Fox Chase
Mon, 08/17/2020 - 08:22
Dear David, I am determined to achieve this.
But it seems I do salivate profusely.
help, thank you.
Wed, 09/30/2020 - 07:30
#2
Scale.
Great tips. Thank you, David.
Now I have raised my stand, I cannot find the 4th note of the scale om my crossover A.
Yes, I followed your instructions.
Wed, 09/30/2020 - 07:43
#3
My pleasure jvmod66.
The
My pleasure jvmod66.
The fourth note of the scale exercise I teach is 6+. Are you having trouble hitting it accurately, or is the reed not sounding for you?
Hello jvmod66. 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.