The Mysterious 10 Hole Settings?
Hi Kinya,
I consider myself your online fan, I love your teachings and your overall style as a person and have seen all your videos and posts!
I practice the teachings a lot, but one thing I just could never get right ,partially due to technique but not only, is how to work on a great 10 blow bending harmonica.
Right now I have the gap for 10 set at 0.05" on my harps and it does provide and easy full step bend on that 10, but it appears that I can't "squeeze" the bends on harps higher than G... Meaning I can do a "Bauuuu" sound like on the 8 and 9 - The 10 will just be either root or full, and if I want the half step I can get it by releasing the full a bit, but again, it will be 3 distinct notes, rather than an arch of notes "Bauuuu" squeezing slowly down and up.
I might add that on a G and lower harps, I can make the 10 blow Bauu Bauu all day long and I really like a G for that reason. But for some reason, the same technique on higher harps just doesn't produce the same expression on the 10 blow, and this is why I don't think its 'only' my technique.
So, while I keep working on technique, could you tell us a little about how you approach the 10 hole. The magic happens from the Draw 10 setup correct? What is you favorite gapping for 10 on G/A/Ab/Bb/C/D, do you do anything different with the slot sizing, and how do you test a proper 10 for the best players?
Thanks for any tip! Be it hardware or technique wise.
Hi Millman, the gapping on both the Blow and Draw will be very shallow. Most of the problems I have found, however, with achieving a successful Blow bend on the #10 is more about the player, than the instrument ;o(
You and thousands of other blues harmonica players out there, enjoy the ease of bending the Blow 10 and producing two extra notes with their lower tuned harmonicas. For example, on your G harmonica this will be a F# (') and F (")
In fact, the Blow #10 reed found in your G harmonica are similiar in length, width and weight to the #10 reeds found on these harmonicas: Low D, Low Eb, Low E, Low F, Low F#, Ab and A.
The #10 reeds found on higher pitched harmonicas, such as: Db, D, Eb, E, F, F# and High G are significantly smaller. For example, the #10 reed length on a F# = 12.14mm (.4780") compared to your G #10 reed = 12.16mm (.4790")
If not played properly, I find the higher pitched notes difficult to listen too, (look for my dog Riley, and you'll find me cowering under the bed with him). The bending technique requires excellent tongue mechanics. The reason for this is because the reeds are smaller, so too must your tone chamber (embouchure) be. Whether you tongue block or lip block, the tongue must be firm--not spongy. For instance, when I play the blow bend #10, I lip block. This requires me to push the tip of my tongue firmly against the back of my lower teeth.
If you need an analogy for clarification, think of a toy slide whistle. In order to produce the highest pitch, the plunger on the end the of the slider-inside the tube-must be as close as possible to the mouthpiece.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya