How to properly do a draw 2 on a diatonic 10 hole harp in key of C?

[Hard_Rom]

Can't be me! Must the harmonica!

Lots of tips on the web. But no dramatic improvement. Anyone got more tips?

Thanks.

 

[Hypoxia]

Put your lips together and suck.



I usually ld the harp in my right hand, cup with my left, and hold the harp at about a 45 degree angle, right thumb under the harp, left thumb on my nose. But it's a long nose.

 

[Hard_Rom]

45 degree angle?

 

[may_I_please]

I've been gone longer than I thought

 

[Hypoxia]

45 degree angle?

Sometimes up to 60 degrees. I don't like tongue-blocking so I get the best single-hole control by going more vertical than horizontal. You sloppy slobbery tongue-blockers can drool into your harp all you want. I maintain *some* sanitary standards.

 

[Hard_Rom]

I suck at tongue blocking. Then again I am barely above Silent Night level of competence.

 

[Hypoxia]

You might want to graduate from a diatonic harp to an echo harp like the Hohner Weekender (the world's most popular) or a Suzuki Study-24. You get a bit more real estate (easier to place lips), a bit more tonal range, and a more compete diatonic scale than the Richter scale on Marine Band-type harps. You get an instrument that can substitute for a concertina in Cajun, Celtic, and Mexican music.

My day bag always contains at least four Hohner harps: Marine Band in G for playing low; Blues Band in A for jamming on blues in E; Weekender in C for international pop and the aforementioned ethnic; and Chromonica in C for jazzy stuff. Those are my faves and the Weekender is my fave fave. YMMV.

 

[Hard_Rom]

I have a Hohner Blues Harp MS in C. If all I had to do was bend a 2 draw I would be fine. I think my bending is not bad, for a beginner.

Are the other key harps the same? Lots of what I would like to play are not in C. I got a C because it is most popular for a reason.

It would appear all harp players have most of the keys covered by the time they are any good. Suzuki has a good name and are cheaper than Hohners.

 

[Hypoxia]

C harps are popular because they're cheap and cheap because they're popular. They're also a decent mid-range. The lowest key is G, the highest is F, and some find those too extreme. C is right in between.

Blues harp is usually played in 2nd position -- 'cross-harp' -- so an A harp crosses to E, a good guitar blues key. Your C harp crosses to G, also a good blues key on guitar. Plain diatonic harps in G, A, C, and D will cover most possibilities.

I love the rich sounds I get from my echo harps in G, A, and C -- true mouth-organs. If a blues harp is wailing, an echo harp is filling.

 

[Hard_Rom]

C harps are popular because they're cheap and cheap because they're popular. They're also a decent mid-range. The lowest key is G, the highest is F, and some find those too extreme. C is right in between.

Blues harp is usually played in 2nd position -- 'cross-harp' -- so an A harp crosses to E, a good guitar blues key. Your C harp crosses to G, also a good blues key on guitar. Plain diatonic harps in G, A, C, and D will cover most possibilities.

I love the rich sounds I get from my echo harps in G, A, and C -- true mouth-organs. If a blues harp is wailing, an echo harp is filling.

My music theory is still too weak to have a handle on "cross-harp". As for echo and blues harps, you got me on sound difference. I thought blues harp tuned a bit make some bends easier or more accessible.

Until I can unbend a two draw lots of good blues riffs seem out of my league. Cheating on a 3 blow seems just that cheating.

Learning list

While my Guitar Gently Weeps
Dirty Old Town
Hurt

I play Ode to Joy better the faster I play it.

Just got these ones down I think. Bastardized versions of the real things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me5B9L5kmyo&feature=youtu.be

No hand waving though. That's in the hada hodo practice thing from Harmonica for Dummies.

 

[polymath88]

Practice changing the shape of you buccal (mouth) cavity. Like with bending, it changes the harmonics, which will help you get the correct reeds vibrating.

 

[Hard_Rom]

Had best result after practicing this guys tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ-PYqmKHJA

Do the other key harmonicas have a hard to play spot too?

 

[BuckyDuckman]

Had best result after practicing this guys tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ-PYqmKHJA

Do the other key harmonicas have a hard to play spot too?

I have found the quality of the harp makes a bigger difference than anything else. Cheap harp in, cheap sound out. Like Hypoxia, I'm not a tongue-blocker, either, though I've tossed a harp that felt as if it had a sticky reed or two. Now, I use the testing billows into the store and test each hole, but that's just me. That said, I think most harps get better with age, or maybe they player just gets better at recognizing the subtle inconsistencies of each harp? Tough to tell. A great player can make any instrument sound great. I hate people like that.

 

[Hard_Rom]

It's not the harmonica. It's a nice Hohner. Tested on bellows at store. Good and clean. It's me and me alone.

Still asking if, for example, a key of A harp has a nasty 2 draw or is it just the C harps?

Another tip which gave a tiny tiny tiny improvement was to try do it as softly as possible.

 

[PG13]

http://www.rottenecards.com/ecards/Rottenecards_8510293_j36s55xjb4.png

Kidding aside, tongue blocking for a clean, solid draw is very similar to good cunnilingus technique