HOW TO PLAY HARMONICA

[masterwindu]

hi,

new to the forum. you'll find this site very helpful. wish i found it before i started learning how to bend (and wore out reeds on my first harmonicas   )

http://www.audiocd.com/blues.shtml

it has instructional mp3s on how to bend, chug, play clear single notes etc.. found it when browsing www.jt30.com, a site dedicated to amplified blues harmonica.

glad to find people i could talk to about blues harp. i'm particularly interested (obsessed really   ) with vintage microphones used for harp playing.

sam

[430nmtune]

i just repainted a calrad dm9 clone made sometime in the 70's. It is my favorite mic now. i like it better than my bluesblaster. it can be a feedback monster but it worked with the pro junior.

[masterwindu]

cool    haven't come upon any old mics with the ideal size of a calrad.

my "main mic" is an astatic dn-200 with a shure CM element. currently having the grill chromed. tagal. 1 week for a small piece of metal.  

hey, any idea where switchcraft mic connectors are available locally?

[430nmtune]

I usually look for electronic parts somewhere in quiapo area near the back of the church.(Raon area)

[serpentboy]

I can only dream of these mics (literally speaking) of yours...

Been trying to find vintage mics/clones/reissues here in Cebu for some time now, to no avail.  The last several times I played blues harp was more of an acoustic type = Sennheiser mics to PA system, tsk tsk tsk... the sound was too thin, had to resort to "hand manipulation" to alter the sound.  Twice I even had to cup the vocal mic coz the volume was too low, and the sound produced was not good. (EXCUSES...EXCUSES, hehehe!)

Anyway, I'll keep searching for the elusive mics...

KEEP ON WAILIN' DUDES!

[masterwindu]

serpentboy, here’s a link which has articles on how to get a good sound through a PA.

http://www.hunterharp.com/ddamppa.html

It presents some of options for harmonica players aside from the usual vintage mic through tube amp set-up which I prefer. Some players have managed to simulate classic blues harp tone using modern dynamic mics and multi effects pedals. The site’s not that user friendly but it’s PACKED with useful info.
Try surplus shops for mics. I once found an old great sounding japan made voice recording mic for a measly p200. hehe

430nmtune, thanks for the tip! Will visit raon when I have the time.

sam

[430nmtune]

Serpentboy get a POD 2.0 and you can just plug directly to PA using any vocal mic.

Masterwindu, my best mics are the cheapo ones. hehehe. But i am still saving up for a green bullet(even the dx520).

[serpentboy]

Thanks for the advice, masterwindu and 430nmtune! I hope to learn more tips and tricks from you guys.  

I guess the POD 2.0 is not that cheap... any other brands/models that you can recomment guys? How about behringer v amp? I know it's much cheaper but I'm not sure of the quality though.

Have you any other tips for amplified harp playing? Right now I only have my harps and a practice amp as my equipment.

Thanks in advance, gentlemen!

KEEP ON WAILIN!!!

[masterwindu]

serpentboy,

if you happen to have talent with a soldering gun and some background with electronics (and time... and patience... ), there are online instructions on do-it-yourself harmonica microphones with volume control. forgot the site. just google it. will pm u when i find it.

the materials needed for such are readily available in electronic stores. EXCEPT for the microphone cartridge (or i'm not looking hard enough hehe).

sam

[serpentboy]

serpentboy,

if you happen to have talent with a soldering gun and some background with electronics (and time... and patience... ), there are online instructions on do-it-yourself harmonica microphones with volume control. forgot the site. just google it. will pm u when i find it.

the materials needed for such are readily available in electronic stores. EXCEPT for the microphone cartridge (or i'm not looking hard enough hehe).

sam

@sam - Yup, I've gone thru that site, I think they call it the I-Mic! Unfortunately, I dont have the talent for soldering...

Bro, I'm sure you have lots of experience with harp playing.  What are your "secret" tips in instances when you're invited to play (jam) and you cant meddle with amp/mic settings?

And whats the "cheapest" blues harp setup (mic/amp) that you can suggest?

BTW, the sites you mentioned were great! Thanks MUCHO!

KEEP ON WAILIN'!

[masterwindu]

Still learning, really. I’m re-learning the bending technique. Coz when I began experimenting, maka-bend lang ng konti, ok na. turns out I was using too much force trying to bend (thus worn harp reeds). Also just beginning to incorporate tongue blocking in my playing (thank God for plastic combs)
 
As advised in many articles I’ve read, air-tight cupping of a mic could bring out a better sound tru a PA giving better volume and bass response, tone and more options (use of hand effects etc..) I guess it would still be best to be able to tweak amp settings (bass up at 7-8, treble down to 2-3).

I’m actually constructing my first “i-mic”. Hehe. Couldn’t find a dynamic cartridge so I took our old busted karaoke mic and cannibalized its element (which still works). Hope to have the time to complete it by next week. The materials are inexpensive. You just have to find a sturdy shell where all of them fit into. If and when I make it work can I only claim to have found the cheapest (and at least decent sounding) harp mic setup. Hehe.

Sadly, buying a good harp amp is never cheap   . But these amps (especially tube amps) ARE good investments.

sam

[serpentboy]

@sam - (Now I'm wondering if I'm using too much force with my bending or not...)

Tongue-blocking - I only have a vague idea on what this is and how this is being done.  Can you enlighten me a little, master? With this method, do you play only a single note or more than one? Is there a specific effect on the tone/sound produced?

By the way good luck on your I-mic making! Maybe you could post a pic of your final product? Do you accept orders online? (hehehe...)

