Position of harp when playing hole 4
Tue, 03/03/2026 - 06:51
Hi David,
I have recently noticed that when I draw on hole 4, the left end of the harp is slightly inside my mouth and when I try to move up say to hole 6, the left side of my mouth hinders that movement. It's like I have to move the harp slightly forward before sliding it to the left and drawing on hole 6
Should I practise playing hole 4 (and possibly hole 3) with the left side of the harp outside my mouth or something else to help with that quick movement to hole 6?
I am attempting to learn the Charlie Musselwhite version of 'Cristo Redentor' which requires this quick movement from holes 4 to 6.
Thanks,
Mark.
Hello Mark. The goal is to have your mouth surround 4 holes as its default size. This way, you can play an octave at any time (there's other good reasons for that embouchure size, but this is the most apparent). If the left side of your mouth is hooked around the harmonica for hole 4, then your mouth is too wide (this is fine for holes 3 and 2, but not 4 and above). To get the sizing of your mouth dialed in, work on Ex. 1.1 in Tongue Block Study 1 (https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/tongue_blocking_1).