How to Breathe Correctly on Harmonica (Breath Control Lesson) Hold notes for over 40 seconds!

[@harmonicamanrandy]

It's kind of ironic that you should post this at this particular time (for me at least). I recently had a lung infection that I had to get rid of before my upcoming gig at the local festival. We're opening up for Larry McCray so it's not a stupid bar gig. The doctor did everything in his power and prescribed inhalers so I could catch my breath again. The funny thing is, he and the staff all entered the ER to tell me I had better get well quick. One of the main reasons they're going to the festival is to hear me play. I was floored from the response and by the fact that I had fans. I didn't know that. Now my lungs have cleared up and I'm doing just what Will is teaching here. It worked after My double bypass last year, and it's working now! Thanks Will! Keep on Rockin!

[@SuperTerminator50]

Harmonica Legend already Will.......

[@williamknight5419]

you have a fan here im definetly gonna buy some merch when I go back to work

[@evandavies4049]

Boy do i need this lesson great insight thanks will

[@dogfishdaveharmonica7258]

Great exercise and explained very well Man, I’d love to have a vibratto like yours!

[@Diego-fr7ii]

excelent will! you are the best harp player !

[@sifularson]

Thank you, Will. Something new to practice. I’m on it!

[@mattredfern1339]

Brother Thank You. my poor novice breathing technique is exactly the wall i have just hit. came here from your chuggin lesson having decided i need focus on that for a while for fun until i could find my way back to where i was or figure where i have started going wrong with my single notes, it's been an incredibly frustrating few days, and your explanation of correct breathing technique has hit the nail square on it's head and sunk it. many many Thanks Brother. 😁

[@richardfromcornwall5492]

Hiya! I'm a silver haired guitar player of 3 years and on a whim quite fancied trying the harmonica! It arrived today and am looking at KZbin for beginner lessons. Even so, your video popped up and even at me early stages of my harp journey, this subject matter really interested me especially as I practice "Mindfulness". Thank you, I will be subscribing to your channel

[@WolfsburgWarehouse]

Will Wilde, I think there would be a market for a harmonica made especially for beat box. Maybe somewhat like a pitch pipe pseudo tuned that also clicks or pops.

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very informative! Thank you for sharing Will.

[@AviAdir]

Thanks for this very simple and strong exercise!

[@msd1647]

Thx Will

[@patriciawhite1936]

Nice, very helpful

[@cottonwoodslim3497]

As a relative beginner I think this is the most important video for me to watch. Thank you.

[@cottonwoodslim3497]

It feels like I should push my diaphragm out on a blow and in on a draw. I'm going to have to practice this without trying to play a song until I get this right. I can practice my breathing while at work without a harp.

[@blueszwerg]

Nice bro. Greatings from Berlin

[@blues3824]

Great.

[@Risingabovechaos]

I have been using a lung resistance trainer for about a week now and can notice an improvement in my control over my breath whilst playing and I can get a richer tone. They are meant for athletes but have a use for harp players too.

[@rebeca2085]

How is it? Where did you get that?

[@Risingabovechaos]

@@rebeca2085 I got mine from a running store near me. I had never used it. I just bought it and one day I will start using it but never did. Then years later I was sorting through some things I found it and I thought this is what I need for the harp. I had been playing but would run out of air. This has gone a lo g way to curing that, I can solo for a lot longer and when hitting a note for any length of time it sounds a lot clearer and more resonant. Just did a Google search for "lung trainer" they sell on amazon and a few other stores and the price varies. The one I bought was a cheapy but works fine. I'm guessing that if you pay more you will get a better product, but I have not tried the .ore expensive ones yet. Have a great day wherever you are😃

[@rebeca2085]

Wow! Nice! Thanks for your reply 😊

[@1TatooedAngel1]

Thank you for these videos I hope they help me along my way to learning the harmonica

[@willharmonicawilde]

Glad to hear it!

[@willybluessenkiwsky3848]

Thanks off tip of my head I can only remember a single note being held for 2 bars, end of song, maybe 3. But you have a cool way of explaining stuff!

[@z1522]

Around 1:30 into Blue Midnight, Little Walter holds one note for three full bars, just about ten full seconds. Granted, not 40, but that's worth noting.

[@Chuck-Ruby]

Will.. you're amazing .. my buddy REPAIRS harmonicas.. during the quarantine.. he's looking for BUSINESS.. he's super PRO and works on a ton of professionals.. please put the word out and contact me.. better to REPAIR than replace

[@rodneyange1046]

You started playing and I went and made a sandwich came back and you’re still playing.Stamina.

