Air leaking from the vent on the 2 hole
Fri, 07/31/2026 - 12:35
Hello!
I'm practicing my bends, and I'm able to get the whole step bend on the two draw no problem when puckering, but I get stuck at a half step when I tongue block.
It feels like it's hard to create suction because I have air leaking through the little hole right next to where the coverplate meets the reed plate.
Is there a way I can fix my technique either on the bend or on the embrochure to help with this?
Hello KyleVaillancourt. There are a couple fixes...
1) Your embouchure is wider with a TB (which in general is a good thing), but you can pucker up a little bit when playing 2 so that your lips are not over that crimp point of the coverplate.
2) What I personally do is keep the larger embouchure, but I use a piece of masking tape on the inside of the top coverplate to block that leakage. To do this, take the top coverplate off your harmonica, lay it upside down, take a small piece of masking tape and place it over that area of the coverplate. Trim off excess tape. You can do this for the bottom plate as well, though I don't find it necessary, since the tilt that I use (what you see me use and explain in the videos), has the top coverplate much more in my mouth than the bottom.