G harp question
I've looked though the old threads and I don't think anyone has asked this before, when i play my G harp 2 and 3 holes i find that it's easier to produce clear notes when i decrease the size of my mouth cavity, unlike when playing the 3 hole draw on the A where dropping my jaw to increase my mouth cavity size makes it easier to sound the note. I'm assuming this has something to do with the resonance frequency of my mouth being wrong for those particular notes on the G harp? I also realize that although i get clearer notes with a smaller cavity, i get a more duck quacking kind of sound (bad tone). does anyone else have this problem?
The 3 hole draw sounds like it's going into the start of a bend and then sounds normally when i try and open my mouth really really big. There's some resistance and then it sounds. I've heard harmonica players talk about reeds being 'not responsive'. is that what they're referring too? I'll try adjusting the gaps and see if it helps. It's a golden melody in G.
The 3 hole blow also has quite a bit of resistance (i wonder if that's what chris michalek is refering to when he mentions back pressure in his interview). I'm going to try increasing the gap to see if that helps. Blow reeds should be affected by the insides of the mouth that much right?
Sorry, it's not the harmonica... it's technique... keep working it... it's VERY common... I work with this every day.
roger that : )
You're 100% accurate in your assessment. By tuning your mouth higher in pitch you've stopped the problem, but have produced a less resonant chamber = poor tone. Continue focusing your practice on creating a larger cavity, to tune your mouth lower in pitch that that reed can bend to = larger resonant chamber = big tone. It's your tongue that's the culprit... keep experimenting, you'll get it! Yes, everyone has this problem, on some harp, on some reed - everyone's mouth/tongue is different.