Do I need to wash the harmonica, how often should I do it and with what detergents? A few simple rules for caring for a musical instrument.
Does it need to be washed
If the musical instrument functions normally, then washing is not necessary. A simple monthly cleaning is sufficient.
When exactly should the harmonica be cleaned in disassembled form:
- When it was played by someone else.
- If you bought a hand tool.
- When the harmonica starts to get out of tune.
- If she lay idle for a long time.
- If she accidentally soaked in extraneous odors.
Important
It is absolutely impossible to wash a professional chromatic harmonica in the literal sense, that is, under running water! This puts her out of action. Cleaning a diatonic musical instrument allows this method.
Tip from Miss Purity Magazine: Professional chromatic harmonicas usually come with care instructions, read them.
How to properly clean and wash a harmonica
Cleaning depends on the type of harmonica: for diatonic, simple steps are enough, a chromatic instrument should be disassembled and cleaned according to the instructions and very carefully. The detergent is selected according to the type of body: there are plastic, wooden, metal and other, more refined materials.
How to wash a plastic diatonic: just hold it under running water, and then shake out the remaining drops with your palm. After washing, blow through all holes at maximum volume.
Metal accordions can be slightly wetted, but after water procedures, thorough drying with a dry cloth is required to avoid rust. It is better for wooden cases not to come into contact with water. They are simply cleaned with a soft brush (not abrasives).
For a more thorough cleaning, you will have to disassemble the case. You will need a screwdriver to pry off the covers and tongue plates. Put them in the right order so that you don't confuse them during assembly.
Now we wash the body: plastic can be cleaned in soap and water. The tongues are washed with warm water or simply wiped with a dry cloth. They can not be brushed, so as not to damage the system of the musical instrument.
Alcohol is used as a disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide is also used. Hard-to-reach places are cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in the product. It is important to ensure that small villi do not remain on the material.
Advice
Do not use cologne to clean, after which there will be an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth when playing.
Before assembling the harmonica, make sure that all parts are completely dry. Assemble everything in reverse order: from the tabs to the bottom and top covers.
Do not abuse washing, if there are no objective reasons for it, and then your musical instrument will retain high-quality sound for a long time.
On both sides of the accordion bellows, intended for sound production, there is a keyboard. The right keyboard is used by the musician to play the melody, while the left keyboard is used to create the accompaniment. There are several different types of this famous folk instrument, but the principle of operation remains the same, no matter what type of harmonica you play. The most famous types of single-row harmonicas are Talyanka, Livenka, Tula harmonica. Among the two-row harmonicas, the most popular were "khromka" and "Russian wreath". Playing the harmonica is supposed to be simple and tasteful, a real harmonica player always develops his own style of performance, but you should start learning to play this instrument from the basics.
- Remember that sometimes in order to learn how to play the simplest melodies or ditties on the harmonica, even one evening is enough.
- The harmonica was created in order to perform popular folk songs or tunes on it. You should not perform classical musical works on the harmonica - it is not intended for this, it is better to prefer the button accordion or accordion.
- A folk musician does not have to be extremely virtuoso and technical. The main thing is to remember that an accordion player always needs confidence in himself, in his playing and in his own manner of performance. A real harmonica player does not limit his playing only to what he can touch with his fingers - he plays both with his soul and body.
- You should start learning to play the harmonica with your left hand. Do not immediately try to pick up any folk melodies you like with your right hand on the tuners - this is the wrong approach. In order to correctly perform any melody, it is necessary first of all to pick up its harmony with the left hand. Remember that without the participation of the left hand, not a single melody will work, but without the participation of the right hand - no problem.
- Usually the very first songs that a novice harmonist learns are folk ditties - these couplets are performed to the simplest and most uncomplicated melody that even a person who is not very well versed in folk music can learn.
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One of the fun summer ideas for a child is to create musical instruments with their own hands. We invite you to build the simplest harmonica in 5 minutes from ice cream sticks! Your son or daughter will definitely enjoy playing the harmonica, made with his own hand. And although the music from this instrument is not as melodic as from a real harmonica, the delight and joy of the baby will be great!
2 ice cream sticks
2 thin rubber bands
a strip of waterproof paper (can be cut from candy or bar packaging)
2 toothpicks
stickers, colored tape or paint for decoration
How to make a harmonica?
1. Take a candy bar or muesli wrapper, it must be waterproof. Cut a strip that is slightly shorter and narrower in length and width than an ice cream stick. Place the strip on the stick.
2. Cut 2 pieces of toothpick, the length of the piece should be equal to the width of the wooden stick. Place the first piece of the toothpick under the paper and the second piece on the paper. You can put both pieces on paper, but the sound from the harmonica will be worse.
3. Cover the top with a second popsicle stick.
4. Secure the structure tightly with thin rubber bands on both sides.
If a child wants to decorate an accordion, offer to stick decorative tape, stickers, sparkles, rhinestones on the instrument. You can simply repaint the accordion in a bright color with paints, felt-tip pens, pencils.
Playing a homemade harmonica is simple - you just need to blow air between the sticks, thereby creating a unique sound. While playing, try squeezing the sticks from different sides to change the pitch.
It only takes a few minutes to assemble a harmonica from sticks. Thanks to such a simple idea, you can have fun with your child by creating a musical instrument and teaching your baby to play it.
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Since ancient times, people have been making musical instruments and experiencing great pleasure, extracting sounds from objects that were at hand. Most of the simple designs have been improved over the course of history, and complex and full-fledged musical instruments have been created on their basis. However, to this day, not only children, but also adults make reed pipes with great pleasure and play on a comb, through the teeth of which waxed paper is passed. By the way, such a comb is the prototype of the well-known musical instrument - the harmonica.
