Exercises for Playing Single Notes
Here are some exercises for playing single notes on the harmonica. Achieving clean single notes on the harmonica is one of the most important parts of being able to play well. The first method that most people learn is how to play a single note by tongue blocking. You'll hear an example of this on Track 6. Notice that only a single note was being played — no other reeds were vibrating at the same time as the one note.
FIGURE 4-4: Single note with tongue blocking
TRACK 6
Pursed-Lip Method
Embouchure is a musical term for how your mouth is used to work an instrument. All wind instruments, which are played by a person forcing air thru them with his or her mouth, must have an embouchure. Saxo-phones, flutes, trumpets, and harmonicas are all instruments with different embouchures.
In the case of the harmonica you create the single note embouchure by pursing the sides of your mouth, leaving the upper and lower lips loose as if you were going to kiss someone, as stated above. You then place your mouth against the harmonica, allowing your upper lip to seal to the top of the harmonica and your lower lip to seal to the bottom. At this point you should be able to tighten the sides of your mouth to direct the air through a single hole. It may take a considerable amount of practice before you're able to get a single note clean using this method, but it is worth it!
It is important to keep the upper and lower parts of your lips loose and not press too hard against the upper and lower plates on the harp, but only press hard enough to create a seal against air escaping. The sides of the mouth are tensed to allow for directing air. Keeping your lips moist is also essential for creating a good seal to the harp and for allowing movement along its surface. You might be tempted to try using oil or some other lubricant to reduce the friction of your lips on the instrument, or to create a better seal. However, you should avoid using oils to achieve this. Licking is sufficient for playing the harmonica.
President Abraham Lincoln reportedly played the harmonica, and it was noted by historians that he carried one around in his pocket with him. He even took the time while he was president to write a letter to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company expressing the joy he got from playing his Hohner harmonica.
Here's a simple exercise you can do to try to get clean notes using this method. On Track 7 you'll hear each hole on the C diatonic harmonica blown and then drawn individually. Try getting each note to sound as clean as possible before moving to the next note. Don't be discouraged if you have trouble getting clean single notes at first. With practice you'll be able to get nice, clean single notes out of every reed in your harmonica.
FIGURE 4-5: Pursed-lip exercise — to get clean single notes
TRACK 7
Chapter 5 will get deep into the techniques you'll need to bend notes on your harmonica.
