Metallic clicking on A 1 Draw
Tue, 01/13/2026 - 20:10
I got a Marine Band 1986 A harp a few weeks ago and I've noticed a metallic click on my 1 draws. It usually happens when I'm doing a sharp, punchy draw. Longer, smoother, and gentler draws don't reproduce the sound. It's hard for me to distinguish if the click is happening at the beginning or at the end, but it's only happening once during the draw and not in the middle. Almost as if the reed is being slapped against a part of the reedplate or something.
Is this bad technique on my part or a flaw with the harp? If not me, is there anything I can do to fix the harp?
The most obvious answer is that the reed is hitting the cover when you draw that hard. If it hallened at lower volumes, I'd suspect a burr on the reed or slot, or a badly centered reed, but those thigns would show up at any volume.