If you want to play the harmonica, and do not have the opportunity to purchase such an instrument for yourself, do not despair, because you can make it yourself. In order to create a homemade harmonica, you will need a cardboard tube, wax paper and a rubber band from paper towels.
If everything is ready, then you can get down to business. To do this, take a cardboard tube, close one of its ends with a piece of wax paper and secure it around the hole with a rubber band. Make sure the paper is tight. At the top of the tube, near the closed end, poke a hole with a thick needle or awl.
Now test your newly made musical instrument by blowing into the open end of a cardboard tube, from which you will hear a sound similar to the sound of a harmonica. You create vibration with your breath, which in turn creates sound. Therefore, you can experiment with sound by changing the strength of the breath and listening to how your melody changes with this.
By the way, you can close a hole in a cardboard tube not only with wax paper, but also with other materials, for example, thin aluminum foil or plain paper is suitable for this. Changing the material leads to a change in the timbre of the sound, and thanks to this, everyone can achieve amazing and interesting musical effects. Not only an adult can make a harmonica, but also a child, if, of course, an adult helps him.
What to give your boyfriend for an anniversary or birthday? Maybe a vacheron constantin watch? A great option for any man.
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Well, I made my first accordion ... I must say right away that when it came time to write this article, I found out with great annoyance that most of the photographs taken in the process were lost. Therefore, you will have to be content with only a part of them and what happened in the end ...
It took me almost 7 months to get it. Even despite the fact that I did not make the voice bars myself, but used ready-made ones. Although, a caveat is needed here: not all this time I was engaged only in this accordion, there were significant breaks for the repair of other instruments (on order) and if it was possible to focus only on it, then it could be done in three months.
The idea to make an accordion with my own hands visited me for quite a long time, but it didn’t stay in my head for a long time, since this work seemed incredibly difficult, given the lack of a full-fledged workshop and the presence of only fragmentary knowledge about the process itself.
But the pile of lumpy planks accumulated thanks to kind people prompted me to get down to business. And my hands were already unbearably itching to try.
I started working at the very beginning of October 2011. By that time, the concept of the future instrument had already formed quite clearly in my head: it was supposed to be an accordion of small size, three-voiced (two voices in one octave, one one octave higher) and, at the same time, almost full lame. Almost - because, in order to reduce the final size, I decided to remove the unused lowest keys of the right keyboard.
Thus, as a result, the dimensions of the harmonica body along the perimeter were 270x160mm. Keys - 23 on the right, 25 on the left. Bass is four-part, more typical for cheap factory instruments. The key is F-major. Further - in order, what and how was done.
At the corners of the case there are metal corners made from the duralumin left grille of Belarus, the same one that was a donor when my Chaika was converted to wooden resonators a year and a half ago.
The outer ends of the walls of the case are also edged with strips of duralumin.
Both decks - left and right - are made of plywood. The right grilles are cut with a jigsaw. The drawing is simple, invented in the process.
The case was covered with mahogany stain and decided not to decorate with anything. Maybe just for now, or maybe not at all.
I made the fingerboard of the right keyboard from beech planks from tare boxes found on vacation in the summer in my grandfather's village, when I did not yet know that I would start such a business in the fall (there was only an idea to try to make the neck in my own way).
The neck is glued. All grooves for wooden keys are formed by gluing partitions onto the base board. This method, in my opinion, has at least two advantages over the traditional one, when the grooves are cut (or how are they made there?) in a solid bar: firstly, the wood fibers are located along the partitions, and not across, which additionally gives them strength; secondly, the hole for the axle is drilled according to the marking even before the partitions are glued, which is just convenient.
The keys themselves are made from the same rails as the case. Buttons from the button accordion "Rubin" are used as buttons of the keyboard.
The valve bodies are taken from the old Shuya accordion, with pre-glued gaskets and a new husky.
The mechanics itself is not quite traditional for an accordion: a number of valves are located behind the neck and are actuated by a mechanism (or rather, part of it from the same Rubin) (see photo).
This design allows more efficient use of free space in the body and is used (albeit in a slightly different form) in Tula custom-made harmoniums.
What was to be done? ... It was decided to do it from scratch myself. Over the next few days, I wasted a lot of paper, drawing the most rational schemes of wire mechanics. However, in the end I abandoned it: the design came out cumbersome, non-separable, and I didn’t really want to pierce the soundboard through with dozens of brackets to attach all the levers.
Roller mechanics (as on factory accordions), lighter, maintainable and quiet, at first seemed unfeasible at home due to the need (as it seemed to me) to have welding equipment for welding racks to rollers.
But I found a solution: to fasten the racks in the roller, a hole was drilled slightly smaller than the diameter of the rack, after which the tip of the rack, sharpened into a light cone, was tightly screwed into the hole and riveted from the back side. It turned out, in my opinion, quite reliably. But time will tell.
The pushers were made in the same way. The buttons themselves are ready-made. In total, the manufacture of the left mechanics took a month of work. The valves are also taken from a donor, aluminum.
The furs are made by me from ... paper. This is probably not very good in terms of durability, but for the first experience, I think it is acceptable. Only in their manufacture I made, due to short-sightedness, a small oversight - I made only thirteen borins. And for such a small volume of the hull, it was necessary to make about seventeen of them ... Now I myself can’t answer the question “Why?” ... After all, I knew ... But, looking ahead, I’ll say that in the end the problem turned out to be not so critical. Simply, the direction of movement of the furs has to be changed a little more often.
Regarding the vocal part, at first I had grandiose plans to make, at a minimum, the front bars on the right, solid, self-made, because I already had such experience. But, later, I abandoned them, deciding that I would save my strength and time for the next time.
