Andrew's blog

Warning: This blog post contains physics.

Here is an excellent demonstration of what happens when we bend notes. See what happens at the 3:00 minute mark.

When he finds the volume of the tube that is resonant to the frequency of the tuning fork, the sound increases. The frequency of the tuning fork stays constant though. Harmonica reeds are special because they can vibrate at different frequencies. We can make them vibrate faster or slower.

We apply “bending energy” by changing the size of the oral cavity just like professor Sumner Miller changed the size of the resonance chamber (cardboard tubes). Resonance is what applies kinetic energy to the reeds to make them vibrate at the desired frequency. If you want the reeds to vibrate slower, you open up your oral cavity to lower the resonance frequency. The reeds follow. It’s as simple as that.

Hopefully an understanding of what happens as you play a bent note can help you learn how to execute the technique.

Knowing the physics behind it allows you to free yourself from overthinking things. Don’t worry too much about tongue position, “U”-shape, “W”-shape, “G”-spot.... Just make an air pocket in your mouth and when you find the right size, the note will bend. Figure out what works for you to be able to re-create an air pocket of exactly the correct size every time you want to play that note.

It’s a little bit of a moving target when you consider that as you inhale, the tissues of your oral cavity will suck in and the air pocket will shrink. Conversely, the air pocket will grow when you blow bend because of the positive pressure. But with a little practice, your mouth will figure out how to keep the size of the air pocket constant despite these opposing forces.

Your ears play a big role in this. But the interaction between your voice, your ears and the shape of your oral cavity is automatic (or “autonomic”) so no instructions are required - other than to mention to make sure you can hear yourself play!

Overbends are just like regular bends!

Overbends are a little more complicated because we need both reeds (blow and draw) in the system to respond to the same resonance in different ways. One reed needs to stop moving while the other one needs to vibrate at the correct pitch. The trick is to get the reed that is standing still to stay still even though we are applying airflow to the system.

Sometimes out-of-the-box harps are set up to allow this to happen. Sometimes, they are set up to inhibit this. It’s the luck of the draw. It’s a common misconception than you need to practice overbends for years before you can become good enough to play them. The truth is that overbends require breath control, resonance control and a harp that is set up to cooperate.

It’s likely that you can learn to use overbends musically in a matter of weeks with the proper harp and some dedicated practice. You don’t need to build muscle over several years like a bodybuilder. You simply need to learn fine motor control.

I really enjoy watching professor Sumner Miller. Here is another video from the good professor where he describes the phenomenon of beating. Again, watch starting at the 3:00 minute mark:

Hearing the beating is a very important part of how to tune a harmonica.

The F Tool™ is now available in the Tools section

A well-playing harp has a solid connection to the vocal tract. A big part of what makes it is easy to play, sound nice and fat is that it's airtight.

If it leaks air, the connection between your vocal tract and the instrument is weakened and the harp feels stiff. The tone is also weaker.

The good news is air leaks are fixable! In fact, that's the fundamental step in improving a harmonica. If you skip this step, you will usually end up working against yourself further down the line.

The detailed instuctions on How to use the F Tool are here.

Can you tune a bunch of diatonic harmonicas with precision in the same room at the same time?

Of course you can!

https://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Tools

This is a moment captured during a harmonica repair workshop in Kingston, Ontario on 2015/05/16. The was the first time each of the participants used the French Tuner and I was impressed at how well they could tune a harp! Great job, guys!

I just bought a second CNC mill. It's bigger and faster than my first one. A second machine will improve my productivity and save time. It will also allow for redundancy. Routine maintenance won't affect my production time.

I bought it in the USA and crossed the border to pick it up the other day. I had to describe what I was bringing back to Canada to three different Border Services people and it's not an easy tool to describe.

Not being able to quite explain it in ten words or less, I said: "It's kind of like a 3-D printer".

Each one had the exact same reaction: "Really? Ahh! That's so cool!" they said and nodded...

I use my CNC mills to make combs, tools and a few other interesting tidbits I would never have conceived just a few years ago. Computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) is so accessible these days. Oscar Goldman was right! "We have the technology."

I design my combs myself and produce them using my CNC mill. Here's a breakdown of the process.

The combs are cut. Water is sprayed on the surface as the mill works to cool the bit as it cuts. Keeping the temperature down helps keep the bit sharp and prevents the finished comb from giving off a strong smell. Fresh off the mill, the combs look a little rough....

After a quick rinse....

Each comb is held in place with support bridges. Here, I have cut them free.

Then wash away the debris.

The rough combs need to be sanded polished and flattened. I first start working on the outer edges and tips of the tines.

Here the outer edges and tines are smooth.

Next, I flatten the top and bottom sides. I check for flatness using a reference. This comb is not flat and needs to be fixed.

After a little work, it's flat.

At this point, the combs are starting to look nice.

Next, I round off every edge. The front (tines, viewed from the side) is rounded.

...and the corners...

Next, I painstakingly work on the inside of every tine. I make sure each one is shaped for comfort.

These tines are comfortable on your tongue.

I start the process of lacquering the tips of the tines. I apply many thin coats instead of only a few thick coats. I do this to ensure the lacquer doesn't chip or crack. My aim is that they last a lifetime.

This is after one coat.

After several coats...

If it's dry and it looks wet, it's done!

Next, I polish the sides and back of the comb. The last step is to flatten the comb one last time to ensure it's going to deliver peak performance.

Combs get wrapped up immediately and are ready to be shipped.