From: Winslow Yerxa <76450.32~OMPUSERVE.COM> Date: 27 Feb 96 02:21:51 EST Subject: Beginner Needs Help (pucker ache)
TO: internet:harp~arply.com
Kathy Stolaruk is getting pucker ache. I never got it learning diatonic, but when I started playing melodies on chromatic (as opposed to the chordally-based 3rd position blues stuff) I found that after about half an hour I felt like my whole face had been stuffed down a funnel, lips first. That's when I decided that maybe tongue blocking wasn't such a stupid idea after all.
I think that as much as anything, my pucker ache was caused by tension - trying too hard because I was doing something new that I was a little unsure of. Now I can pucker or tongue block on chromatic or diatonic without discomfort.
You may want to just work on getting as relaxed an embouchure as you can without actually losing air from lack of an airtight seal. You lips are a soft but strong cushion, and if you nestle the front of the harp into your relaxed lips, they'll easily form a seal around it. You don't need to reach your lips out to the harp. Let the harp come and snuggle in your lips. The only thing to look out for is the corners of the lips.
Work on relaxation, and getting what you need with a minimum of effort. This always a bit of a balancing act when you're doing something new and don't know where the line is between what's ineffective, what works, and what's too much. But maintaining relaxation, and not overdoing it if you do tense up, will help you learn faster and with less pain.
If the problem persists, maybe you should just tongue block - something you should learn to do anyway, as it's necessary for so many of the cool things you can do on the harmonica.
