Disassemble a harp. Press the draw reedplate to your lips. Draw through one of the reed slots. Now, bend that note. Pretty strong and stable right? Almost as good as an interactive reed bend.
This mimics using a half valved harmonica… But not really. Trying to get that same crisp bend on an assembled harp is much more difficult. Especially trying to hit the bend directly.
Why is this? I’ve thought about chamber size, how well the valve seals off the opposing reed, various comb configurations. None offer a definitive answer. Too bad. I’d use a valves harp if this could be addressed.
Any insights or remedies?
Half valved harp frustration
Re: Half valved harp frustration
Isolated Reed (valved) bends are never going to be as stable and controllable as Interactive-Reed (double reed) bends. It's the way of things, that's just how it is.
Re: Half valved harp frustration
I don't know why it is, but I've found that valve bends on the smaller reeds (holes 6 and up) always sound nice and strong compared to holes 1 through 4.
Re: Half valved harp frustration
@ Riverharp: a couple of practical things you can try are:
1. To reduce the 'blanking out' effect of valves bends, and to make them easier to hit as bent notes, try increasingly the reed gap of the valve-affected reed. On a Richter harp, that's the lower 6 blows and upper 4 draws.
This works well on a fully valved harmonica, but on half-valved harps there's a corresponding negative effect to consider. Widening the gap will make the opposite reed more 'airy' with worse response, so don't go too far.
2. Try trimming the end of the valve back from the end of the reed. Try 1mm, maybe 2mm. Even with a gap the valve will still do its job, but there will be a slightly more airy sound closer to an un-valved harp, and you might find the valved bend more controllable.
1. To reduce the 'blanking out' effect of valves bends, and to make them easier to hit as bent notes, try increasingly the reed gap of the valve-affected reed. On a Richter harp, that's the lower 6 blows and upper 4 draws.
This works well on a fully valved harmonica, but on half-valved harps there's a corresponding negative effect to consider. Widening the gap will make the opposite reed more 'airy' with worse response, so don't go too far.
2. Try trimming the end of the valve back from the end of the reed. Try 1mm, maybe 2mm. Even with a gap the valve will still do its job, but there will be a slightly more airy sound closer to an un-valved harp, and you might find the valved bend more controllable.
Re: Half valved harp frustration
Yes, I am aware that valved bends will be more tricky than dual reed bends. Still, it seems to me that activating an opening reed is stronger and more stable when holding just the reed plate to my lips as opposed to a fully assembled harp.
One tip to anyone aiming to hit those missing notes straight away (without bending down to the note) - try Not to articulate it. It's a bit of a trick to tune your embouchure to quickly hit a note without a strong articulation but it helps prevent the blank out that often occurs with this type of bend.
One tip to anyone aiming to hit those missing notes straight away (without bending down to the note) - try Not to articulate it. It's a bit of a trick to tune your embouchure to quickly hit a note without a strong articulation but it helps prevent the blank out that often occurs with this type of bend.