These planks were brass, albeit lumpy, which surprised me a lot, expecting to see traditional duralumin. At that moment, it was finally decided to put them. I was not even embarrassed by the not very high quality of their manufacture, namely, the considerable gaps between the voice and the edges of the opening. The main thing - it was brass!
The slats were cleaned of corrosion and old glue, the pledges were re-glued.
Several planks had to be rebuilt from close ones in tone, as they were not enough for the desired tonality. One broken voice re-made and riveted. The resonators on the right side are made completely from scratch with their own hands, with input chambers matched to the tone. I did them for 10 days, being on vacation (in October). Due to the small size of the case, the piccolos had to be placed standing up, each row on a separate resonator. Although, it would be nice to "put" them on the deck for a more interesting sound.
The bass resonator is made from the resonator of the aforementioned accordion by removing everything superfluous (just sawed off part of it and installed a set of bars of the desired tone). Bass-seven (without F-sharp). Bass bars (they were duralumin) were "knocked down" to reduce the gaps and, as a result, improve the response.
The chord resonator is also made from scratch.
We listen to the sound (on the first video-comparison with Chaika, on the second - "Old Maple", the third video - "Lady"). I will say right away that the third video (“Lady”), recorded closest to the camera, most accurately conveys the sound. And this ... It seems that during the time spent on this accordion, I, a little, forgot how to play ...:
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How to learn to play the harmonica with a guitar in 5 minutes or "How to play the harmonica from scratch."
Most people, when they pick up a harmonica for the first time, think about how to play the harmonica from scratch. So that when you sit by the fire and someone plays the guitar, you can get a harmonica and play the harmonica with the guitar so that everyone's "soul unfolds."
And many imagine themselves as musicians playing on stage with a full-fledged band.
But in fact, most people do not even suspect that you can pick up a harmonica in your hands and, not knowing how to play, actually from scratch, start playing harmonica with other musicians.
Do you want to know how to learn to play the harmonica with a guitar in 5 minutes?
To do this, you need to know a few secrets.
It is about how to play the harmonica from scratch that we are talking about in this video.
And so that you can also rehearse, then immediately after watching the video we send you audio minuses (accompaniment), under which you can try to play the harmonica.
We are confident that this way of playing allows beginners who start playing the harmonica from scratch to understand whether they like this instrument or not.
If you like the harmonica, we recommend developing your skills. Our free harmonica tutorial will help you with this http://garmoshka-samouchitel.ru/
So, if you want to learn how to play the harmonica with a guitar in 5 minutes, if you are a beginner harmonica player, if you want to learn how to play the harmonica from scratch, this video is for you!
We wish you success in playing the harmonica!
We are confident that you will be able to learn how to play the harmonica with the guitar and other accompaniment.
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The harmonica is a miniature woodwind organ that not only has a deep and distinctive sound, but also pairs well with guitar, keyboards and vocals. No wonder the number of people who want to play the harmonica is growing all over the world!
There are a large number of varieties of harmonicas: chromatic, blues, tremolo, bass, octave, as well as combinations thereof. The easiest option for a beginner is a ten-hole diatonic harmonica. Key in C major.
- A huge number of courses and training materials in books and the Internet;
- Jazz and pop compositions, familiar to everyone from films and music videos, are mainly played on the diatonic;
- Basic lessons learned on the diatonic harmonica will be useful for working with any other model;
- As the training progresses, the possibility of using a large number of sound effects opens up, which captivates the listeners.
When choosing a material, it is better to give preference to metal - it is the most durable and hygienic. Wood panels require additional protection against swelling, while plastic wears out and breaks quickly.
The most common models for beginners include Lee Oskar Major Diatonic, Hohner Golden Melody, Hohner Special 20.
The sound of the instrument largely depends on the correct setting of the hands. Hold the harmonica with your left hand, and direct the flow of sound with your right. It is the cavity formed by the palms that creates the chamber for resonance. By tightly closing and opening the brushes, you can achieve different effects.
In order to ensure a strong and even flow of air, the head must be kept level, and the face, throat, tongue and cheeks must be completely relaxed. The harmonica should be tightly and deeply clasped with the lips, and not just pressed against the mouth. In this case, only the mucous part of the lips is in contact with the instrument.
The harmonica is the only wind instrument that produces sound on both inhalation and exhalation. The main thing you should pay attention to is that you need to breathe through the harmonica, and not suck in and blow out air. The air flow is created by the work of the diaphragm, and not by the muscles of the cheeks and mouth. At first, the sound may be quiet, but with practice, a beautiful and even sound will come.
The sound range of the diatonic harmonica is built in such a way that three holes in a row form a consonance. Therefore, it is easier to extract a chord on a harmonica than a note.
During the game, the musician is faced with the need to play notes one at a time. In this case, adjacent holes are blocked by the lips or tongue. At first, you may have to help yourself by pressing your fingers on the corners of your mouth.
Learning chords and individual sounds will allow you to play simple melodies and improvise a little. But in order to unlock the full potential of the harmonica, you need to master special techniques and techniques. The most common of them:
- Trill- alternation of a pair of adjacent notes, one of the common melismas in music.
- Glissando- a smooth, sliding transition of three or more notes into a single consonance. A similar technique, in which all notes are used to the end, is called drop off.
- Tremolo- a trembling sound effect, which is created by squeezing and unclenching the palms or vibration of the lips.
- Band- changing the tone of the note, by adjusting the strength and direction of the air flow.
You can understand how to play the harmonica without knowing musical notation at all. However, by spending time on learning, the musician will have the opportunity to read and study a large number of melodies, as well as record their own developments.
