Level 1 - Tongue Blocking & Saliva
Mon, 05/19/2025 - 15:55
David,
Hi. I've been working on the first and second chorus of 'Walk With Me' for the last week. I'm doing pretty well, but the harmonica fills quickly with saliva compared to puckering. I find myself tapping it to empty the harmonica a lot. I'm wondering how to minimize the saliva to get through a full song and if it's also affecting the sound (recognizing I'm still a relatively new player).
A few questions:
- Any suggestions or techniques to minimize the capturing of saliva?
- How do I tell if the saliva is affecting the sound vs. my tongue placement, mouth size, throat position, harmonica depth/angle in the mouth, etc.?
Thanks.
- Jason
Hello Jason.
1) Chin Up - We tend to look down at our computers as we study, and that creates a great slobber path into our harmonica. Raise your computer monitor, lower your seat, or place your device or sheet music on a music stand that can be raised.
2) Light Touch - The lighter the touch you use with your tongue on the face of your harmonica the better
3) Since you can play in a pucker embouchure and not have this issue, when the issue does arise, check if it's your TB embouchure by switch to a pucker.
Keep at it, this will get better with time, but these tips should help.