Deep Relaxed Mouth Position (#1 Mistake Harmonica Players Make) 

now THIS was the video i needed

I can tbelieve u r giving this for freee👀🔥

As a complete beginner I have tried a number of different you tube teachers. Pretty challenging to be honest. Then I found yours.... Now this is what I call a site for beginners. Thankyou

I just got my first harmonica at age 55, and have not played a musical instrument before. I was looking for videos to learn from and thankfully came across yours! Love your videos Luke! You really break it down for us beginners and I love your laid back style! Thank you for the videos my man!!

You consistantly deliver high quality harp instruction with creative editing and enthusiasm that both inspires and motivates! Thanks Luke!! :)

Thank you so much for these videos and the free lessons! I can’t wait to get to practicing the harmonica!

Dude I love u I just picked up my harmonica and if I hadn’t found your videos I would’ve quit it after a day, thnx for the videos and I wish u the best, love u man

Wow great videos! You're a great teacher and I love the editing style. I'd say I did my years of grinding through beginner status well into intermediate, but it took me quite some time to figure stuff like this out on many hiking trails (where no one could hear me). Still, you explain it super well and made me aware of things I do unconsciously now. If I talk to someone struggling with harmonica, I'm either quoting or referring them to this and your other videos. Thanks for sharing

A melhor vídeo aula de posicionamento dos lábios que já assisti!!! E olha que foram muitas.

Finely I subscrived for the harmonica course! And I am lovig it.

I've always do that pucker thing my whole run playing harmonica. You're a life saver, man.

Great lesson

Thanks man. Very informative.

THNX 4 SHARING.

Thanks 👍 Really helpful !

Super lesson. This technique works with me.

Thank you for posting this video. I've played diatonic for some time I've been focusing a little bit more on the chromatic and your deep mouth technique is helpful. God bless you.

Vraiment super, merci !

Your video intros inspire me to learn to play the harmonica

How I spend a Saturday night lol. Thanks for the video.

Great video man. I watched gussow and he loves to pucker im going to give this a go

Watched this after the 'learning how to bend' video and it really helped put things together!

Thanks bro 😎

It would be great to see you put out a full video course on youtube, something like "from complete beginner to pro". Only saying this because it can be pretty confusing as to what is the correct way to progress on harmonica, so the tutorials/lessons with progressive difficulty increase would work amazing, I reckon!

Well thought and explained about the deep relaxed embouchure, congrats for a very important lesson I hope many beginners (and already playing and frustrated) players will watch and adopt! There is a catch in Pucker, or Duck-Lips (Gussow), which prevents people from doing this, or the Gindick relaxed "don't fight your harp" thing. Some harps, namely the Marine Band, but also other models built as sandwich, are very sharp on the top plates edge, and as much as you are careful, it will cut into your lips and tongue. The ONLY way to get around this without sanding or replacing the damn thing with a LO or SP20 or some other smooth harp, is to play in Pucker - over those plate knives. Unfortunately many players in this area start with a Blues Harp, which is very nice in tone and feel for advanced players, but for beginners it is a frustrating harp, leading to poor technique and dropping off playing until getting another harp. The 4 embouchures I teach for single notes are lip-block (tilt and push, the lower lip blocks side holes), tongue block, tongue to front (U-Block) and pucker (or Duck lips) - all are great and usable in different situations, and any player can choose the default or use them all, when knowing the pros of each embouchure. Moving between lip-block and pucker will give you single-chord rhythms, only tilting the harp down and up. Moving between U-Block and Tongue-Block will give you full range control in large jumps (tongue switch and middle), and only using TB will give you low or high vamps with solos, octave splits and warbles. Most important thing is to relax, play slowly and connect to the reeds - its not about the blow and draw, its about moving the reeds - and when someone follows this particular video to the step, they will achieve full control over the reeds, even with tongue movement (piston) only - without inhaling or exhaling - just because the embouchure has enough contained energy to move the reeds (of course if the harmonica is airtight, so a beginner harp is critical to develop and control technique)

Thank you

That's a cool lessons.. Sending love from Germany🇩🇪

Very good!

I appreciate your easy to follow instructions and advice. I sometimes, however, find myself drifting off on my own and it sounds like some sort of 1800’s sea chanty or an Irish jig.

So this is crazy, I've been playing for a good couple of months (inconsistently for 2 years now) and didn't understand why I was having such a hard time with bends. I can do a bend, it just sounds goofy. Using this position was an INSTANT improvement!

I practice it by lying on my back on bed. Relaxed. Harp over mouth, no hands. Hole 6. Deep relaxed mouth. Single note draw, draw bend, blow. Amazing how it sounds. Makes me very conscious if I tense up.

