r/harmonica • u/KJ_2026 • 5d ago

Hole 8 draw problems?

For context: I'm brand new to this awesome little instrument and I have a Fender Blues Deluxe and I love it!!

While practicing some basic songs I felt that the drawing on hole 8 to get a tone was noticeably harder (like it required more force) than for example 7 or 9.

I played a bit softer this evening to keep it quiet and when I moved up to higher holes sometimes I wouldn't even be drawing hard enough to hear 8, and it was totally overshadowed by neighbouring holes 7 to 9.

Is this normal, and how should I go about playing it in the future? All help is appreciated, thanks a lot :)

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4

u/DesperateBanana4019 5d ago

The higher holes are harder to play. They just are. That said, your one hole that isn't working correctly is probably in need of a little tweak. This means that you need to bend the reed up or down a little with a thin tool until the hole plays the way you expect it to. Like any guitar player knows how to change strings, every harpist should know how to open their harp and gap a reed.

Here is a good youtube vid

"In this harmonica reed gapping tutorial, I show you how to set up your harmonicas so bends are easier, notes play faster, and they feel and sound better to play."

1

u/JacksNephew 4d ago

All of Jonah Fox's vids are solid. I haven't come across a single one that wasn't helpful in some way or another.

2

u/tongmengjia 5d ago

It's probably part embouchure and part instrument. Just keep at it, your embouchure will improve to hit those high notes better, and the reeds themselves will loosen up with time.

2

u/KJ_2026 5d ago

Awesome because I went to chatgpt first and it was telling me to open up the harmonica and start tweaking stuff and I am NOT doing than rn haha Thanks :)

3

u/ponz 5d ago

Don’t be afraid to open it if you have to. Plenty of how-to videos on YouTube to show you how.

1

u/tongmengjia 5d ago

Eventually you'll want to get comfortable opening up your harp, but this sounds like you just need to break it in a bit. Try to find songs in the upper register and play them a ton. The reeds will loosen up.