Don't be intimidated by the letter designations of musical sounds - they are easy to understand (A is la, B is si, C is do, D is re, E is mi, F is fa, and finally G is salt)
If learning takes place on your own, a voice recorder, a metronome and a mirror can come in handy in your work - for constant control over yourself. Accompanying ready-made musical recordings will help prepare for live musical accompaniment.
Here's a final positive video for you.
Blues on harmonica
Harmonica tutorial.
Unfortunately, until recently, learning to play the harmonica (more "scientifically" harmonica) was not an easy task. After all, this convenient, compact, pocket instrument, although not a rarity, is extremely rare, and even then in certain circles of music lovers. Harmonica for beginners and beyond. source: http://www.harpis.ru With an interesting and never aging sound that goes well with the sound of the guitar and other instruments + small size and the ability to take it anywhere you want, whether it's a performance at an acoustic evening or relaxing in the forest - This is what makes the harmonica more and more popular. Moreover, it is available both for musicians and for people who are far from musical grammar and musical education. Of course, those who already understand something and are friends with notes are much easier to master this instrument, but as I said, this is not a hindrance for beginners who really want to master the harmonica. I repeat, WE WANTED to master the harmonica, because even this seemingly simple instrument requires effort and training, of course, much less in comparison with the guitar, piano, not to mention other instruments. If you seriously decide to conquer the harmonica or just learn as much as possible about it, then perhaps this site is the best solution for this. Here you can find answers to your questions and learn how to play this instrument from scratch. Everything depends on you… Lesson 1. First sounds. It is difficult for a beginner to extract a clean single note at first. Therefore, it is better to start by extracting chords. So, bring the harmonica to your mouth so that your lip covers the 4th, 5th and 6th holes (see fig. 1.). Breathe out. Thus sounded your first chord consisting of 3 notes. Let's designate it: No. 1 Let's do the same with the 5th, 6th, 7th holes (see fig. 2). Again sounded 3 notes. This is your second chord. Let's do the exercises in Figure 3. So:
Exercise. Numbers in circles designate chords.
Now let's complicate the task a little, add a third chord. Let's do the exercises. Bring these simple exercises to automatism, and only then proceed to the second lesson.
three chord exercise
Lesson 2. Learning to play one note. In Lesson 1, we looked at the principles of chord playing on the harmonica. The chords are really good. But now the task becomes more complicated, you need to extract one note. Yes, yes - one note! What did you think? My task is to make you a good musician, not an amateur half-educated. Who you become and what you achieve in the future depends only on you and your perseverance. So. In total, there are 3 ways to extract one (individual) note: 1. The whistle method (I will explain more simply - “lip with a tube”). 2. A method called "tongue blocking" (when a chord is played, one of the holes is covered with the tongue). 3. The method of "tongue tube" (you need to roll up the tongue with a tube and place it opposite the single hole from which you plan to extract the sound). Let's start with the simplest and most affordable method. Let's focus on method 1 first. The second method also needs to be mastered, but we will touch on it a little later. As for the method number 3, it is not available to everyone, because. it is necessary to have certain physiological characteristics of the body, which are found in approximately 50-70% of people. Translating into a simpler language - despite any efforts, not everyone will be able to physically return the language to the shape of a tube. Generalizing the 2nd and 3rd methods, it is worth paying attention to the fact that these methods are based on the use of the language and it is more difficult for a beginner to master the “band” technique with such sound extraction. To get an idea of a single sound, let's proceed as follows: select any hole, for example the 4th, and close the 3rd and 5th with your index fingers and blow hard. If your fingers close the holes of the harmonica tightly, then you will get a clean single note, sounding on the exhalation from the 4th hole. In case the fingers do not obey, then with something (for example, tape) seal the necessary holes. Having done the above procedures, you will clearly understand how single notes should sound. Everything is fine, of course, but you will have to extract them without the help of fingers and adhesive tape. Extracting a single note is complicated by the shape of a person's lips (horizontal closure). Lips do not allow you to easily and easily extract single notes. Therefore, you need to lower the lower jaw, draw in the cheeks and fold the lips so that they begin to resemble a small oval or circle in their shape. If it doesn’t work right away, you can help yourself by squeezing the corners of your mouth with your fingers. It is this form that you should achieve (see photo No. 1). It is advisable to perform this exercise at first in front of a mirror and without an accordion - this will help you see the results of your efforts. With your lips in the correct position, bring up the harmonica. Make sure that the gap between the lips does not increase. The harmonica should be located between the lips, and not in front of them, there is no other way. Try to exhale slowly and inhale through the 4th hole. (see photo No. 2). If you don't get a single note in this case, then try pressing the corners of your lips with your fingers (see photo No. 3). Try to fix and maintain this position without the help of your fingers. As a rule, that exercise for the average person takes at most a couple of weeks. So I think you'll be fine. When you start to get the extraction of a single note, then repeat it until your lips loosen. Try to keep the correct position. This exercise should be repeated many times and at a slow pace until the necessary correct muscle memory is developed.
Lesson 2. Learning to play one note.
Once you get positive results, you can try playing the major scale. Know that when you move from one hole to another, the harmonica should be moving, not your head. Achieve “smooth” transitions from hole to hole, if something doesn’t work out, stop and work out the nuances until everything works out. If your lips stick when transitioning between holes, lick your lips and the part of the instrument you are currently playing. During the game, the head should be raised. Do not forget to periodically shake out the concentrated saliva and moisture from the instrument by shaking. In the first weeks of classes, you may be concerned that the lips quickly get tired and stop listening to you. Don't worry, it's always the case with newbies. With time and constant training, this inconvenience will be overcome. You don't have to give up early. Try to keep the harmonica as deep as possible in your mouth, without losing the ability to play single notes. Remember this constantly. Single extraction is the basics that you will constantly have to deal with to one degree or another, so it is in your best interest to learn this thoroughly. Now it's time to start exercising. The up arrow means exhale, the down arrow means inhale. The number above the arrow indicates which hole to work on.
