Lesson 6
How often do you find yourself running out of breathing room in
your lungs in the middle of an important note? How do you plan it so that this doesn't happen? And how do you
smoothly change from a blow to a draw note? And how do you keep from getting winded as if you had just jogged
a mile?
Breathing is an important factor in your harmonica playing. I wish
I could give you some steps to improving your breath control. There isn't too much that I can say, other than
it comes naturally. Once you have played a song 25 times then you know when you have to fill your lungs. But
I can think of a couple helpful tips:
1. Blow gently. It can
be downright exhausting to try to increase your volume by increasing the flow of air passing through your
instrument. And it can wear your harmonica out faster also. If playing with a band or loud singing it is tempting
to compete with the others. Forget it! The harmonica is not a trumpet. It is a soft-toned instrument that sounds
best if played the way it was intended.
2. Play single notes. If you
are playing 3 holes at a time you are playing chords and you are also using 3 times as much air. This could be why
you have to take a breather after playing a few songs.
Improved breathing comes naturally in time.
3 4 -4 5
5 5 -4 5 4 4 You are my sun-shine, my on-ly
sun-shine,
4 -4 5 -5 -6 -6 6 -5
5
You make me hap-py when skies are grey
Play this on your C harmonica

Purchase Suzuki Promaster Harmonica
from Coast to Coast Music
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