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intentional windsaver blocking

Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 3:59 am
by notable
:shock: hi,

odd question probably but i just got first harmonica, chromatic 12 hole c by irin.
not too expensive, seems good. i opened it up to have look inside, messing about i found that blocking the windsavers on one side meant it had a less intense vibrating sound and i liked that, a bit calmer maybe?
anyhoo, it was kind of more the sound i wanted so, um, i glued the windsavers on one side closed(in retrospect tape would have been more prudent, or in fact checking on a site like this what the hell i was doing) and added covers for non windsaver 'slots'.
Any advice on what notes/chords are there now appreciated. seems to still do some chords when multi note-holes played. i know zip about these things.
*the highest note-hole 'blow' now sounds only with slider in, the lowest note-hole 'blow' doesn't play if slide in, think a few other note-holes similar but as learner difficult to tell if only playing one hole and not adjacent too. i guess it also depends what side windsavers i blocked? i can reopen to check if needed.
i plan on possibly putting some small holes in blocked ones for notes that are not responding to a blow or draw depending if slider in or out, this may allow a note but keep from being standard high vibration it was originally.
I'm gonna just learn playing, running thru scales to start maybe, cosmic harmonising etc. etc, progressing to melodies in time,
(feel free to be as critical as u like of the idea, i am unfazed. someone might straight away know specifics of these changes and that will be useful for me to be aware of ;)

Re: intentional windsaver blocking

Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2019 2:58 pm
by Brendan
Hmmm... Doing that is cutting out a whole bunch of reeds from sounding! Not recommended.

The windsavers block and un-block themselves advantageously in response to your breath. The idea is that they block the air through the non-sounding reed slot so the sounding reed has a purer sound and better response. On a blow breath the draw reeds are blocked, on a draw breath the blow reeds are blocked - that's how it works.

Gluing them permanently down means the reed opposite will never make a sound. Kind of a waste of reeds and money I'd say...