Harp is an interesting instrument in that you can play it in ways that sound really bad. And so we begin our quest for good tone early on.
But where does it come from? Opinions doffere even amongst pros.
Some emphasize materials and harp design. Others emphasize how far the harp is in the mouth. Others focus on the shape of the inside of the mouth and the position of the tongue. Others emphasize breath support.
Where do you stand on these? Curious about perspectives from beginners too.
Great topic. Apart from the common methods I have found blocking holes either side of my mouth with my thumbs changes the sound. Also clamping the harmonica with my thumbs both hands accross the base and fingers along the top metal covers limits vibrations and changes the sound. Is that the kind of stuff you mean?
Hello @Hogie.Harmonica I agree with @toogdog⌠this is a great topic
I would guess that articulation has to do with it as well.
For example the tone of the train sounds completely different with hoo hoo ha ha vs Ta Ka Too Ka.
Or the tone of a draw 6 micro bend sounds different if you add a wah sound.
And final example
Draw and blow the rhythm of doo wah diddy vs saying doo wah diddy as you blow and draw gives two very different tones
And I may be confusing tone with dynamics here. I consider myself a beginner still.
Thoughts?
Best
Mike
Tone in my experience is a combination of things. There are several âtypes of toneâ I teach my students. Here is a break down. We call this the five types of tone.
1 Hand tone- tone that we create with our hands as we bring the harp to our face.
2 Head tone- using the resonance of out jaws and mouth and throat to create tone. We can go bright or very dark depending on the head tone we use.
3 Harp tone- the actual make, model and tuning of the harmonica has a huge effect on tone.
4 Technique tone- different embouchures have different tonal qualities.
5 Equipment tone- the mic, amp, set up, and even cable choice can effect tone.
Hope this helps!
Tone comes from your airflow and mouth position.
By changing my airflow I can play bends, overblows, or ânormalâ notes.
By changing my mouth position, namely by the cavity size in my mouth, I can create open, clean, and inviting warm tones, or small and âwhineyâ tones to fit the situation.
I think that the harp type only plays a very small part in the equation. As long as you have a good harp, the harp should stay out of your way. I like Lee Oskar, but the more I play, I find LO harps limiting (bc of overblows).
I read somewhere that when you play harmonicaâŚYOU are the instrument. The harmonica only makes the sound.
Yes sir! It also comes from embouchure, use of hands and how one uses the mic.
imo This is the holy grail⌠This is the heart of it all. This is the chief exploration. Everything else stems from here, the icing on the cake. Head tone is the cake itself, imo.
I used to play more special 20âs. Still play them. But let me tell you, my new Suzuki Promasters with aluminum comb and phosphor bronze reeds are a different animal, tone wise. However, tone comes from many places, as described by others on this topicâŚ
I spent an evening and a day with a Yuanmao Wang, who has developed a really robust Head Tone and Technique tone.
He explained, most players only use volume as an expressive element. But when we also use variation in tone for expression, it is more powerful. And gives more ability to phrase like a violin.
This guy could make you weep playing a simple melody. I have to start all the way back at ground zero and rethink everything about how I play. His playing was so good itâd just stop your heart.
Putting my thinking that back on, and asking âwhat is good tone?â My answer has changed a bit. I used to say âonly playing with good tone (e.g. very open mouth and throat) is a great start but an underwhelming finish - the harp can make other interesting sounds that have a place in music.â
But now, I think a better answer is âuse variation in tone to match the phrasing needs of the melodic line.â
Thereâs a lot to unpack with it and I donât yet know the details of executing it well. But I do know, this guy transcended the limits of harmonica right in front of my eyesâŚand I am a beginner again.
I was told from many elitists on Facebook that the tone from a harmonica comes from the material of the comb, then theyâll try to prove it using a random science paper theyâve pulled up their asses or say âdid (insert old blues harmonica player here) ever use a plastic comb?â, and claim their reasoning is âscientific factâ when itâs not. The old blues players had no other choice but to use what was available to them at the time. I personally donât like the feel of wooden combs, but people tell me Iâm wrong for hating them.
On that same subject, I remember Todd Parrott telling me something about a conversation he had on the phone with Terry McMillan back when he was alive. Itâs been a long time since I heard this story, but when Todd asked Terry about how did he prefer Golden Melodies over the Marine Bands that he used to play in the 70s, Terry said something along the lines of âthe tone comes from the inside of your mouthâ. I might be slightly off with this retelling, so I highly recommend that you can ask Todd about it.
Thanks for starting the thread @Hogie.Harmonica. Interesting topic and I hope the comments continue. Iâm sorry I canât contribute much to the topic myself, except to say that I reckon the more I relax, the better I sound. Iâm not sure what changes anatomically, but I notice it. Thatâs my beginner comment anyway.
I looked up Yuanmao; Holey Smokes, that boy can play a harp. Iâve heard you play also Mate and I think you are very humble to say that he makes you feel like a beginner again. I guess we all want to improve, no matter where we are on the journey.
Yes. Yuanmao is in my opinion going to set the direction for chromatic harp for the next generation. I know he will learn much from others too but his unique approach is wildly differentâŚand strongly superior from a âmake that melody singâ perspective. Dude plays your heart, the harp is just the means of doing the job.
Amy, I think Filisko approach acknowledes each element that can impact tone makes it less of a debate. Youâll always run into people who insist on a particular way, but hey the world is a big place. Lots of ways to do things.
While most tone comes from the player, things like cover plates and combs do have an impact. coverplates, if they have side vents or not has a big impact. And comb material, I notice a difference but it is not a huge one.
Interestingly I got to play a chromatic harp that changes itâs tone and response from the addition of some little blocks that go in the end of the coverplate. Kinda interesting.
I think thereâs a ton more to explore with tone, particularly in how thin/thick differences can provide an expressive advantage.