how to hold the harmonica with small hands
I have small hands and am having a hard time figuring out to hold the harmonica in the ways the beginning section shows and still get my hands to touch at the palms. If I do the first method how do I move the harmonica as I move down to holes 7 and up it puts my right thumb at hole 5 and 6? Or do I just need to invent a way for it to work for me?
Im a beginner in level 1. So everything you said does help alot. I ordered a small mic to put in my hand to see if that helps. I found it on Reverb used for a good price. I know it'll take alot of time I'm going super slow, I'm kind of a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like this. I'm in for the long haul so not expecting anything to happen overnight. I'll keep plugging along. Thank you for your input.
Aidan
I have small hands too. I’m still a beginner so take what I have to say with little skepticism. David puts a lot of emphasis on holding the harmonica correctly and using 2 hands right away. Joe Filisko says he doesn’t let his students use 2 hands until thay can show him they know what to do with the second hand. As a result, I’ve been doing the whatever it takes method.
When I want to close off the harmonica I let the left side of the harmonica slip a little past the webbing of my left hand, so the webbing is actually behind the harmonica just a little to the left of hole 1. If I don’t need the upper holes of the harp I pinch the harmonica with my right thumb and index finger with the thumb on the front of the harp at about 8 or 9 hole and the rest of the fingers behind the harp. I use a Hohner Crossover which has the ends of the cover plates open. At some point I will likely have to seal off those holes to block off more sound. Since I’m still a beginner I don’t worry too much about sealing off sound and just go through the motions knowing someday I will get it right.
The other thing I have found is that even though I don’t usually get a good seal between my palms, as long as my fingers behind the harp come together, I can still produce a good enough Wah Wah. I’m on level 3 now and so far nothing in the study has required me to get my hands closed in around the harp, so at this stage I would recommend be cognizant of the importance of creating a good seal when you need it, but don’t worry too much about it as there are a lot of things to learn about playing the harmonica that are likely far more important.
So far, 100 percent of learning to play the harmonica for me has been impossible; until it isn’t. Most things just take a keep trying attitude and one day I wake up and the problem will be fixed.
Here is something you might want to give a try. I saw Joe Filisko holding a can with his left hand behind the harp like he was holding a bullet mic. I could hear a little echo in the sound and I thought is was kind of a neat sound, so I tried it with various sized small, empty cans and found having something in my hand helped take up some space allow my small hand to seal around the harp a little better. I still haven’t figured out which vegetable can gives the best sound.
Hope that helps. The main thing is to just keep trying and you will figure something out, but don’t let it stop you from learning all the other cool thing there is to learn with the harmonica.
If you do find something that you absolutely can not do then just be the best at everything else and likely no one will know about what your not good at.
Brian in Tennessee