Lesson 3. The simplest melodies for Harmonica. Now, let's move on to the third lesson. It will be from the category of practical exercises. I hope you have carefully and responsibly treated the 2nd lesson and achieved a positive result in extracting a single note. After all, without it in any way. Now you can play the simplest known harmonica tunes (Aunt Rhody, Goin Down The Road Feelin Bad, Jingle Bells, Oh When The Saints, Railtoad Bill, LightyRow). Which, in fact, are provided to you in the 3rd lesson. The melodies are provided with chords. So you and some of your friends are free to play a duet.
Re: Tutorial for harmonica.
Lesson 4
Lesson 4 Tremolo on harmonica. Sound effects are an integral part of the game of real "harpers" (I hope you know what "harpers" are). In order to learn how to use sound effects, the first thing to do is to understand the nature of the sound and the situations in which it will be appropriate. The whole "secret" of the effective and correct position of the harmonica in the palms lies in the fact that you need to create an impenetrable and as large chamber as possible with your palms, which is the "trap" for the extracted sound. The chamber formed by the palms should be adjacent to the back of the harmonica. The larger and better it is hermetic, the richer the sound of the extracted effects will be. Everything is very simple - when the palms are open, the sound is stronger, compared to that which is obtained with closed palms. If you already understood this, then the recommendations provided in the 4th lesson will not be meaningless. Let's transgress. You need to hold the harmonica in such a way that opening and closing the palms affects the change in the sound of a chord or note. This effect is called "tremolo". It is built on the vibration of notes and chords with a long duration, which can be found at the end of melodies. In this case, the pitch of the produced note, namely its volume, does not change. In simple terms, you kind of hold the received sound with your palms, and then, opening them, let it break free. Closed palms give the played notes a quieter, muffled sound, while open palms increase the volume. But even here it is not so simple. In order for the tremolo to turn out to be rich and full, one correct position of the palms will not be enough. You need to play notes or chords as loudly as possible so that the difference in dynamics (quiet-loud) is noticeable. If the sound strength is insufficient, then closing and opening the palms will not give any significant effect. For optimal sound effects, the harmonica should be held in your left hand (it doesn't matter if you're right-handed or left-handed). The fact is that the main factor here is the close location of the chamber, which is formed by the palms, in relation to the holes of the lower notes of the harmonica. Therefore, most of the chamber formed by the palms should be near the bottoms. Over time, as you grow professionally, you will notice that you play more in this part of the harmonica's range. It turns out that holding the harmonica in this way, the arrangement of notes is obtained as on the piano, i.e. lower notes are located on the left side.
How should you hold a harmonica?
Now let's look at how to properly hold a harmonica. We take the accordion between the index and thumb of the left hand as close as possible to the rear edge. As a result, it turns out that the left edge of the harmonica will rest against the gap formed between the base of the index and thumb. (see Fig. No. 1) At first, this may cause you discomfort and inconvenience, do not worry, after a week everything will fall into place. Many will wonder why this is how you need to hold a harmonica? The answer is simple - it is this position of the fingers that frees up more space for the movement of the lips along the harmonica, thereby facilitating the playing process (remember lesson number 1). Here you go. With the left hand, we have already figured out - let's move on to the right. You need to close the fingers of your right hand and straighten your palm, but the thumb should be at right angles to the rest of the fingers. Then, close the base of the palms without changing the accepted shape of the right palm. Now you can remove the protruding thumb so that it does not touch the face and lips (see Fig. 2). Having adopted the correct position of the hands, to get a sound effect, tilt your right palm back a little, but at the same time leaving the wrists of both hands closed. It is desirable that this exercise is not at first performed in front of a mirror, analyzing yourself. This will help eliminate the resulting gaps between the palms, which should be tightly squeezed from the back of the harmonica. Play some loud, single, clear note on the exhale. Continuing to hold the sounding note, tilt back the palm of your right hand (remember, you can not open your wrists). You should hear the sound change, the first prerequisites for a tremolo. Thus, without interrupting the sound of the note, alternately open and close the right palm (at a certain speed). You've got the tremolo effect. It should vibrate equally on both inhalation and exhalation. Perhaps someone did not get a tremolo? There can be two reasons. The first is that there are gaps between the closed palms that allow air to pass through. The second is not enough sound production. The reasons are easily eliminated, so there is no need to be upset if something is wrong - just analyze yourself, read the lesson again and you will succeed. The above may seem at first glance so complicated and insurmountable. But, I assure you, after working out for a week, you will look at it all differently. Yes, it's not easy, but you have to overcome yourself. It must be remembered that the tremolo effect is usually applied to sustained notes that are found in the endings of melodies, songs. It is not necessary to use the tremolo too often, because then the whole effect is lost. With time and practice, you will learn when and how much to use the tremolo. So keep it up! All in your hands!
