Estrin harp without hands
I saw a YouTube clip of Rick Estrin playing without using his hands, just the harp in his mouth. It's a cool gimmick, but it doesn't work for me at all - air just escapes through the back. Any idea how he does it?
Thanks for trying this out - I'll keep at it too. Seems very difficult to get a seal at the moment.
Not Rick Estrin sorry, but great no hands harmonica playing by Sam Hinton on a small Piccolo Harmonica with guitar.
Hog On The Mountain by Sam Hinton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nwppTZBGIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsgAbDm33Ks
Here is but a sampling of Rodney Dillard’s skill on the “mouth organ”. He performed a 5 or so minute solo at a show that I helped produce several years ago in Kalamazoo, MI. Rodney was all over the harmonica and at a robust speed.
Peter
Sonny Boy II did this, and so does Joe Filisko - it's a very old trick. I think I've seen it in some of those 1920s vintage harmonica tricks booklets.
I've never tried it until now, but putting a stock Marine Band in my mouth, I find that:
1) If I press the back of the harp against my left cheek I can seal off against some of the leakage.
2) I have to avoid putting it too deep in my mouth to avoid gagging.
3) if I lay the edge of my tongue on the holes I can get a single note on Hole 1
4) With a bit more tongue motion I can isolate Draw 4, and then can start to find Draw 3.
Maybe I can play with it more over the next few days and report what I find.