Why Is 2 Draw So Difficult?

My harp must be dodgy!

When learning to play individual notes for the first time, 2 draw is often the hardest to master. ‘Is it me or is there something wrong with my harmonica?’ is the question that follows. To be blunt, it’s rarely the harp.

2 hole draw is a long reed in a big slot. With one straight and two bent notes available on the same reed, you have to find the optimum balance between air pressure and pitch. Lower reeds respond with less effort than higher reeds. Draw too hard and the reed may not respond at all. Try to snatch it, manoeuvre your lips, or pull your tongue back as you draw (changing the air pressure) and the reed will bend. Often a scooped or dipped note is heard. Alternatively, students struggle to produce any sound at all. When they do, there may be a lot of loose air, the tone may be thin and the note is off pitch… until the player runs out of breath. Then the true pitch cuts in faintly. This is normal, so relax. When you play a draw chord across holes 1 to 4, hole 2 is in the mix. You just need to single it out.

So what’s the trick?

Remember to get a good seal around the hole. Eliminate any air seepage (that peripheral windy noise). Moisten your lips and get your chops right round the harp; don’t address it from afar. You’re not kissing your maiden aunt (a great honour, but you don’t want to stay there too long). Your harp likes intimacy, warmth and humidity. Adopt an inviting, semi-soft pucker! You should be able to get your mouth right over the numbers on the cover plate until your upper lip nudges the knuckle of your forefinger. Once you have a clean, air tight response, you are better equipped to find the right balance and a full tone.

Remember you are not sucking in the literal sense. This is no time to suction pump your McDonald’s milk shake up a straw. We’re gently inhaling through a small chamber to gain a response. So inhale softly across the reed without tugging it. Disengage your tongue and breath from the diaphragm. It may help to breath through your nose momentarily as you start. Be patient. It is normal for 2 draw to be elusive at first. In time it will become your best friend – especially when playing cross harp.

One last tip – you can always blow hole 3 to see if your 2 hole draw is in pitch. They produce the same note. But don’t fall into the trap of using blow 3 as a substitute. Both notes are there for good reason. There’s no avoiding the 2 draw, or the all important 2 draw bends that follow.