Lesson 5 This lesson is perhaps one of the most important After all, the ability to properly build your breathing is very important. Moreover, the muscles of the front of the mouth and lips are not involved in breathing. The easiest way to learn how to breathe correctly when playing the harmonica is to play one note with the harmonica as deep as possible in the mouth. The deeper you can place the harmonica, the better. This will allow you to focus on breathing with your diaphragm and eliminate the action of the lip and muscles in the front of your mouth. The strength and power of the sound, its timbre and color when playing largely depend on proper breathing. Proper breathing should not be confused with endurance. Endurance appears in the course of your exercises. As a rule, such a problem accompanies beginners, but with practice and experience it is resolved. The movement of the diaphragm is at the heart of proper breathing. It creates an air flow, which drives the tool. When playing the harmonica, proper breathing resembles a similar discipline that wind musicians, vocalists, and athletes study. But, they only use exhalation. And when playing the harmonica, in addition to exhalation, inhalation is no less important. Naturally, exhalation control is a rather unusual and specific activity, because when talking or singing, we use only inhalation. Therefore, for many people, correct breathing when playing the harmonica is difficult to master. This shouldn't scare you. Time will pass, and you will learn this difficult, but important component when playing the harmonica. If you follow these guidelines, you will understand how to get a full, clear sound from the instrument, but it will take days of hard work. In the circles of musicians and athletes, such a technique is called “breathing with the help of the diaphragm”, “yogi breathing”, “deep breathing”, etc. Let's move on to the exercises. The first is to practice and play as best as possible while standing. When practicing breathing exercises, try to keep the head slightly elevated, the back straight, and the body relaxed - this will help the air to circulate better from the diaphragm. By the way, I want to draw your attention to one rather interesting fact.. When you sleep, breathe properly, and the body is as relaxed as possible. But, perhaps, units can repeat the same after waking up from sleep. Deep breathing comes from the diaphragm, and not from filling the chest with air, as is commonly believed. Try the following exercise (preferably in front of a mirror). Stand up straight with your head slightly raised and place the palm of either hand on your stomach. Open your mouth so that the lower jaw drops as much as possible, try to “freeze” in this position. This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles of the jaw. At first, it will be difficult, you will get tired quickly, but in the process the muscles will get stronger and it will be easy to do. Now you need to "stick out" the stomach, and then "absorb" it back, but at the same time, breathing should not participate in this. At the same time, make sure that the stomach goes perpendicular to the spine - “back and forth”, and not “up and down”. Now let's do the following is not a simple exercise. Try to exhale while saying "ha", see if your stomach puffs out. It should move towards the spine. Now, with the help of your hand, return the stomach to its normal position (a stream of air should come out through the mouth). Thus, by acting on the diaphragm, you force air out of the lungs, which passes through the throat and mouth (ultimately through the holes of the harmonica). I think that this (described above) exercise will not cause you significant complications. Now try to do the same, but use the harmonica. To control your breathing, you can put one palm on your stomach. The instrument should be placed as deep as possible in the mouth. Now remove the hand with which you hold the harmonica, in this way you will fix it only with the help of your teeth. It is in this position that you have to extract the chord (3-5 notes). So, the position is accepted - you can try to extract air flow from the diaphragm. Watching yourself in the mirror, you will see that the stomach will begin to move (to either side) a moment before the first sound sounds. This exercise is easier to perform on the exhale, but both exhalation and inhalation should be mastered. A couple more tips on proper breathing. To get a more powerful, high-quality sound from the harmonica, focus on getting the air stream through the holes of the harmonica, and not just into them. After all, the air comes out from the back of the accordion, and then another 7-9 cm moves parallel to the tongue. If the air flow moves at an angle, then you yourself unwillingly change the pitch of the notes, and some notes (upper) in this position may sound bad or not sound at all. This is the reason why many beginners have a problem in exhaling through the 2nd and 3rd holes. Just try not to overdo it in extracting a single note. This problem often arises for musicians who have passed the initial stage of playing the harmonica. You will ask why? It's just that beginners have a bad habit of closing and tightening their lips a lot when playing a single note. In turn, this prevents the free passage of air, as a result, not the maximum possible amount of air passes. Try to follow the optimal configuration of the lips. In order to achieve good, high-quality sound with the least amount of effort. While playing the harmonica, the air from you should only come out through the harmonica. It's just that many beginners also use the nose, but this is reflected in the sound, so this should be avoided. If your nose is still involved, you can practice on the next exercise. Pinch your nostrils with your fingers (or otherwise close your nostrils). Start slowly playing the major scale up and down, as you play, periodically tighten any of the notes as long as your breath requires. At first, it is advisable to perform such an exercise regularly, in several approaches for 1-3 minutes. This will teach you how to use the notes to fill your lungs with air. Having mastered this exercise, you can use your nose in short intervals in case you need to get rid of excess air. But this will already be a conscious action that will not affect the game. The main rule when breathing while playing the harmonica. This is comfort. You have to feel good in order to focus only on the game. If there is too much air in the lungs, then try to get rid of it, or vice versa, if there is not enough, then dial it. Everything should be on automatic. If you thoroughly approach the study of this lesson, then I think in the future you will say thank you more than once. After all, if you really aim to become a decent musician "harper", then without it in any way.
In Lesson 6, let's look at "articulation" a little. What is articulation? On the harmonica, articulation is carried out thanks to the tongue. And now in more detail. With the help of the tongue, you can produce a repeated note or chord with just one breath. Please do not confuse articulation with the usual "tongue block" when playing a single note. There are two ways to get a repeated single note using the "whistle" method. The first and easiest thing is to just take a few alternate exhalations (well, or breaths). But it is physically impossible to do this method in some cases (for example, at a fast pace, or complex durations). The second way is articulation with the help of the tongue. In this case, there are no problems with the intelligibility of notes in fast melodies. You just need to make repeated movements of the tongue as you exhale, as if pronouncing the sound “ta”. The tongue does not touch the palate. The sound of notes becomes softer. And when you inhale, you need to “pronounce” the sound “yes”. In this case, the tongue should touch the teeth. I'll reveal a little secret. The choice of these sounds is due to the fact that they make it possible for the rue to be in a half-open position. And this, in turn, allows repeated notes to sound more vivid. You can "invent" your own combinations of articulations. Virtuosi in the field of diatonic harmonica are such musicians as John Mayall and Sonia Terry. The most common combinations are: “ui”, “ta”, “da”, “ki”, “tu”, “do”, “di”, “dit”, “tuka”, “tuk”, etc. Perhaps, each performer has his own set of sounds and articulations. Some languages are used only for the purpose of extracting a single note, others only for articulation. But most resort to both.
