Getting Ready To Purchase
Howdy -
RussInVegas here... I'm getting ready to buy my first expensive(for me) a Crossover, and am a newbie to harmonica, & to these lessons... should I get an A, G or C? which one will serve me best as I begin to learn on BluesHarmonica.com?
I have an A Special 20 now but am having problems drawing the 4... dont know if its the harp or just me... any suggestions?
Russ
Thanks for reply -
I'm pretty committed, & will want crossovers once I learn(& after I try them out)
RussInVegas
If you're not sure why your Draw 4 isn't sounding, try this:
Find Draw 1, then slide over to 2, 3, and 4. If 4 (and possibly 2) won't sound as single note, at least locate them.
Now, play a chord with all four notes. Or with just 2, 3, and 4 if a four-hole spread feels beyond you for now.
Listen to the chord, Can you hear the missing note(s)? If you're not sure what you're listening four, sound the individual notes again, identlfy and try to memorize their sounds, and then listen for them in the chord. (Good for developing your ear.)
If a note sounds in a chord but not when you isolate it, it's probably not the harp. (It *might* be if the reed action is set too low, but that's fairly unusual).
To get a better handle on getting reluctant individual notes to sound, try:
- Breathing gently so as not to overpower the reed.
- Opening your mouth and throat into an open cavern, as if you're yawning (but with your lips on the harp)
- Opening your nose to let air leak in - this is a temporary fix, as normally you want all your breath to go through the harp.
I am a newbie also I have bought oscars , hohners ,sydel and sazuki luv them all but what I was going to tell you is I was blowing reeds like crazy just because I did not know what I was doing - not that I know now but- If I were you I would buy cheaper harps to start with then buy the xover later and of course do what they say in the above statements . I would buy a first . It's only the 1st year and I have 9 harps and I am sure Santa is bringing more
It's failry common for new players to blow out reeds by playing too hard or by using suction or pressure that stresses the reeds.
How to overcome these problems? A couple of tips from Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition:
Let the air flow freely in your mouth, with no obstruction.
- Open your throat like you're yawning.
- Drop your tongue to the floor of your mouth.
- Listen to the sound of your breathing - if it makes any sound, you're obstructing the airflow, perhaps in your throat or with your tongue.
Breathe gently with the warm hand exercise.
- Place the palm of your hand an inch in front of your mouth.
- Breathe gently from your mouth so that you can feel the wamth of your breath, but not the wind.
- Now try using the same amount of breath to sound the harmonica, on both blow nad draw notes. You should be able to get a sound. That's all you need to make the reeds sound.
All three harmonicas are keys used to play blues. The A is probably the first purchase a player should make. You can look at this two ways. 1. You already have an A so you could choose one of he other keys. 2. However the Crossover is an improvement over the Special 20. If your having trouble with the 2 draw having an A Crossover might help you uncover wether it's you or the harp. If I was choosing betwwen the G and the C I'd choose the C simply because it takes a different embouchure than the A because of the higher key. The truth is you'll want all three and you'll probably want Crossovers. Another angle is... are you committed for the long term or just exploring? To do some exploring all you'll need is an A.