[@SiniSinSinfield]

Excellent video as ever, Will. A detail which has effected me which I don't think you've covered here is proper closure of the nasal passage. I thought I had this under control but after experimenting with pinching my nose with my fingers and achieving an additional 15seconds as a result, I realise that I still have work to do there. Really appreciate the exercise tip. Can you tell me whether you achieve any control at all through constricting your throat? It sounds from this instruction as though you keep your entire throat open and control the flowrate with your core muscles alone. If that's the case I've got some practice to do there too, but I'll do it. Many thanks

[@mattsmart705]

Due to long COVID. My lungs are badly damaged. So I’ve been given daily breathing exercises. It’s true. Most don’t breathe from down below. Especially when we get older. We hold our bellies in lol.

[@ericdickens382]

Hey will? Can you do a tut orial on Sonny Terry changed the lock on the door??

[@Voltanaut]

Really cool harp, Will. Have you customised it? I love the paintwork.

[@willharmonicawilde]

This one was customised by Kormin Alexey, he is a Seydel customiser. Full overblow/overdraw setup. Video coming about it soon!

[@Voltanaut]

@@willharmonicawilde Looking forward to it! I love videos where pros talk about their gear. I enjoy it when they gush. I gush about my harps to my friends and family constantly.

[@Voltanaut]

@@willharmonicawilde Looking forward to it! I love videos where pros talk about their gear. I enjoy it when they gush. I gush about my harps to my friends and family constantly.

[@BaltasarM]

Hey Will. Thanks for the video. My problem now is not holding the note. Im alright about 25/30 sec. (Saying im playing since 14 days only) my problem is then after that i really feel like i was running then the following notes i endup blowing too hard. Or simply taking off the harp from my mouth and breathing fast to be able to continue. Does this excercise help with that situation? Im gonna do it anyways... Just wonder if its normal not following the rythm after a very few draw notes.

[@Harmonicatony60]

Do you have a daily cardiovascular workout?

[@willharmonicawilde]

Not currently, but breath capacity certainly improves when I do. Pretty much any exercise that raises the heart rate will help

[@z1522]

Having played for close to fifty years, since Tony Glover's tome was the only instruction around, but lapsing many times for years on and off, I have a peculiar mix of mental tunes my body has some muscle memory for, but obviously very sloppy now. One really strange side effect of mostly being self-taught, is I just breathe through my nose if I am either running out of breath, or exhale if I am taking too much air in and filling my lungs. It seems natural enough, and my airway is open so the sound resonates pretty well - but acoustically, with no mic, I don't know if the nose breathing is audible and would compromise amplified play. I can't understand how breathing around the harp rapidly would not sound at least as audible. What's up with that, or with me? I'm not doing "circular breathing" which has to move air in while pushing air out thru a reed or mouthpiece instrument, I'm just sort of breathing around my playing.

[@paulbutler7219]

Hey Will how do you feel about a B-flat for a key

[@willharmonicawilde]

I like every key, Bb harps are nice

[@thBrilliantFool]

Hey Will I've noticed the draw 5 reed tends to go out of tune more often then other reeds for me. Is this common or do you know if there's a particular reason for it? I've also had draw 4 and 6 go out before but the majority of the time it's the 5 draw. Rarely ever a blow reed. Maybe it's just me.

[@willharmonicawilde]

Reeds go out of tune when they become fatigued. There's no reason why draw 5 in particular should go flat more often than any other reed. It's probably just that you use that note a lot in your playing, or maybe you have a tendency to attack it harder/ bend it more often/ use more vibrato on it than other notes... All of which put stress on the reeds and contribute to them eventually going flat.

[@thBrilliantFool]

@@willharmonicawilde hey thanks for your input. It's weird because I find myself playing draw 1 - 4 more so than 5 but those reeds have never gone out of tune for me even though I bend and play them more than the 5. Another thing I noticed when they do go out of tune reeds tend to go flat rather than sharp for some reason. Do you have any videos on how to put harmonicas back in tune and other maintenance tips?

[@Death_User666]

Good because i either run out of breath or have too much air

[@georgerism]

how in hell?????can you do that??????I play in local blues jam on my marine bands...….I do a triplet......4draw bent 3draw and 4blow to get the air out...…...but still get out of breath......never been a smoker

[@rexill8]

3:03 your over exaggeration is my truth😭

[@msd1647]

Omg

[@steve3150]

Sorry i meant pendant. Duh!

[@willharmonicawilde]

It's from Seydel

[@steve3150]

@@willharmonicawilde Cheers buddy.

[@johnmarston-ce4ui]

Before I'm watching the video, I can breath 16 seconds. 😬😬😬😬

[@steve3150]

20 seconds.

[@OLIVER949OC2]

Lung exercises

[@tamborelconejo]

jesuchrist, that is breathing

[@msd1647]

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