Harmonica Pranayama, anyone? (or any wind instr.)

[Trunk]

I sometimes play a little (really very little) harmonica. Sometimes I run to the park close to my house, then alternately do qigong and play harp. Anyway, I was emotionally out of sorts earlier this afternoon and picked it up... the breath control really calmed me down. Obviously, joyful to play also.

 

I wonder if any of you have taken up harmonica (or any other breath related instruments) and have enjoyed the internal arts breath control benefits?

 

 

(need I say that's not me in the vid? lol)

[Aetherous]

I got a really cheap shakuhachi flute a couple years back. It's a long exhale when playing, so it helps with heart rate variability...it's calming to the nervous system. Also, the open mouth design of the shakuhachi presses into REN24 in a very significant way.

 

It's a challenging instrument to play! My next flute will be some sort of Native American style...much easier.

 

[silent thunder]

I played Saxophone for many years... the woodwinds are great practice for belly breathing and diaphragm control.

[Aetherous]

Most of the time I was able to...but other times, I think that cold or dry weather would cause the bamboo to not work properly. Or if your mouth isn't loose enough at the time and the technique isn't just right, it won't work at all. At times literally no sound came out despite all trying, even after I had the technique down. Cold weather can also severely crack the flute...there is probably great info out there on how to maintain these things, such as always keeping it indoors. I would personally keep the thing in a humidor, lol.

Some shakuhachi have a buffalo inlay, which might help with consistently producing quality sound.

[Flolfolil]

i always wanted to learn circular breathing, i think it is called...

[skydog]

cool thread.

 

I want to play the fluteeee.

 

so cool

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ32CbC_PBk

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QriFEeaxW4w

 

in touch with the spirit

Edited October 22, 2013 by skydog

[Brian]

This summer, I bought a bamboo walking stick that is also a transverse (side-blow) flute. So far, I mostly just make noise and annoy fellow hikers...

 

[Marblehead]

Nice harp playing in that first video. Just yesterday I was listening to Kim Wilson

playing his harp.

 

I don't play but I'm a good listener. And yes, the sax is one of my favorites, but again, just as a listener.

 

[joeblast]

Love my digeridu

 

in brian austin's zen and the brain, he notes the calming neural resonances produced by a prolonged exhale

[Marblehead]

Love my digeridu

 

in brian austin's zen and the brain, he notes the calming neural resonances produced by a prolonged exhale

I forget the name of the group right now but it was either a Brit or Aussie group during the 1960's that used the digeridu in a number of their songs. They utilized the instrument very well and it added much 'soul' to the songs.

[Trunk]

Enjoying all the posts.

 

This guy basically started a youtube harmonica movement back in 2007...

(similar things have happened, of course w/ guitar & ukelele and probably every other subject, lol)

 

[Marblehead]

He gets two points for his harmonica work but -2 for lighting setup. Break even.

 

Actually, this reminded me of back in the days when Bob Dylan was just getting started in music and some radio station had one of the Harmonicats

on the show and the guy said that Bob couldn't play harmonica very well at all. Well, Bob was making money with his harmonica then and the Harmonicats weren't.

 

Sure, they were good, but their style of music died and they were unable to adapt.

[SonOfTheGods]

I sometimes play a little (really very little) harmonica. Sometimes I run to the park close to my house, then alternately do qigong and play harp. Anyway, I was emotionally out of sorts earlier this afternoon and picked it up... the breath control really calmed me down. Obviously, joyful to play also.

 

I wonder if any of you have taken up harmonica (or any other breath related instruments) and have enjoyed the internal arts breath control benefits?

 

 

(need I say that's not me in the vid? lol)

Yes I do - harp

 

I use the sounds/notes/frequencies to activate various things.

 

Interesting.

Edited October 23, 2013 by SonOfTheGods

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I play a bit of wooden flute, myself, and a bit of blues harmonica. I found that learning flute helps a lot with breath focus due to the need for smooth, even, and long breaths, which help focus.

 

Listen to Qin/Guzhen music for the rhythm, then improvise on a major scale using only 1do 2ra 3me 5so 6la 8/1do. When you change keys, by starting on a different note in the scale, and play this scale, you will get different major and minor pentatonic scales. for example, if you start the scale on the 6/La and play around the scale, the notes will harmonize differently than if you start from 3me, or the 1do. Do this in a Guzheng groove and there's lots to play around with. Works great on string instruments too!

[SonOfTheGods]

I never practiced to play an actual whole song

 

But my dogs think I'm an awesome harp player lol

[Marblehead]

Well, as music is an important part of my life and this discussion is of wind instruments I will share these two gentlemen with Y'all:

 

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

[Marblehead]

Well, okay, one more song with a beautiful sax:

 

 

 

 

Sax starts at 1:48.