jaws harps and dental health ?

Subject: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 09:14 AM

finally got round to buying a set of different size Schwarz jaws harps
to learn on..

I want to get near the playing standard of this

http://www.highwindy.com/sounds/jawharp/jawharp.ram

David Holt [the only jaws harp audio clip i can find on internet]

.. possible problem is i've got a very healthy good looking natural set
of well looked after nearly half a century old front teeth..


will the regular playing of this metal instrument inevitably lead to damaged enamel..

is it an accepted widespread 'industrial injury' ???

I would prefere to accomplish this age old organic
origional 'filtered synthesiser' instrument the real way

rather than playing prefab multi-samples on a keyboard..


but, on the other hand the mrs dont want me to end up looking like a snaggy toothed old punk folkie

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 09:21 AM

If you damage your teeth you are doing it wrong, it just rests on your teeth, you can even play it against your lips.

eric

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 11:35 AM

The best jews-harp player I know is Lindsay Porteous from Fife.

He realized many years ago that either the front teeth or the jews harp had to go.

So he had his front teeth out to enable him to keep on playing.

There are descriptions from the nineteenth century of players having to give up because of neuralgia caused by the vibrations transmitted through the upper jaw.

The less common type where the frame is a flat plate rather than a forged rod don't need to be gripped between the teeth, but the tang can still give them a damaging whack.

The south-east Asian bamboo ones should be safe - held between the lips and no metal moving parts - but they're rather quiet.

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 12:26 PM

That vibrating metal hurts, even if it's just resting against my teeth - makes it feel like it's vibrating my teeth right out of their sockets. I've thought of trying rubber tape or some sort of cushion. Seems like there ought to be something to make it safer.
-"Toothless" Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 02 Dec 05 - 11:26 PM

Hey, there is a sound sample for my J-harp version of the song "Groundhog" at my folk photos and soon-to-be-released CD site.

Go to http://rudegnu.com/art_thieme.com

Scroll down to CHICAGO TOWN AND POINTS WEST---click on it, and enter the lower case word mudcat for both the user name and the password. That'll get you in. Scroll down the song list for the CD and click to hear a short portion of the song "Groundhog".

There will be your jaws, jews, juice harp.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: Davetnova
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 06:47 AM

The vietnamese Dan Moi is the one. It's held against the lips and has twice the volume of a normal jaw harp, nice range of sounds too. the only place I've been ablr to get them is Ebay and I have to keep getting yet another as people fall in love with them amd wheedle them out of me.

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 07:48 AM

G'day Davetnova,

Is that "Dan Moi " the same as this Vietnamese Brass Jaws Harp that Lark in the Morning is advertising in its Christmas range?

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: jaws harps and dental health ?
From: Davetnova
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 08:06 AM

yup, thats the thing. They come in various keys and sizes, including double tonged ones.Try, enjoy.