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Second position sounding strained once you climb above hole six? In this "Ask Tomlin" episode I help student Robert smooth out his upper octave major pentatonic scale.
In this Ask Tomlin episode I sit down with student Robert, who's started exploring second position blues harmonica up in the high end - holes six through ten - and can't get his major pentatonic scale sounding as sweet as he'd like. He describes the airflow up there as a different beast entirely, and when a note doesn't come out clean it genuinely gives him a headache.
We work through why the 6 draw feels so much more strained than the 6 blow, and I explain the physics behind it - your vocal cavity needs to shrink as you climb higher, the same way you'd tune a resonating chamber. I also show Robert how switching to a lower key harmonica, like a G, makes the upper octave far easier to access while he builds confidence, before working back up through A and eventually C.
We finish on tongue blocking technique for the high end, including which side of your mouth to play from, and a simple daily practice plan for anyone finding the top of the harmonica unfamiliar territory.
⏱ Audio Chapters
0:00 – Robert's struggle with the upper octave major pentatonic scale
0:31 – What's the one thing to work on today?
1:19 – Robert plays the high end for the first time
2:21 – Getting the 6 draw sounding as good as the 6 blow
4:36 – The physics behind why high notes feel so tight
6:16 – Why it's okay to feel like a beginner again
6:54 – Using different harmonica keys to build up gradually
9:44 – Tongue blocking: which side of your mouth to use
13:07 – A practice plan for owning the upper octave
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