Open Nose? (Part 3)

When first starting on the harmonica most players find the 1 and 2 draws hard to play. Our bodies are wonderful at working out solutions to problems like this... even if we're not aware of what it decides to do! For most players their body learns that if it opens the nose it will relieve the pressure (and changes the tuning) within the mouth, which makes the 1 and 2 draws playable. This solution tends to stay with us much longer than it's needed (we eventually learn that it was the tongue location that was causing this problem) and can cause problems down the road... in this case, running out of air quickly on draw notes (because the air is coming through the nose as well as through the harmonica).

How to close your nose...

1) Try talking as if you have a cold... you're trying to stop that annoying phlegm from running down your throat (that's why when you talk you sound strange... you're not using the resonant chamber of your nasal cavity anymore).

2) Yawn... this closes off the nasal cavity.

3) Swallow... this closes off the nasal cavity (obviously you can't play when swallowing, but this will give you a feel for the sensation we're looking for).