing more lightly can help. Breaks in the music (the phrasing, where there are rests) are the places we can deal with saliva issues (swallowing when there is too much spit, and licking our lips when we don't have enough). As you've stated, the lack of rest in this part of the chorus is the challenge. In Chorus 5, the place to do this is after your 2 draws. Don't hold the 2 draws to their full-length... use your tremolo and decrease your volume quickly (which is a common dynamic thing to do anyways). This way you finish the note earlier, giving you time to lick your lips. You won't have much time, so you'll need to make those 2 draws really short. As time goes on, your body will be able to regulate your saliva more easily, and this will be less of an issue. I hope this helps a little bit.