harmonica

Thanks to Kathy Sherman for sharing this animated video.

How Playing an Instrument Benefits your Brain
http://youtu.be/R0JKCYZ8hng

Close your mouth and yawn. This will give you the sensation of what it feels like when a professional harmonica player with big tone plays the harmonica. The jaw is slightly lowered... middle and back of the tongue is lowered to the floor of the mouth... throat is slightly ballooned open... and soft palate is raised to close off the nasal cavity. continue reading...

Don't argue about the difficulties. The difficulties will argue for themselves.”

Yen Ming Chen speaks of the Sirius Harmonica Ensemble and the Chord Harmonica.

Yen Ming Chen - HOHNER Masters of the Harmonica
http://youtu.be/AuNspLIWEMw

It's always interesting to hear about other styles played on the harmonica.
http://youtu.be/SJd2wGnwnw4

A student asked in the forum this morning how to achieve good tone while bending. I thought I would share my answer with you, it's a common question. continue reading...

If you're new to recording and don't own a microphone to place in front of your amplifier, you can use the Line Out on your amp. This sends a line-level signal (not powered, like the speaker out... don't use that) via cable to your computer. if your computer has a 1/4" microphone input, you can use a cable that runs from 1/4" (out of amp) to 1/8" (into computer). Though the tone of what you're sending doesn't include the sound you like from the power section of your amp, your speaker, or cabinet... it's better than nothing. Yesterday's tip was to use two amps for recording. continue reading...

The next time you find yourself in the studio, bring two amps to play through. Using a splitter or A/B box does the job to send the signal of your bullet mic into both amps. You can also plug in the Input 1 of one amp, and then with an instrument cable run out the Input 2 or Line Out of that amp into the input of the other. The studio engineer will mic each amp separately and will place a third mic in the room to pickup the ambient (room sound) of your rig, especially if it's a live (reflective) room. continue reading...

In this installment of the Masco Chronicles I interview the innovator of P.A. head restoration and customization for blues harmonica, Skip Simmons.

Fellow student SmokeJS has the following tip for you. The special mic he refers to is the bullet mic I had made for teaching mic cupping technique that has a halogen bulb in place of a mic cartridge.

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