how to relax
I have been playing for about a year now and cannot figure out how to relax. After playing for 10-15 I can feel my neck getting very sore. I know this is wrong and try to relax but cannot seam to. Are there any tricks; or with more practice does it just come by itself?
Thanks
P.S thank you for using music notation in your lessons. You are the first person I have seen do this; and it is really helpful for those of us coming from another insturment.
Hi david,
I've been trying to use your advise but still find that I am still so tense that my neck and back starts to hurt. I wanted to know if you thought that perhaps if I switch from being a pucker player to tounge blocking if this would help.
thanks
Are you tense just playing a single note (no bend)?
I am really tense in the bend and a little tense with just single notes. I tried to play yesterday to play for 1/2hr without bending. I noticed I started off fine. But slowly the tension starts to build up.
Bending makes me tense faster; but it seams to be something I 've developed in the way I play.
I was hoping that It was just because I was new. But I've been playing for about 2 years. I'm not sore enough to quit the instrument but still know i'm doing something wrong and I really need to fix ( it effects tone I'm sure.)
Thanks
This is a common issue... and is much worse when bending. Your first focus is to get rid of bends and move around the harmonica and specifically focus on relaxing... it will be your 100% focus. Use a song like "Walk with Me" since it doesn't have any bends, but it uses the entire range of the harmonica and some common techniques such as two note combinations and shakes. This is something you can train your body to do... stay with it.
To answer your previous question, yes, tongue blocking is a more relaxed embouchure.
Glad you're enjoying the material. Yes... there is a method. Play an exercise, such as a simple scale....
4+ 4+ 4+ (hold last note)... 4 4 4 (hold last note)... 5+ 5+ 5+ etc.
As you play each note focus on relaxing ALL muscles... even your lips (they're just a gasket... stopping from air leaking out)... play with TOTAL relaxation and focus on keeping your mouth and throat open for the biggest tone you can achieve.
Do the same with bends. Muscle tension has nothing to do with bending... it's all about finding the right placement of your tongue in your mouth... play...
4 4' 4 4' 4 4' over and over, keeping the mouth, neck, shoulders, etc. TOTALY relaxed... this will take the longest, because bending requires thousands and thousands of reps to find the exact position of the tongue to tune your mouth to the proper pitch for each reed. Take your time... enjoy the process of repetition.
The next goal is to bring this same level of relaxation to your song playing. Play it SLOW and DELIBERATE... never tensing.
It's a process, but you'll get it!... we ALL get it... it just takes time and patience.