A couple of people have commented that it sounds like I’m speaking or singing into the harmonica when I play (melodies). I’m pretty sure it’s meant as a compliment, not a criticism anyway. I wasn’t aware of it, until others said it, but I do think about the lyrics when I play, not hole numbers or notes. Now I feel like I do kind of pronounce some of the words through the harmonica, in some songs more than others. It’s also occurred to me that I might be imagining it, because others have put the thought in my head. I’m interested in some feedback, is it even a thing?
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Well,
who knows if you are speaking into the harmonica or not. except you. One of the really famous guys who is older and posts on YouTube does that occasionally to get your attention. I can’t remember his name.
I think it could be that your intonation matches the word. The sound wave matches the one the word makes.
There was an incredible documentary on ABC or BBC about how more than, much more than 50 percent of people, including people who didn’t have dogs, could identify the different sounds a dog made. Help I’m stuck or tied up. Here’s my friend, I know him, I’m so happy. Who are you, you are not a friend, go away, I’m going to bite you. There’s my ball, please get it, I love my ball, it’s so lovely. The humans in the trial got the sentences right from the sound patterns the domesticated dogs had learned to get a human to understand them. Riveting stuff. I believe cats do similar things usually linked to get me food.
So maybe if the people listening to your romantically inspired songs with longish held notes they can hear the words in their heads because you play the notes with those words intonation? just a theory.
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Maybe record yourself. For what it is worth, I constantly talk to myself…I think I’ll try talking to my harmonica instead.
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Nothing wrong with talking to yourself (I do it quite frequently)) as long as you don’t ask yourself what you said. 
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Thanks for the reply Toog. Most songs that I play are indeed romantically inspired types, with long held notes, which is ironic as I’m sworn off romantic relationships for the next 237 lifetimes. Interesting about the pets. I think there may be something to your theory about the intonation matching the words. I’ll go with that for now.
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I play the same way but hear the lyrics and rhythm. if I can replicate them I feel like its getting closer. I/M/O knowing the lyrics and rhythm are very helpful. I am trying Unchanged melody but do not know it well and it shows in my play. I think I have bitten off more than I am ready for. I’ll just listen and try to learn the lyrics but may never really get this on down. I always pick a tougher tune to learn but this one is a beast.
Sounds like you are making progress and as long as this happens you will improve over time. No one near me plays a harp and I am on my own. Practice and what ability I have has gotten me where I am but from now on out progress is going to slow. I do not care as I have no interest in a band or performing. Not five people I know are aware I play the harp. Its just for fun and nothing else.
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I’m pretty much on my own too, with my learning, although plenty of people hear me play. I’ve also had a go at Unchained melody but have set it aside. It’s not that I’m finding it to be especially difficult, it’s just not working for me. I think maybe I’m not that keen on the song. Thanks for your comments, I am gradually making progress, and so are you, I think.
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Some teachers online actually do say to pronounce some…err…weird…words into the harmonica while playing.
Toowhatahuttatuk is one of them. What these online teachers fail to say is these words really just get your mouth in the right position to make a certain sound. I am not sure if this where you were going with this though…
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@Dk360 Im not sure myself, where I’m going with it, but I think your comments are relevant. Yes, there is a lot of discussion about different mouth shapes to alter the sound. Which is the same for speaking and singing, I guess.
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PapaCurly, When I’m improvising then I just play notes which are in my mind. When I’m trying to repeat some song in harmonica, then I act similar to singing, but using not my voice, but harmonica. I think that tabulature-based learning is killing that musical imagination. I think that good moment to abandon tabulatures is when we started play something nice from tabs. Then let play by ear for couple of years. Maybe go back to tabulatures to learn some pro-licks.
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I play a couple of tunes where my intent is to speak through the harmonica. An example is in “If You’ll Be My Baby”, where I speak (while playing) as a response to the vocalist’s line of “If You’ll Be My Baby”. It’s almost decipherable when its played as a response to the vocal - on its own it would be harder to interpret.
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Thank You @JanDomanski and @Maka. Good to know that I’m not completely crazy and it’s not all in my imagination. I don’t know if it will help me play better, but at least my curiosity is resolved.
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Love to hear it!