Tone of the Harp Gods...
David,
I think in one of the Joe Filisco interviews you asked him how he got achieved great intonation..and he said he overcame the "gag reflex"...and something about how you have to form just the right throat shape to get the best tone for each note.....all bends and natural.
I just read the first few pages of Steve Baker's .. Blues Harmonica Playalongs..Vol 1..and in the first example he plays a 4 draw, 3 draw,4 blow , 3 draw, and then 2 ..2 draws.
In listening to his playing i have to say it does not sound like any of the notes I make....it is totally different..even with no bends. His is first lesson is very complicated with great emphasis on keeping the beat. In which i am totally lost. Anyway his simple natural notes are wonderful sounding.
He also mentions having to achieve unfamiliar throat shapes for tone.
When either of these guys play a note...wow it is a beautiful thing..
Is it really that complicated to get the richness they have....overcoming the 'gag reflex'?
It makes one think that to achieve this tone....some kind of mind over matter is necessary...!
I have a hard time getting great tone on 1 and 2 draw...not much volume. On a C harp my 2 draw is great.
I feel my tongue is down..do i have to think about swallowing my tongue in future to get the tone of the Gods?
Steve
Your answers are always encouraging...the thing that makes you different from all the rest is your talent as a teacher.
Thank you...tongue down..throat open..soft palette closed...onward!
Steve,
I am still a novice at tone, but mine has improved by following the advice of some great instructors that advocate using train imitations to develop tone. I think it is easier to "hear" yourself making progress with the chords while imitating a train. Try experimenting with opening your throat.
Al Taylor
Good tone equals an open mouth cavity... think of it as being the resonant chamber on an instrument (the body of a guitar for example). A yawn is a good example... it drops your jaw, the tongue moves to the floor of your mouth, the soft pallet raises to close off your nasal tract and it opens up your throat... perfect!
The main thing is the tongue... that's the #1 focus. Go in front of a mirror... close your eyes... open your mouth and drop all of your tongue to the floor of your mouth... confirm it feels like it's there... open your eyes... is your tongue really there?
Try these two things, it will make a difference.
Down the road, as a number of years go by, your tongue will learn where it needs to be so that you're tuned to the pitch of each reed your play... this is what allows you to bend at a moment's notice and makes vibrato possible (see my lesson on vibrato)... this happens with time.
Keep working on the elements of good tone I spoke of, but be patient... tone is a life-time journey... thank goodness this is a fun instrument! ;-)