When the voice has the right slope and is level, it sounds from both weak and strong air currents, in most cases.
There are exceptions when the voice does not play, even if it has the correct slope and is correctly directed.
Unplayable low notes are a common problem for many beginners. Low notes, mostly low-key harmonics, require a certain amount of volume to resonate. Changing the position of the tongue or throat muscles may be required to produce a good sound. It often happens that hole number 2 does not play. This is usually a player fault, not a harmonica issue. To get rid of this problem, try to open your mouth without opening your lips and without stopping to play. Play with the same force as regular notes. Don't try to inhale or exhale harder, that's not the problem.
Let's look at other problems when the harmonica does not play correctly or does not play at all.
When the voice does not have enough slope, it will only play with a weak airflow. To fix this, you need to slightly increase the angle. The correct tilt can be seen on the neighboring voice that plays correctly and set the same. Usually this is enough to solve the problem.
When the voice has a very strong inclination, it will only play from a strong air current. To eliminate this problem, you need to reduce the angle of inclination. Again, the correct angle can be seen on the neighboring voice, which plays correctly and set the same. Usually this is enough to solve the problem.
The figure above exaggerates the problem somewhat, but explains what we mean. When the voice rubs the walls of the hole in the voice plate, it emits a buzzing sound. When the voice turns stronger, it stops playing completely. This can be fixed by turning the voice so that it doesn't rub against the walls of the hole when you press it. To check, you can look through the plate to the light, and you will see where the voice is in contact with the walls of the hole.
Another problem may be that dirt has entered the hole. In this case, the voice may also buzz or not play at all. To better see, you can look through the plate at the light. Dirt can be removed with a small stick. When you work with the voice, be careful not to bend or break the voice. If you break your voice, you will have to change the entire voice plate.
Remember that your harmonica will last longer and play better if you take good care of it. Clean it and dry it if possible. Store your harmonica at room temperature.
When you remove the overlays from your harmonica, check the following:
A. Are the votes directed correctly.
B. Whether the voices are tilted correctly.
C. Are the plates screwed on well? (don't strip the thread)
D. You can lubricate the comb with petroleum jelly where it comes into contact with the voice plate to avoid air leakage.
Assemble the harmonica and check all the notes up and down. Using the tuner, you can find out if the harmonica is tuned correctly.
If you have repaired your harmonica, you have extended its life. If not, maybe it's time to buy a new one?
Some harmonica manufacturers sell voice plates separately. All Lee Oskar and Suzuki harmonica models, as well as Hohner MS series harmonica models, have interchangeable plates. If the plate on the other side of the harmonica is in good condition, you can try to find the missing plate.
What to do when the harmonica starts playing out of tune
Time takes its toll on any harmonica. Notes become “wrong”, or sometimes they stop being played at all. Is there anything else I can fix, or is it time to buy a new accordion?
Let's discuss some common problems and see what can be done to fix them.
Wrong sound, or some notes don't play at all
The harmonica, being a wind instrument, does what all other wind instruments do - accumulate moisture. Have you seen how trumpeters shake something out of the pipe? So, this is something - saliva. The same with the saxophone and many other wind instruments. That's why it's important to play harmonica with a dry mouth and keep your head up so saliva doesn't get in. Also, from time to time you should shake out the saliva from the accordion. This can be done by tapping the harmonica against the palm of your hand, etc.
The harmonica accumulates moisture as it is played and a layer of moisture forms on the reeds and the board. As the layer increases, the sound will start to get lower. Playing too loud leads to "metal fatigue" which will also end up with a fake tongue. It's hard to tell when a harmonica isn't too out of tune until you play it with another properly tuned instrument.
Very important: if you have not played the harmonica before, and the harmonica you bought does not play on any holes, do not rush to repair it. Most likely you have the wrong sound extraction. I do not argue that new harmonicas sometimes come with a marriage, but this does not happen so often. I would still advise you to first learn how to correctly extract sounds, and only then deal with the harmonica, why it does not play.
Now we know what the problem is. How to fix it?
Remove the lid, take your favorite toothbrush, a pot of warm water and some washing up liquid and give it a good clean. (IMPORTANT) Wipe the tongues in this way: from the attached to the free end. By following the advice, you will avoid damage to the reeds.
If the problem arose with any one tongue, look for any obvious cause: a foreign body, a curvature of the tongue. Correct the distance between the tongue and avoid the accumulation of excess saliva on it.
Do not forget to tap the accordion against your palm to remove excess moisture and wipe it thoroughly. Then try to play each hole as you inhale and exhale. You will need a chromatic tuner to see if the instrument is tuned correctly.
The tool kit contains instructions and everything you need to take care of your Lee Oscar harmonica. Owners of other brands of harmonicas will additionally need a small straight screwdriver. Lee Oscar only uses #1 Phillips screws and only comes with a #1 Phillips screwdriver.
Using a chromatic tuner, you can always tune the harmonica correctly. The SR-1050 Matrix Chromatic Tuner has an easy-to-read LED display and a microphone for acoustics and line-in for electronics (mic or guitar). It automatically tunes to any instrument and has an auto-off mode to conserve batteries.
Scraping or grinding the free tip of the tongue will raise the tone. Don't overdo it, do it very carefully. After two filings of the free end of the tongue, check the sound on the tuner, so you can roughly calculate how many times you need to scrape. I advise you not to grind the tip of the tongue, but to scrape it, as sawing will shorten the tongue and increase the gap through which more air will be lost, and this will reduce the responsiveness of the voice. Keep scraping until you get the sound you want. It's best to keep the sound a little higher than necessary, as notes tend to drop when you play with expression.
