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Join Jason Ricci as he tours Greg Heumann's shop at BlowsMeAway Productions https://youtu.be/OdeY5flcOwU

In Mark Hummel's latest submission he shows how he approaches cupping the harmonica while playing on the high end of the harmonica... in all positions... 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the Chromatic Harmonica.

Dynamics are generally thought of as just a change in volume. If you like to play amplified, you have a great volume PLUS tone tool right in your hands. Experiment with not only changing your volume, but your tone as well by experimenting with how tightly you cup the mic ("tight" is not so much how much muscle you use to grip the mic, but how well you make the harmonica disappear into your cup... minimizing leakage... the less leaky, the more bassy/muted). Experiment with the following combinations...

Overly Tight Cup (Very Muted & Bassy) + Normal Volume -or- Play Softly -or- Play Loudly continue reading...

When playing amplified (bullet mic in your hand), if we assume you have a good cup to begin with (not one riddled with holes), when your hands are...

1) Completely Open = Very acoustic sounding = Used for special affect = Low in volume

2) Slightly Open = Amplified sounding, but not bassy = Used when you want to be heard over the band more, due to the fact that you're less bassy = Slightly lower in volume, but heard easier due to less muting = Louder overall volume

3) Standard Cup = Amplified sound = Good bass, with full bodied mids and distorted highs = baseline volume/tone continue reading...