@yuriythebest great to hear your progression. You’re getting much closer! Just the last few notes off, but this last one is really starting to sound more like Happy Birthday. Keep on playing my friend!! 
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thanks Luke! Your happy birthday video was basically a “rosetta-stone” of harmonica techniques where it’s just so much more than “learning to play a tune”, and thanks to this thread I was set on the right track as I was initially practicing doing the wrong thing.
I’ve now moved on to practicing the “level 2” version, with some bends thrown in from level3 - still far from perfect but I’m stoked at my progress
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What a cool thread to see your progression, congratulations 
Makes me think back to my first experiences with the harp and many of my doubts.
This last version is really starting to get it.
I felt like in many of the earlier versions you were rushing through it.
Obviously, the advice of @Slim and @AstridHandbikebee63 is right on the button.
BTW…
Playing the right notes helps a lot! 
Maybe the only thing I can add it to try doing it without the tabs after you’ve played it for awhile.
In your mind imagine people singing the HAPPY BIRTHDAY song, or whatever song your playing, and try to replicate those sounds on the harmonica.
Tabs have always confused me a bit, but I understand their importance in the process.
In particular often to make sure we are playing the RIGHT notes when our EARS deceive us 
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The higher notes can be a problem. The -8 was my hated note. The easier I play it the more I get along with it. Its just another note now. Someone mentioned that you should move air through your mouth about as hard as you would blow out a candle and they were spot on. Practice and persistence will always get you moving forward. Keeping the harp back in my mouth and dropping my jaw a bit reduces the size of the lip opening, which helps me play a clean note. Practice never hurt me either. Just don’t expect too much too soon and play the basic scales and a few songs you know. You get one down then another. The one I am tackling is El Condor Pasa. Its a tough one but all I know at this point is a few lines. I like songs that make you move up and down the harp to get all the notes in your practice routine.
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Thanks HarpinBobbyMcB, scott4! I’ve been practicing more and now I’m finally becoming happy with the result of the Level3 version
- My biggest hindrance right now really is the harmonica getting wet inside after around 10 minutes, after which I have to leave it to dry. I noticed this is a problem for me only if I try bending/single/clean notes like in the above example. “Shaking” the harmonica does nothing, since it’s not like there is a ton of water inside, it’s just a thin layer I think that clogs it up. Has anyone had experience using a blowdrier, will it damage the harmonica reeds?
- it still takes lots of tries to be able to record a “good” version
I figured out that for more consistent results at this stage, posture really is key
Another thing I like about the deep placement is when you seal off the corner of your mouth and drop your jab a bit it narrows the size of the opening of your lips. This is has helped me with clean notes, which I strongly feel is the most important thing to practice. You might play a song initially but not recognize it. over time you get the timing down and them clean up the notes as they should be played. I may listen to a song 20 times until I get the timing down. You can have a mansion to live in but unless the foundation is good the house is not. I believe single notes are a large part of the foundation you have to have to move forward but that’s just my approach.
Scott
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Hi all! I think I now have a better understanding of why my harmonica becomes “clogged/wet/hard to play” after a while
Sure, some of it is due to moisture. BUT, something else is a contributing factor and something I don’t see mentioned: the diaphragm, that is:
- Inconsistently using your diaphragm depending on posture
- My diaphragm getting tired. This second one was not obvious at all, but I think this is key. It’s not so much that the harmonica would get “wet”, rather that my lungs would be tired and I wouldn’t notice, which would lead me to using it less and thus contributing to more moisture entering the harmonica from improper breathing. In fact, something I initially attributed to “bad room ventilation” - that is, me getting sweaty after sessions, I now think is more akin to “workout sweat” since you are actually having quite the workout.
I started playing using this posture, since it helps open up the diaphragm, and while I still need to practice more to confirm, this seems to be having a good effect. It may not look “cinematic/theatrical”, and makes me look like a 5 year old, I think after a while I hope to train myself so as not to need to be in this posture.
Sounds to me like your harmonica is not deep enough into your mouth. You’re not getting a full resonant sound.
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