Thanks for the tips bro... and MORE TO COME!!!

-glenn

[masterwindu]

Its a technique which is supposed to produce better tone. A lot of info online re tongue blocking. The mouth is open wide enough to play 4 holes (sometimes 3), the tongue is placed over the first 3 holes allowing you to play a single note. Octaves can also be produced by placing the tongue on the 2 middle holes and playing the 1st and 4th holes. Some players use this exclusively as their embouchure (too difficult for me…maybe later). For now, I’m trying to incorporate octaves into my normal playing.

Right now, I’m looking for a smaller potentiometer for my mic. The one I have is too big. Can’t fit it into the ‘shell’ (old flashlight). Will post pix when its finished (sana gumana). Orders? Hmmm.. hehe. The i-mic is actually a simple circuit which you can do yourself or have done by an electrician. The real prob is fitting the electronics into a shell of your choice.

sam

[serpentboy]

Thanks for describing both tongue blocking and octaves in layman's terms!

I'll be following in your footsteps... try ko din yung octaves. If i may ask, how does the tongue-blocking technique differ (in terms of advantages/tone/sound, etc) from a normal embouchure (method)?

Good luck on your i-mic making!  

[masterwindu]

many prefer tongue blocking coz of the tone produced due to airtightness. less air leaking, fuller tone. disavantage: requires patience. hehe

my first i-mic is alive!   :biggrin:  prob is, can't figure out how to post pix directly from my computer. duno if its allowed in this forum. help, anybody?

[430nmtune]

Congratulations on your i-mic Sam. I wanted to make one but the total price of the materials was higher than my fav cheapo mic hehehe.
If we get creative we dont have to lose a limb to get a nice set -up.

My cheapo (<Php5000) set-up:
vocal dynamic mic  50 pesos
Kustom 12A tube  3800  pesos
Danelctro Reverb Mini-Pedal 350 pesos

All bought brand new. hehehe.
the mic was old stock (from 70's). I had to repaint it.
Tube Amp and Effects was on sale.

[serpentboy]

many prefer tongue blocking coz of the tone produced due to airtightness. less air leaking, fuller tone. disavantage: requires patience. hehe

my first i-mic is alive!   :biggrin:  prob is, can't figure out how to post pix directly from my computer. duno if its allowed in this forum. help, anybody?

Congratulations sam!!!  

For the pics, you could upload it thru photobucket.com and then post the link here.

TEll us some more about the sound/tone of your I-mic. How about posting some audio files too?

Yesterday, i had another failed attempt at finding old mics at downtown cebu. I think I'll settle for a very very cheap mic, hoping that its cheap components would somehow be easily "overdriven" so that it would sound muddy. WHo knows, it might be the perfect mic for me!

Keep on wailin'!!!

[masterwindu]

430nmtune,
cool setup! Especially for the price.  =D> Sure beats the “cheap” ($350) amplified harp setup in a site I browsed (sm57 ksi recommended ‘cheap’ mic, ang mahal!!!). And p350 for a dano minipedal?!   Where?? Particularly interested in getting a danelectro pb&j. I’ve always wanted to experiment using delay for harp.

serpentboy,
Will try to post pix when I create a photobucket account. The mic sounds good tru a tube amp. Not that much bass response tho but good enough. Still looking for a pot small enough to fit in the tight shell.

Making an i-mic was a really satisfying thing for me. Just something I HAD to do. Prob is…nakaka-adik!! Plan to construct my next one. This time using a more bullet-shaped shell. More space for any volume pot.

sam

[430nmtune]

Mas mahal pa yung sm57 ko kaysa fav set-up ko. hehehe. The sm57 is excellent for acoustic playing sabay vocals....i still cup it sometimes.
Ano tube amp mo Sam?
Mini pedal was bought in a warehouse sale 3+years ago overseas.
Delay is very nice for fattening the sound.

Serpentboy just get any cheap dynamic mic and try it on the amp that you want to use. No need to spend more than a couple of hundred pesos.
The lesser the frequency range response the better ... para ma cut ang high frequency hehehe.

[masterwindu]

i use a fender princeton reverb.  thought dito lang pinas sale ng minipedals. nice buy!

btw, here are pix of the i-mic. made using a busted Coleman Armorclad flashlight. the shaft was wide enough to fit in an xlr connector. plan to add a volume control on the ‘on’ button as soon as i find a small pot. put a wool grille cloth over between the grille (from a McCormick cayenne red pepper shaker hehe) and the element to muffle the sound a bit.

[serpentboy]

@sam - WOwwww... ang ganda ng mic!!! inggit ako... can i have it? hehehe....

Just tell me if you accept orders online bro!

How about posting some audio files recorded thru your mic?

[430nmtune]

Cool job. Looks so light. I have one busted calrad dm9 shell which might be good for refurbishing. But i guess it is different if alll the materials are improvised. How does your i-mic sound with the princeton?

[masterwindu]

finally found a pot, square body instead of the usual round pots. here’s the mic with a volume control.



will see what I can do re audio files. don’t have anything to record with except for a phone which yields low quality .amr sound files. the mic sounded a little too bright before I put in the thick wool grille cloth. sounds good with my usual settings: bass 7-8, treble 2, reverb 3.

430nmtune, is the calrad’s element still intact?

sam

[430nmtune]

@Masterwindu:

Ayos ang i-mic mo! Di ko alam kung ayos yung element. I don't even think it is an orig Calrad...clone pero 70's era din. I have a working one and like I said before it is my fav mike. Mura lang kasi and works well with small tube amps pero di kaya ng Danelectro mini amps.