Ask Harmonica Expert Winslow Yerxa

Winslow:

While this might be better suited for the Blues Chromatic forum, I figured I'd first ask the expert: continue reading...

Hello Winslow,

I just started playing a Hohner Chromonica 260 that I inherited. It has a buzzy 4th hole. The comb is cracked at that hole, so I'm thinking it must be the comb that needs replacing. A new comb is $35, so it seems worth fixing, although they are sold out on CShop. Haven't investigated other outlets. I should take it apart and make sure the reeds are okay because new reeds are $137 + shipping—and out of stock.

Another thought: is it possible to glue the comb back together?

  continue reading...

Hi,

I'm keen to try a low tuned harmonica but have a few questions before purchasing one.  Do the same techniques used for standard tuned harmonicas apply to the low tunings?  E.g, slaps, pulls, etc.  Is bending harder or the same and can the same notes still be bent, draw and blow?  I was wondering if I'd be able to apply a low tuned harp to the lessons on this site?  Maybe for playing solo, sans jam track, unless there's a way to drop the jam tracks by an octave?   continue reading...

It took me months of stubborn unsuccessful tries before succeeding in bending. Just as David had warned in his lessons... so I must not be the only one to take that long.

I started with this site, so "natively" tongue-blocking. Once, out of desperation, I tried to pucker and bend, and I immediately got some response. It seems far easier to find bending with puckering rather than tongue-blocking. (I did not go on in that way, maybe mastering pucker-bends is also hard, but at least it seems easier to start.) continue reading...

Country tuning is easy but is it possible to tune a harmonica to Paddy tuning?

Hi. It was suggested that I post my question/problem here, for your advice. I have a Hohner Cromonica 270 Chromaic in C. The slide has always been sticky, but today it wouldn't move at all. It now moves with some effort but still sticks. I don't overuse it, and it was sticky from the beginning. It feels like it needs a few drops of 3-in-1 oil (don't worry, I won't do that, but that's how it feels). Can you give me a tip to make it work again? Thanks.

Hello, I'm just curious, not being natively English-speaking.. Some people here say harmonica, others harp.

Are both words used equally, or are they used maybe in different areas?

I am talking about Muscle memory !

I have many different harmonicas and tunes , Major, minor , Paddy ,country and I play around work on them

However I wonder if I am going to have muscle memory and know how to play will this kind of exploring hurt me and prevent my improvement?

I wonder is there any tips, techniques to learn so that as soon as your mouth

lands on a hole you know what hole it is without looking and without even playing it ?

Do players use any sort of technique to learn this?

Will you guys as professional player always know what hole you are on even without playing it at all?

I think I need to learn this , not just for diatonic but I am learning chromatic too and when I look at a note on screen

I need to land on the right hole :)

I ordered a Marine band Db natural minor harmonica

the problem is that when I try to play 3 hole 1 draw it keeps playing obove note C

Please see this

https://i.imgur.com/DVHWnVk.gif

I know how to tune harmonica but I want to make sure I should go for it 

Should I return it?  I suppose all I need is to tune the 3 hole draw reed 1 semi note down right?