Jew's harp is a small reed musical instrument played by pressing it to the lips or teeth. The exact etymology of the name has not been established, but it is very likely that it comes from the ancient name of the lips "varga", which has survived to this day in many Slavic languages. With a resurgence of interest in folk music, the jew's harp has become extremely popular and is used by many musical groups.
It is necessary
- - jew's harp;
- - strong teeth.
Instructions
Step 1
Try to touch the tongue of the jew's harp with just your finger, without pressing the instrument to your mouth. You will hear that it sounds very quiet. It does not have its own resonator. This function is performed by the oral cavity. By learning how to control its volume, you will learn how to change the pitch of the instrument. Most instruments of this type make only one sound. But the skillful use of overtones makes it possible to use the jew's harp even as a solo instrument.
Step 2
Learn to hold the jew's harp. You can take it in either hand. Usually musicians hold the instrument in the wrong hand, which is the leading one. The instrument has a curved base and must be gripped with your middle and forefinger. In this case, the arch of the base should be on the outside of the palm. Place your thumb in the attachment point of the tongue. Try to free your hand and position your fingers so that they do not interfere with the vibrations of the uvula.
Step 3
Press the jew's harp to your teeth with its base. The teeth must be opened. The distance between the jaws must be such that the tongue of the instrument can move freely. Make sure the tip of your tongue is in the middle of your mouth. Fix the position of the instrument with your lips. Some musicians press the jew's harp not to their teeth, but to their lips. This is also a common way to play, but the sound is quieter.
Step 4
Learn to make sound. Hold the tool firmly with one hand and hit the tongue with your index finger with the other. There are several ways to do this. Master a straight punch, that is, moving your index finger towards you. Your movements should be short, sharp, but not particularly strong. Learn to extract sound and reverse movement, that is, from yourself. Alternate techniques.
Step 5
Choose the most appropriate pose. Lower your elbow. All fingers, except the index, are clenched into a fist. Index - lift up and tense slightly. Hit the tip of the tongue with the pad of your finger. When you do, try playing with the edge of your finger. In this case, it is not the finger joints that bend and unbend, but the wrist. The finger acts as a mediator.
Step 6
There are other ways of producing sound as well. It is best to master them all, this will make it possible to better use the artistic possibilities of the instrument. One option is to raise your elbow to shoulder level. In this case, the brush will be slightly higher than the tool. The fingers, as in the first case, are collected. The hand rotates, and the blow is struck with the edge of the index finger.
Step 7
From the jew's harp, you can also extract sounds with a circular motion of the elbow joint. Initially, the elbow should be lowered, as in the first case. The fingers are not clenched into a fist, but folded like a boat. The thumb strikes the tongue, which is slightly set aside.
Step 8
Learn to make sounds with all your fingers in turn. Raise your elbow to shoulder level. Relax the brush and place it just above the tool so that the thumb is at the level of the temple. Unlike the previous methods, it is the fingers that move, not the hand and not the elbow.
Step 9
Change the position of your lips. Try to arrange them as you would when pronouncing different vowel sounds. Listen to what you get. Experiment by relaxing and tightening your throat.
Step 10
Much also depends on the position of the tongue. By moving the tip of your tongue to your teeth and thus reducing the volume of your mouth, you will produce a relatively high-pitched sound. If you push the tip of your tongue farther, the sound will become lower.
Step 11
Learn to control the volume. The loudest sound is obtained at the maximum vibration amplitude. It, in turn, depends on the strength of the blow. Also learn to interrupt the sound. Sometimes this needs to be done before the tongue stops. To interrupt the sound, it is enough to move the jew's harp away from the teeth or lips. You can stop the tongue with your finger or exhale sharply.
