nose and tone
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 13:41
Hello David,
I have been working Solo Harmonica lessons. My 2-3-4 blow and draws lack your power. I have held my nose and seems I get better tone...or maybe holding my nose creates more resonance in my head and just sounds better in my ears.
I am finding that I might have established a bad habit in balancing my breath by breathing through my nose. However in watching your video in Solo I can see your nostrils flaring so you are using your nose too it seems.
Should I be avoiding using my nose as much as possible?
By the time I get to the 4th note I have lost much power to get the reed to move....and it seems bringing air in through the nose actually get the reed going easier.
What do you think?
Thank you!
Steve Lucey
If your embouchure is causing a reed to bend slightly (tongue commonly humped up), then yes, opening your nose will help it sound, especially when you first hit the note, and even more so the louder you play it. I do use my nose a lot to balance my breath... you may just have the nose "too" open, causing "too" much air to come in and out.