F Harp note sustain
Fri, 04/24/2015 - 07:23
3'' whole step bend on F harp, i cant play it at low volume, the aloud note is ok but if I decrease the air flow it stops playing.
Any suggestion ?
Wed, 04/29/2015 - 10:44
#2
Thanks for the advices,I
Thanks for the advices,I reduced the gap on the draw reed and also a bit the blow reed.
That was bettering the situation but even checking the airflow column with tongue blocking it is not still perfect. I bypassed the problem just switching to pukering for that long note :)
Two things come to mind:
The reed may be set excessively high off the reedplate (this is true of recently made Hohner harps if that's what you're playing).
Also, you may be using air volume to sustain the bend instead of oral tract resonance.
Pop the covers off and look at the gapping on the draw 3 reed. If it's more than twice the thickness of the reed, try gently nuding it down with a toothpick, about 2/3 of the lengrh back from the tip. GENTLY. You just want to decrease the gap. Too much and the note will get chokey and may not bend at all.
If you're feeling relatively brave, do the same for the blow reed, but disassemble the harp so that you can do it with some precision, as poking into holes in the dark can produce unexpected results.
But I'd also investigate your technique. Beofre trying the bend, do some belly laughs to get your lower lungs involved in your breathing. If you use the entire air column to bend, all that mass of moving air can sustain a bend even when you move it gently, especially if you have your tongue and oral cavity focused on the note you're trying to bend (bend the note, then pull the harp away and listen to the pitch of the rushing air- it should be the same note you're trying to get by bending).