Look up Bernoulli’s principle. A restriction in airflow increases the velocity of the air. An increase in air velocity cause an increase in pitch. Kinda like your finger over the end of a garden hose, you restrict the flow which causes a small amount of water to move really fast. If your tongue, lips or mouth cavity create a restriction of air flow, the air velocity will increase. Inversely if you remove restriction, like dropping your tongue or opening your throat you decrease velocity and pitch. That’s how the bending of notes works. I teach this to all my duck calling students on how to manipulate pitch 😊

Hey Luke.. i bought the Fender Harmonica because of you.. in the past i had a Hohner but i really couldn't get it into playing ..i am not a guitar guy even if i build cigar box guitars and ukuleles .. i tried to learn playing guitar but i think my hands or fingers are broken ... i cannot retrieve the right chords.. so .. i would love to have harmonica a go.. so i'm starting over to learn it with your lassons.. thank you from italy

Today I found a bargain a Lee Oskar in C at 18euro.. without box.. but I had to buy that little guy.. it's used but you speak always well of them.. so i get it.. awaiting the delivery thou..

Nice job on your lesson, as usual 👍.... I’ve heard the deep relaxed mouth position called a “lip block” , which kinda makes sense to me. So there would be tongue blocking or lip blocking as the 2 main ways to play. What do you think??

Professeur ❤🌺🍒🇲🇦

Imformative video as all thanks starting with sp 20 / still thoughts on lee Oscar durability stronger as beginner?

Hey Luke.. WHy .. WHy the Harmonica cover keeps sticking to my lips? I'm tring to be relaxed and to moisten them .. but the covers keep grabbing my lips and this doesn't allow me to slide it like it should .. This is only my problem ?! or it does happen ... :-) thanks

A few things, just heard about JP's fall. Crazy tragic. Glad to hear he is recovering, slowly, but getting there, Rediscovering my harmonica at present. PS: Where can I get that T-Shirt?

Hey Luke I just found your channel and it's awesome, I'm learning the low rider jam, but my question is my husband gifted me the fender harmonica but it has 7 harmonica A-G which one is the one to use, or how I know when to use wich letter harmonica? Thank you in advance 💖

I have got to get this down. I started as a U blocker. I have worked at puckering, but it has not worked out well. I am going to stay after this embouchure till I get it. It is already working, I just have to get better at moving about on the harmonica. Thank you Luke for this video. Thank you Luke for this video.

Hey Luke How have you been Valuable tips How will we manage our lips in close cup holding position. Please educate. Thanks

Hi Luke, thanks for the video and advice! What do you recommend as the first harmonica to buy as a beginner? My interest in music is varied but it is primarily blues or blues rock to be more exact! Thank You, ~Chappy

Hi... could you please make some videos on the real basics of harmonica.

hey I'm in the market for a new harmonica, can you give some tips on what to look for? what exactly makes a good harmonica?

Thank you a lot! I actually learned tongue blocking first, because “puckering” just felt uncomfortable… tongue blocking still feels easier to me right now. I should also learn lip pursing though, right?

The fact that this dude looks like Heisenberg makes this even cooler

And how would this work for a person (such as I) that has the bottom jaw recessed towards the back by almost 1 cm? I either get autobend mode or no control over hole blocking.

Question Luke… I’m about 6 weeks in to learning harmonica. I’ve been practicing a lot…. Like 3-4 hours a night. I noticed today that my bottom lip feels numb and it looks like it’s slightly bruising. Is this an issue that people have sometimes? I’m thinking I’m pushing the harp against my lip too hard. Btw the deep relaxed mouth is what helped me get the tone and tone and a half bends on 2&3 respectively.

Hey Luke question; did your bottom lip ever go numb or feel like you’ve had Novocain at dentist office? My bottom lip almost feels like it’s totally asleep sometimes… like I’m losing feeling in it. Is this from playing a lot or am I pressing the harp into my mouth too hard?

👍👏

Man this is difficult. Ive watched a lot of your videos but can't seem to develop lip blocking. Ive been at it for a week for 4 to 5 hours a day.

Hey dude Can I do this with tremolo

HEY LUKE SAYING THANK YOU.. i AM WONDERING IF I HAVE TEETH MISSING WILL IT MAKE THINGS HARDER? Another problem is i do everything hard and fast i cant relax.. this helps but i think my teeth missing is it why i am having problems

Sir which is the best harmonica to buy

Я регулирую в зависимости от нот которые мне нужны, и глубины звука

what's the thing that harmonica players do with their hands while playing

What key is the harmonica you use in this video?

What key harmonica do you play in?

With your upper lip that high on the over plate, doesn't your finger that is holding the harmonica eventually get in the way?

Sir my name is Amit Christopher Jeffery I am having lots of problems on playing a single note

Sir I have a chromatic harmonica! Can I Play like you with that? Sir please reply

Do I have to be able to roll my tongue in order to isolate notes in this position? I'm one of the people who can't. :(

ace! f

How is it possible to isolate notes if it’s so deep in the mouth and no lip pucker? I don’t understand.

Gonna need to trim my mustache for this method, coz ouch.

Ive had no sucess, been blowing through wrong side! Just kidding, newbie here tryin what you say Thank-you

now i have wet harmonica

I dont understand this video , I never saw someone holds the harmonica like that and puts the whole harmonica in their mouth