Long way to go........for me, hi. Great! I wish I was already so far....

Most of the Time I can't even use the tab to remember the piece and need to hear the song for a few phrases before my memory jumps in. Maybe my memory is not so good anymore, hi Once that happens, I just use the tab to verify (slowly) some phrases. I indeed do not use the tab afterward, as it distracts me from augmenting tune and quality. And sure, there will be "changes", notes skipping, octave changes etc.., just to have fun! It has never been my intention to play "sheet music", so an exact copy of the original tab is most of the time not what I play. I just use it as a training part, to improve my skills.

lth-exercise 2 I made myself some exercises to change my muscles memory on draws with tongue switching... I am getting the grip of it.... On the 1d I almost have to bite my tongue to get a small enough cavity, otherwise it starts bending. But how we get it is not important, the result is I think, hi... Comments are welcome...

1d problem on c

Hi Liam, I am getting more and more insight on how I can verify If my technique gets better. It needs a lot of "deliberate practice", for sure. As I discovered that only 1d is the problem, I have put my focus on getting that better. Now I have some tricks to verify things using my fingers and a tuner. I slowly draw 1d with different force and empty my lungs with a chord (123). If I bring my jaw and tongue more forward, I get a higher pitch, more in tune. If I lower my jaw, it starts bending. Check 1, getting an higher pitch, without bending. Check 2 is the finger trick. If the pitch changes when I close my nostrils' with my fingers, I know that I have air leaking through my nose. This happens only when the pitch is to high and has definitely his origin from a wrong tongue position in the back of my mouth. To lower the pitch, I have to lower my jaw a little bit, to hit the sweet spot... It is only 1d that is so sensitive, all others seems to be more forgiven. So, my "deliberate training" will be to get 1d in pitch.... The change over from 123 blow to 1d is tricky, as this is the point where the tone does not start right away of bends. I am glad that I found those checkpoints. I'll make a video If I can clearly reproduce the problem and the solution.... Maybe we got a solution to this mystery, hi... Greetings Walter

Hi Liam, after some practice I found out that my nasal cavity is not closing completely. When I put my fingers on my nose, it becomes much easier to bend and play, as you can hear in the video, proving that there is some leakage... I use that as a check, to see if my nasal cavity is closed. When I draw and hear a change of sound when I put my fingers on my nose, I know there is some leakage. Even a small one gives already another tone... Like I discovered in the previous video, it seams that I my "relaxing deep mouth position" was to deep and open and when I bring my tongue and mouth more to a puckering form, It seems to go better. But the sound becomes sharper too. Question: Do you have some tips to train the closing of my nasal cavity when playing? If I try the sucking tips (like drinking on a straw) my notes start bending. If I suck on the back of my hand, I can get vacuum, so there seems not to be a physical problem of closing it. But when playing it seems that I have always some leakage. As an advanced player, you are not paying attention to how you do it. It is all in your muscles memory. But as a beginner it is hard to find the right trick...

Hi Liam, There has to be one note that indicates the use of a wrong technique, and for me it is 1d on c or 2d on g. So it is definitely my mouth shape... I now discovered that my mouth was way to open and my jaw way to back. As it did not create a problem on the other draws, I was convinced it was something with my harp. But it is not! The deep mouth position with a little tilt, did not bring a solution. The key for me is bringing the jaw more forward, so I start feeling the airflow in the back of my troath. Probably opening my nasal cavety had the same effect, but that is no option and for sure not a good technique. I discovered that even when I used a lip purse, I got the problem.. Now I can continue to practice the song and all other draw notes, hi... Maybe this can be of help for other users who have a problem with one or some notes, hi... Thanks for the encouragement to find the right solution... Greeting Walter

Hi Liam, I have a new harp, same brand and type arriving today and I also bought me a tuner, so I can see if I am out of tone. I used "Bend it Better", an online tool from JP Allen, which gave me already an idea about the correct tone.(or wrong one, hi) I have been looking into some video's about tuning, checking a harp, cleaning etc and I think it has had it good day's. It will become my "technical project" to acquire some hardware knowledge....(the technician in me is anger to know how things work) I will send you a video soon, but maybe you could give me some psychological advice about my doubts. As a technician it has always been a necessity to be sure about something, to check things twice and not to progress until you are 100% sure about it. Automating tasks and conducting them without thinking (muscle memory...), would be risky and could lead to deadly injuries. So it is way out of my comfort zone to do practice and go on to the next lesson without being perfect. But It is clear to me that this is impossible and you have to practice and finetune your techniques in music over and over again for years. You showed more than once in a lesson that a mistake is not a "death sentence". As this leaves me without a reference point, I am not sure when I should move on to the next lesson. What is your advice to take my hesitation to continue away? Where should I put my reference line? Thanks in advance and till soon... Greetings Walter

Hello Liam, if the video is on Youtube, an automated caption to Spanish is possible. Maybe that may help, if you put the requested video into a private zone? Just an idea...