This is wonderfully helpful! Thank you Sugar Cain & Liam for a bit of a look behind the curtain. I am practicing on used mb & blues harps off of ebay, before attempting to work on my playing ecording stash. Love from Chicago.
I have found the dead skin/gunk on the reed tips sometimes detunes my marine bands - slip a bit of paper under the flat reed and then scrape off very gently with a staple blade generally does the trick
So you tune to A442 because once you put the covers back on, the change in airflow makes it so that they all go down by 2 cents? Also do you have a list/chart of how many cents +/- to tune each reed to? I've got a pile of Hohners with 1 or 2 terrible reeds so I'm going to give this a go.
Hello learn to play harmonica. Sorry if you been asked this question a million times before. After watching your videos i really want to learn playing a harmonica. I really Like the look on Hohner harmonicas but don’t know with one to choose af my first. The 1896 looks really Nice but i want a harmonica that is easy to clean. So i’ve also looked at the Special 20 both in the key of C Which one to thoose? Its important to say im completly new in the hobby. Is there Any other good beginner harmonicas?
honestly when one of my harmonicas has a hole that is clogged I just switch to a different key harmonica. I don't bother to clean those fuckers because I'm lazy
Hi Cain, Do you have contact details for me to get my newish Harp tuned and tell me why why 7,8,9 holes sometimes dont seem to play very well especially 10 on blow or draw. My Harp is a Hohner Marine band I have only been learning for a few months and trying to find my way around Harmonica's. Can you send me details for having it tuned and also if you sell the flat metal tool you use in the video's. Cheers Craig
I’ve got exactly the same harmonica, I bought it because my first harmonica was a hohner and I thought being hand made they must be good right? But the screws are not uniform and I can’t undo one of the screws! Is this normal and do you have any suggestions so as not to mess up the head?
Please help me how to tune a harmonica i just buy in for a really cheap price and it arrived put of tune and now It's been sitting in my closet for a month and I wanna play but I remember it's not tuned, Please someone help me
When tuning you use 420 right ? OK I understand but after you put the cover on the harmonica and want to make sure the tuning is correct do you go back to your tuner and set it to 440 and then check the tuning ?
Again , let me make my question clear/. Let's put it this way. One afternoon you are at home sitting on your sofa and wonder if your harmonica is out of tune or not . You pick up your electronic tuner what set up will you use to just check to see your harmonica with covers on is sounding correct or not 440 ?
Hi Jeff, most harmonicas have screws now. Some of the classic models - e.g. Marine Band - use little nails. Cain uses his own screws to replace Marine Band nails to make things easier.
hi, perhaps you can help please. how do i get my 8 hole to stop squealing, squeaking, and breaking down like a bitch it's so bluddy awful. ALL my suzukis and hohners yeah they ALL do it .. im going freakin nuts here. any advice would be magnificent. maybe this can be bounced over to sugar? thanks!
both although it does depend on the key. I've gapped my harps to give clear equal breath notes. My Golden Melody in C has a way of playing 2 notes on the 8 it "snaps" with air pressure to the higher note (who needs overblows!) depending how hard I blow. Nothing is worse that a blown 8 hole to make you go a funny shade of blue. I don't even think about over blowing. It not possible if you can't even get a clear note at "sea level"
I love twangin' my reed, i twang it most days. In fact this video has put me in the mood , so i'm off to the bathroom to give it a good twangin'. Now where did i put my Playharp magazine.
This is wonderfully helpful! Thank you Sugar Cain & Liam for a bit of a look behind the curtain. I am practicing on used mb & blues harps off of ebay, before attempting to work on my playing
ecording stash. Love from Chicago.
Thanks Gary. I was happy to be a camera man for the day and let someone else do the teaching!
I have found the dead skin/gunk on the reed tips sometimes detunes my marine bands - slip a bit of paper under the flat reed and then scrape off very gently with a staple blade generally does the trick
I met Sugar Cain itself Boot and Ship in Bagillt with Joe Johnson and Ted about eight or so years ago, a genuinely nice fella.
