Too much water in mouth
I am new on harmonica and I can see some ppl having problem with dry mouth.
However for me sometimes I will have too much water in mouth that the water actually fills in the harmonica and impacts the sound a bit (by partially blocking the holes I guess). Sometime I may need to stop playing and then do a swallow before I feel comfortable to continue.
Is there anyway to improve this? Is it because I am learning tonge block and wrongly stimate the secretion?
Hi David
Thanks a lot for your reply. Will definately try those tips.
Just one more question. From your tips they seems to prevent saliva from flowing into the harmonica. However will that be chances that too much saliva will be then accumulate inside month and a swallow will be needed?
You're welcome hksarcow. Yes, you will need to swallow when you can.
Thanks again David!
Hello hksarcow. This is a common challenge for players in their first year of study. Here are some tips for you...
1) Head Up - Gravity does a good job of flowing saliva into your harmonica if your head is not level. Raise your music stand (or raise your computer monitor if you're reading from the lesson PDF) closer to eye level, so that you're looking forward, not downward. Not only will this help with saliva, but your neck will be less tired after practice sessions and your tone may improve (less constriction of the throat).
2) Light Touch - Use a light touch with your tongue and lips on the face of the harmonica. The harder you press your tongue on the face of the harmonica, the more saliva you're likely to push into the harp. Using a light touch is also important for good tone, speed (imagine the tongue getting stuck in the holes as you move), and hole accuracy for pretty much any of your tongue block techniques.
3) Tilt the face of the harmonica downwards - This is what I teach in the beginning lessons in regards to good technique for general embouchure (how you place the harmonica in the mouth), but it's also helpful for this saliva issue. Review the basic lessons on how to play a single note on the harmonica for visuals of this.
4) Play Softly – The louder you play, the more there’s a probability that saliva will flow out with your air. Less air can mean less saliva. This will not be an issue after you’ve mastered the above tips, but it’s something you can use now to help, and most players play too loud anyways, so it’s a good overall tip.