If the sound is too high, scrape a little near the attached tip of the tongue. Keep in mind that every time you cut the tongue from this end, you will loosen it.
Lee Oscar's toolbox is the most suitable for this. In it you will find tools to disassemble the harp, file the tongues and rivets, etc.
Having removed the cover from the Harp, I advise you to check the following:
A. Check the position of the tabs.
B. Check the distance between the tongue and the board.
C. Check whether the board with voices is screwed on well.
D. It also helps to apply a thin layer of Vaseline where the cover meets the voice board. This will help prevent air loss.
Replace the lid and play all the notes as you inhale and exhale. Compare each note with the tuner.
Some harmonicas have replaceable boards (all by Lee Oscar and some by Hohner). If the harmonica still looks good, contact your local dealer for a replacement voice board.
Minor Troubleshooting and Adjustment Table
Well, I made my first accordion ... I must say right away that when it came time to write this article, I found out with great annoyance that most of the photographs taken in the process were lost. Therefore, you will have to be content with only a part of them and what happened in the end ...
It took me almost 7 months to get it. Even despite the fact that I did not make the voice bars myself, but used ready-made ones. Although, a caveat is needed here: not all this time I was engaged only in this one, there were significant breaks for the repair of other instruments (on order) and if it was possible to focus only on it, then it could be done in three months.
The concept of the future accordion
I started working at the very beginning of October 2011. By that time, the concept of the future instrument had already formed quite clearly in my head: it was supposed to be an accordion of small size, three-voiced (two voices in one octave, one one octave higher) and, at the same time, almost full lame. Almost - because, in order to reduce the final size, I decided to remove the unused lowest keys of the right keyboard.
Thus, as a result, the dimensions of the harmonica body along the perimeter were 270x160mm. Keys - 23 on the right, 25 on the left. Bass is four-part, more typical for cheap factory instruments. The key is F-major. Further - in order, what and how was done.
Frame
The case was made of slats purchased at a hardware store 5mm thick and 60mm wide. Material - I do not know exactly what, but I suspect that it is spruce. I selected them carefully, choosing dense, straight-grained, without knots, wood.
At the corners of the case there are metal corners made from the duralumin left grille of Belarus, the same one that was a donor when my Chaika was converted to wooden resonators a year and a half ago.
The outer ends of the walls of the case are also edged with strips of duralumin.
Both decks - left and right - are made of plywood. The right grilles are cut with a jigsaw. The drawing is simple, invented in the process.
The case was covered with mahogany stain and decided not to decorate with anything. Maybe just for now, or maybe not at all.
Fretboard and mechanics of the right keyboard
I made the fingerboard of the right keyboard from beech planks from tare boxes found on vacation in the summer in my grandfather's village, when I did not yet know that I would start such a business in the fall (there was only an idea to try to make the neck in my own way).
The neck is glued. All grooves for wooden keys are formed by gluing partitions onto the base board. This method, in my opinion, has at least two advantages over the traditional one, when the grooves are cut (or how are they made there?) in a solid bar: firstly, the wood fibers are located along the partitions, and not across, which additionally gives them strength; secondly, the hole for the axle is drilled according to the marking even before the partitions are glued, which is just convenient.
Furs
The furs are made by me from ... paper. This is probably not very good in terms of durability, but for the first experience, I think it is acceptable. Only in their manufacture I made, due to short-sightedness, a small oversight - I made only thirteen borins. And for such a small volume of the hull, it was necessary to make about seventeen of them ... Now I myself can’t answer the question “Why?” ... After all, I knew ... But, looking ahead, I’ll say that in the end the problem turned out to be not so critical. Simply, the direction of movement of the furs has to be changed a little more often.
Voice part
As for the vocal part, at first I had grandiose plans to make, at a minimum, the front bars on the right, solid, home-made, because I already had such an experience. But, later, I abandoned them, deciding that I would save my strength and time for the next time.
These planks were brass, albeit lumpy, which surprised me a lot, expecting to see traditional duralumin. At that moment, it was finally decided to put them. I was not even embarrassed by the not very high quality of their manufacture, namely, the considerable gaps between the voice and the edges of the opening. The main thing - it was brass!
The slats were cleaned of corrosion and old glue, the pledges were re-glued.
Several planks had to be rebuilt from close ones in tone, as they were not enough for the desired tonality. One broken voice re-made and riveted. The resonators on the right side are made completely from scratch with their own hands, with input chambers matched to the tone. I did them for 10 days, being on vacation (in October). Due to the small size of the case, the piccolos had to be placed standing up, each row on a separate resonator. Although, it would be nice to "put" them on the deck for a more interesting sound.
The bass resonator is made from the resonator of the aforementioned accordion by removing everything superfluous (just sawed off part of it and installed a set of bars of the desired tone). Bass-seven (without F-sharp). Bass bars (they were duralumin) were "knocked down" to reduce the gaps and, as a result, improve the response.
The chord resonator is also made from scratch.
About setting
It took a week to set up. But, when the accordion is played, you still have to adjust, since the interference in the "life" of some voices was very significant: the donor accordion had a strong filling, and I did not sort the strips before installing them on the resonators. As a result, in place of many combatant voices, they turned out to be greatly underestimated. In general, with a good setting, you still have to tinker. And with the bottling, it seems, I didn’t guess very well - the timbre turned out to be not the most interesting.We listen to the sound (on the first video comparison with the Seagull, on the second - "Old Maple", the third video - "Lady"). I will say right away that the third video (“Lady”), recorded closest to the camera, most accurately conveys the sound. And this ... It seems that during the time spent on this accordion, I, a little, forgot how to play ...:
