How to Make Your Harmonica Better

By Jonathan Prestidge (edited by Paddy Wells)

 

Harmonicas currently manufactured by reputable brands tend to play well straight of the box, as you’d expect from a professional instrument. However, with a few relatively minor adjustments, you can make a significant difference to the tone and playability of your harp. Here’s how to make your harmonica better in four easy steps.

Gapping

The first thing to understand about a harmonica is that it’s a mass-produced instrument – even the most costly diatonic from one of the big manufacturers is not going to receive the care and attention to make it play at its absolute optimum.

Gapping is a way to set the resting point of each reed. How high you set it depends on how hard you play, and whether you want to use techniques such as overblowing (which requires the reeds to be set relatively low). The most important thing is consistency – reed gaps that are vastly different across the range of your harp will result in poor sound and overall performance. Aim to set your reed at the point that produces the best tone for your own playing style.

A great guide to gapping using a relatively simple technique is here:
https://www.harmonica.com/caveman-reed-gapping-53787.html

Make it airtight

Not all harmonicas will be completely airtight from the factory: screws can loosen, combs can be less than perfectly flat and, occasionally, there can be small errors in assembly. Harmonicas that don’t have optimum airtightness can be hard to play and can sound squealy.

The first step is to disassemble your harmonica carefully, then reassemble it, making sure you tighten the screws gradually, and avoid over-tightening. Harmonicas with nails, such as the Marine Band Classic, are best left alone, unless you’re confident that you can accurately reassemble them and/or replace the nails with a bolted setup, like that found on the Marine Band Deluxe.

It is also possible to flatten the comb if there are any irregularities. This guide provides a detailed description of the process:
http://harp.andrewzajac.ca/CombMethod

 

Tuning

Tuning is something very familiar to anyone who plays a stringed instrument, where temperature, humidity and the act of playing all conspire to make small changes to string tension. 

Most harps, however, won’t be perfectly in tune straight from the factory. They may be sufficiently close to being in tune for the average player never to notice, but they can usually be improved, which will make audible differences to their tone.

Unfortunately, unlike a guitar, where tuning is a simple matter of turning a peg while looking at a dial on a chromatic tuner, changing the tuning on a harmonica involves removing material from the reed itself – from the tip to raise the pitch and from the base to lower it. 

A detailed article on how to do this is available here:
http://harp.andrewzajac.ca/Tune

Embossing

Embossing refers to the process of narrowing the gap between the reed and the slot. When done correctly, this reduces the amount of air that escapes between the reed and the slot, allowing the reed to function more efficiently, thereby increasing volume and improving response. 

Various guides can found online.

 

Use old harps first

While you can definitely improve the playability of your harmonica with these four methods, it’s always better to hone your technical skills on old harmonicas, rather than risk damaging your favourite new one. Practise on your old clunkers first!

About Pinegrove

Here at Pinegrove Leather, we lovingly craft leather goods of premium quality for musicians of every level. Since 2012, we’ve been producing elegant and hardwearing leather guitar straps, alongside a bestselling range of cases for harmonica. Whether you’re a pro on the road or just a play-at-home hobbyist, Pinegrove has got you covered.