So you tune to A442 because once you put the covers back on, the change in airflow makes it so that they all go down by 2 cents? Also do you have a list/chart of how many cents +/- to tune each reed to? I've got a pile of Hohners with 1 or 2 terrible reeds so I'm going to give this a go.
Hey, do you have or can steer me to a 432 key C harp? Need for a show next week, thanks Jonathan in Atlanta Ga
Hello learn to play harmonica. Sorry if you been asked this question a million times before. After watching your videos i really want to learn playing a harmonica. I really Like the look on Hohner harmonicas but don’t know with one to choose af my first. The 1896 looks really Nice but i want a harmonica that is easy to clean. So i’ve also looked at the Special 20 both in the key of C Which one to thoose? Its important to say im completly new in the hobby. Is there Any other good beginner harmonicas?
Hi Dennis, thanks for watching. Go for a Special 20, I play a lot of them and they're very good harmonicas at a reasonable price. Good luck! Liam
honestly when one of my harmonicas has a hole that is clogged I just switch to a different key harmonica. I don't bother to clean those fuckers because I'm lazy
Hi Cain,
Do you have contact details for me to get my newish Harp tuned and tell me why why 7,8,9 holes sometimes dont seem to play very well especially 10 on blow or draw. My Harp is a Hohner Marine band I have only been learning for a few months and trying to find my way around Harmonica's. Can you send me details for having it tuned and also if you sell the flat metal tool you use in the video's.
Cheers
Craig
I don't think Cain is active anymore, but try John Cook - he's amazing www.johncookharmonicas.com/
hello Liam, which harmonica should I buy suzuki olive or golden melody
Hi, I've never played a Suzuki Olive - Cain, any tips mate?
THANKYOU
I’ve got exactly the same harmonica, I bought it because my first harmonica was a hohner and I thought being hand made they must be good right? But the screws are not uniform and I can’t undo one of the screws! Is this normal and do you have any suggestions so as not to mess up the head?
Ok. So where do I send when my 2 start playing up?
Please help me how to tune a harmonica i just buy in for a really cheap price and it arrived put of tune and now It's been sitting in my closet for a month and I wanna play but I remember it's not tuned, Please someone help me
When tuning you use 420 right ? OK I understand but after you put the cover on the harmonica and want to make sure the tuning is correct do you go back to your tuner and set it to 440 and then check the tuning ?
Again , let me make my question clear/. Let's put it this way. One afternoon you are at home sitting on your sofa and wonder if your harmonica is out of tune or not . You pick up your electronic tuner what set up will you use to just check to see your harmonica with covers on is sounding correct or not 440 ?
Thanks. How do you then attach the cover plates?
Hi Jeff, most harmonicas have screws now. Some of the classic models - e.g. Marine Band - use little nails. Cain uses his own screws to replace Marine Band nails to make things easier.
LearnTheHarmonica.com
Thanks. A video would helpful for fitting screws and restoring nails.
Beauty !
hi, perhaps you can help please. how do i get my 8 hole to stop squealing, squeaking, and breaking down like a bitch it's so bluddy awful. ALL my suzukis and hohners yeah they ALL do it .. im going freakin nuts here. any advice would be magnificent. maybe this can be bounced over to sugar? thanks!
Hi Jeffrey, is that on a blow bend or overdraw or just on any normal note? Cheers. Liam
both although it does depend on the key. I've gapped my harps to give clear equal breath notes. My Golden Melody in C has a way of playing 2 notes on the 8 it "snaps" with air pressure to the higher note (who needs overblows!) depending how hard I blow. Nothing is worse that a blown 8 hole to make you go a funny shade of blue. I don't even think about over blowing. It not possible if you can't even get a clear note at "sea level"
I love twangin' my reed, i twang it most days. In fact this video has put me in the mood , so i'm off to the bathroom to give it a good twangin'. Now where did i put my Playharp magazine.
btw, Hohner, made in China, to be honest. ❤
I've had at least one $13 made-in-Chinica that outlasted a $65 Deluxe in the same key, unlikely odds but it can happen.
Wut