How to tell if a reed is problematic?
Hi,
Total beginner here, just started on David's lessons and really enjoying them! Except my brand-new Marine Band A seems to have a problem with the 5th hole draw. (Or I have a problem there, I'm not sure!)
Practicing tongue blocking, I can successfully block holes 1, 2, and 3, and blow and draw just hole 4. I can successfully block holes 2, 3, and 4, and blow hole 5. But the DRAW on hole 5 is incredibly weak. It sounds strangled and muted.
I can proceed up the harmonica, tongue-blocking three holes and blowing/drawing the fourth, making a reasonable tone with reasonable volume of sound.
I can also successfully block holes 2, 3, and 4, and blow AND draw hole 5, on my Marine Band C harp.
If I pucker around hole 5 on the A harp, it still sounds strangled and weak.
Do I have a reed problem? If so, should I return the harp to where I bought it from? Or is it impossible to tell whether it's the reed or me??
Thanks for any advice!!
- J.D. Walker
Thank you Master Yoda! Very clear, your explanation is, and continue to practice and maintain calm, I will. I will trouble you with a clip of my playing at this time not, but proceed with patience and determination, I will. Herh herh herh.
You very much thank.
- J.D. Walker
May the force be with you JD Sky Walker
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Hmmm JD hopefully it is just a matter of practice and not the instrument. Today is not a good day for me. I have just blown 2 harmonica reeds, my Bb and Low F, both 5 draw. Working on my LoA7 these are the 2 harps that I need for both the study songs. Dam. These two harps have a had a lot of practice miles in the last few months but it always surprises me when the 5 goes as its hardly used in the two songs Im working on and my bending relys on tongue placvement not effort.
Hi John, you are not alone--draw reed 5 are replaced more than the other 19 reeds.
With most of us off today celebrating July 4th, you may have time to review Harp Tech Study Series Videos: #3 "Tuning" and #5 "Reed Replacement"
Harp Tech Study Series can be found by navigating to the top banner of your screen, then select EQUIPMENT, then scroll down to HARMONICAS and make your selection. Enjoy and congratulations on your LOA journey!
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Kinya many thanks. I'm not patient enough to replace individual reeds so opt for replacing the whole reed plate set. Manji have a riverted system and I'm not that keen to get into that but thanks for the reply and suggestion. I enjoy your instructional videos.
Understood John. Few racers ever work under the hood of their cars ;o)
Again, good luck on your LOA certification
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Master Yoda,
I must humbly come to you with yet another difficulty! I am having a hard time making anything like a decent sound with the 2nd hole draw on my A harp. It's similar to the problem I described with the 5th hole draw, but worse: the note will barely sound at all, even with a good hard draw on the hole, and it sounds strangled and muted. It isn't a problem with the pitch, but with volume and character.
Is this also a matter that will get better with practice and time??
As always, I remain,
Your loyal and obedient servant,
J.D. Walker
Hi JD, using your 3 blow as a reference, your 2 draw should sound similar. If not, your tongue is humped up too high (closet to upper pallet)
Drop your tongue to the bottom of your mouth, and while pretending that you are Santa Claus, say "HO HO HO". Record yourself, and during playback--the moment you hear a convincing Santa Claus, try playing the 2 draw again.
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Thanks for your advice, Kinya. I'll keep working to produce a good sound on these holes.
What's confusing is that some holes seem to be much more demanding with respect to tongue position and embouchure than others.
Will keep at it!
Best,
J.D. Walker
Right--confusing and damn right maddening at times! I've always looked at it this way ...
There are 32 notes available to the competent diatonic harmonica player. This includes the 12 standard (not including overblow) hidden notes revealed to us only through proper bending techniques, added to the 20 native notes built into each diatonic harmonica.
This means we lift, shift, tug and pull our mouths into 32 different positions! Each note we play on the diatonic, must be pre"tuned" inside our mouths (embochure, tongue position, etc.) for the magic to happen ;o)
Your Harpsmith, Kinya
Hey JD, welcome to the wonderfully whacky world of harmonicas!
The way blues harmonica players approach the diatonic harmonica, the draw reed 5 happens to be the "flatted fifth" of our blues scale--tuned slightly flat to produce a smooth chord (combining this note with surrounding notes). In addition, the spread between the top blow reed 5 and your draw reed 5 is only 1/2 step (scale degree) from each other.
Yikes--sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo I know, but experience has shown that many harmonica players will have a tendancy try to create a new note in hole 5, by bending. This is impossible, because the spread between the top/bottom reeds has to be at least 1 whole step. The net effect is that the reed will sound exactly the way you described it.
If you can not send me a sound clip of you playing the 5 draw (for my assessment), then just be patient while perfecting your technique, and all will be well--your calm will be restored--there will be balance in the universe.
Your Harpsmith, Yoda (Harpsmith)