Tips for playing half-valved diatonic harmonica

Hi folks! Here is the promised follow up video where I discuss my approach to playing half-valved diatonic harmonicas. I discuss tips for good tone, getting good valved bends, blow vibrato, and legato playing. At the end I play a little freestyle melody on a half-valved harp, which incorporates all of these techniques! Enjoy!
If you found this video helpful, consider leaving me a tip! You can do so easily at the following site: gotip.it/oneharp
Feel free to PM me with any questions!

[@OneHarp]

Thank you so much Lawrence! I really really appreciate that!

[@paulstockford532]

Very informative and useful video. Just bought my first half-valved harp on a whim and I'm really glad I did. It makes bending so much easier and I appreciate your explanation of how it all works. I think I'm going to have to look into getting more half-valved harps. Thanks for posting.

[@OneHarp]

Glad it was helpful!

[@OneHarp]

Glad the video was useful!

[@OneHarp]

Thanks! Yes, I agree that his fame has much more to do with his rapping than his harmonica playing. My (perhaps too) subtle point with that post on MBH was to indicate that one isn't going to become a "modern harmonica star" by playing harmonica alone. It has to be combined in a proper musical context, and one that is salable to the "kids" these days. Watsky seems to be a pretty good example of doing that, and so I made the post about him. I'm glad it reached you! :)

[@OneHarp]

I'm really glad this helped you! Thanks for the complements too!

[@muleskinner47]

Good stuff. I have all my good harps valved now.

[@steve3150]

Thanks buddy.

[@OldWailer]

Very cool Dude!! Great tone in the little jam at the end--I'm definitely going to try this as soon as I get my harp shop re-constituted (moved recently). I already ordered the tape. . .

[@ricketyrawd]

thanks for the honest tips, you had probably scare a couple of customized but you help save me some money with dig.at least I can try this way first.

[@OneHarp]

Thanks! Let me know how it goes! I'm actually really enjoying playin valved now... Sorta similar revelations to learning 12th and getting my first overblows! It's opening up whole new worlds! :)

[@OMGDSC]

hey, i saw your profile on modernharmonicablues com and the post wondering why watsky was becoming more famous and why he was selling out venues, and i just wanted to answer it. Watsky is so popular because of his raps, not his harmonica playing, although that is also good. He has funny raps, serious raps, sad, happy, you name it raps, and he can rap fast too. My recommendation is to watch Watsky Raps Fast, formerly Pale kid raps fast.

[@MrSupersidewinder]

Thanks for sharing, I too have been playing harmonica for about 4 years. I settled mostly on chromatic because I like having the REAL notes available. Bent notes always sound a bit forced to me :> however I do have a nice Susuki factory valved (diatonic) harp I will pull out after seeing this video!! I am also going to try your valve material as soon as I can get some tape!

[@OneHarp]

+MrSupersidewinder Cheers! Glad to have inspired! Will be curious to hear of your experiences transitioning from Chromatic to Half-valved diatonic!

[@arizonaharp794]

Okay, it's not much put we sent you a tip!! Thanks for posting this stuff!!!

[@santumaiti2701]

Putting a valve in draw reed of 7th whole in a "c" diatonic harmonica would I get Bb tune ?

[@classicalguitarchase]

Thanks this is great. heads up for you though, your microphone is hearing/recording another tone at the same time. appreciate it.

[@geoffleach5390]

How do you clean them??

[@OneHarp]

Disassemble and use a qtip and a toothpick to dislodge particles and wipe surfaces. Clean water, perhaps with some hydrogen peroxide, could be used to dip the qtip in. Do this all very carefully, and try not to damage reeds or valves.

[@vermin5367]

How did you blow bend on the 2 hole?

[@OneHarp]

Well, it's the valves.

[@vermin5367]

@@OneHarp wait, so does it actually count as another halfstep? That's crazy.

[@OneHarp]

@@vermin5367 Yes. It adds at least one halfstep bend in the other direction.

[@norfolknwhey4787]

Why not get a chromatic? It sounds like a valved chromatic, and loses the soulfulness of valveless diatonic.

[@harplaya]

Listen to PT Gazell. He uses half valves and I find it uses the best sounds of diatonic with chromatic tones as well. The microphone used here does not do justice to the great sound of Oneharp.

[@OneHarp]

Horses for courses. I don't really play valved anymore, but some folks can make 'em sound real soulful!