Bamboo Jaw Harps - my experiments

[Mark Meckes]

Making Jaw Harps 1999-2000
Deep into winter, with nowhere to go,
The earth was silenced by a thick blanket of snow.
Stirring, yearning, for a project to do,
in the bamboo workshop, something anew!

See album of Bamboo Jaw Harps (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3034&ppuser=1) - a collection of some of my experiments.

Bamboo Jaw Harps made from Phyllostachys nigra `Henon'
http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-162f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=644&cat=3034&ppuser=1) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-163f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=646&cat=3034&ppuser=1) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-164f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=647&cat=3034&ppuser=1) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-165f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=648&cat=3034&ppuser=1)

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

Deep Throat Jaw Harp: String-Driven/ Thumb-Dinging
Made fromPhyllostachys nigra `Henon' - Grown in Georgia, USA

http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-166f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=649&cat=3034&ppuser=1) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-167f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=650&cat=3034&ppuser=1) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data//3034/thumbs/1Mvc-168f.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=651&cat=3034&ppuser=1)

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

Bamboo Jaw Harp 3 (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=652)
Made from Phyllostachys nuda - Grown near Easton Pennsylvania, USA

This jaw harp has special significance to me because it came from Arthur's grove that was planted by Robert Lester.
They have both since passed away, and never got to hear the harp that they helped grow, possibly the first ever jaw harp made from Pennsylvania grown bamboo.
So, if you can hear these vibes...here's one to you !!!

Bamboo Jaw Harp 3:Under Side (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=653)

The prong needs to be flexible yet have a stiffnes to it, or as the prong is whittled down the remaining fibers may cause the prong to curl...

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

Phyllostachys angusta (Stone Bamboo) is hard, strong, top grade and excellent for carving.

Bamboo Jaw Harp 4: Made from Phyllostachys angusta (Stone Bamboo) (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=676) - Grown in Georgia, USA

Bamboo Jaw Harp 4: - Side View (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=677)

Bamboo Jaw Harp 4: Underside (a) (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=678)

Bamboo Jaw Harp 4: Undedrside (b) (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=679)

[Mark Meckes]

Bamboo Jaw Harps 5: 2 Phyllostachys nigra `Henon' (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=696)
- Grown in Georgia USA - Length 13"(33cm) ; 10 1/2" (27cm)

Bamboo Jaw Harps 5: Underside Close up (a) (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=697)

Bamboo Jaw Harps 5: Underside Close up (b) (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=698)

Of all things bamboo that I have enjoyed making, this is perhaps one of my greatest interests, but alas it is something that I have to reserve for rare `quiet moments of life'.
The good thing is that now that I have some that work , I can leave them laying around the place, and pick them up whenever I need a 5 minute break from whatever!
I have not been able to find any sources of real hands-on how -to information on this type of jaw harp construction, and so, it has meant a lot to me that somehow I've managed to persevere in their making, at least for long enough to hear, and enjoy this bamboo harp through music.
It also means a lot to come across ideas that can only flourish if they are shared, and therefore the reasons for needing to share becomes more evident.

So anyway, here's a few more random thoughts about jaw harp making, no particular order...

- Part of the learning process is to let go of some preconceived notions, and to let the bamboo material express itself in to it's best abilities, based on the properties and characteristics of the material at hand
- The materials I used were off-cuts of bamboo from other projects, that I had accumulated over a 10 year period, collected from different regions of the USA.
They just happened to be Phylostachys species
(because that's what I had), but they could be made from other varieties as well.

- The only constraint was that the long thin narrow prong had to be strong enough to stay straight, and not curve inward, due to the pull and tension of it's remaining fibers.

- I made about 40 to 50 of them of which about 10 are reasonably expressive, and I'm particularly drawn to play about 5 of them. (update: not so )

- With each attempt, I tried something a little different. This is a long long longer road to discovery then just working with one concept/model, but constantly varying experimentation is much more interesting.

- I use a band saw to make the first 2 cuts length wise , then a scroll saw to cut the inner shapes and the curves, an inch wide belt sander for rough exterior smoothing, and the rest is detail carving.

- The band and scroll saw have enabled me to play with designs for these instruments that other many other makers from the distant past would have only dreamt of doing.
In fact I personally would never have attempted to try what I do without the help of these two machines.(it would have been too hard for me, and have taken far too long. That's not to say someone ELSE could do it!)

- When a cut is made length-ways through most of the length of the bamboo piece, the 2 cut `arms/legs' close up, and not open up, as I would have expected.

- Shaving away some of the inner `arms/legs' releases some of the tension.
The prong must vibrate very closely and in alignment to these arms, and be flush with the outer culm surface.

- Carving out a `weight' on the prong is a real challenge, trying to figure out where it should go, how big it could or should be etc.

- And then, tuning the instrument to within a few cent/degrees of a note becomes a REALLY BIG challenge.

- If you have the instrument sounding great, and then you tune it, tuning might diminish the sound quality . You may totally lose the ability to tune to that particular note, and have to carve away to the next note.

- Almost all different aspects and phases of work on the instrument needs to be done progressively, because the body affects the tone..

- The first rough draft of the harp can be accomplished rather
quickly. Then, for these experiments, I would need at least an all-nighter to carve away little shavings - maybe by noon the next day
I might think I'm finished, but now I know I might play it for a week, and still have an inclination to shave off one more mini-micro fiber, just one more adjustment.
Yes, I know if I stuck with one design, that they could indeed be made much faster, but part of the mystery and thrill is to wonder...what would happen if...?
I have a bunch of them waiting for a return visit, for that final (?) adjustment.
`Non essential' carving is actually important for me as it gives me a break, makes me slow down and think, otherwise I might ruined the harp in haste.

In todays world there's a rush to explore everything, to make all discoveries, to leave no stone un turned, and make a profit.
- With this instrument, and variations of it, I am happy to say that there remains much yet to be discovered, certainly long after I've returned to dust! It has been a great honor to have seen a tiny glimpse of what is yet to come!

Note: One additional application to this instrument is to thread a long bamboo tube through the string which is held by the striking hand. The string extends beyond this with a weight attached.
As you play the harp, this weight rotates , overhead, as does a helicopter, to the rythum of the beat !

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

This string driven thumb dingin jaw harp is made from Phyllostachys rubromarginata(harvested in Alabama USA).
It measures 10 inches (25cm) long.
The 6 1/2 inch (16cm) long prong measures 1.5 mm wide at the tip.
This jaw harp was made from a piece of heat tempered (flash cured) bamboo, an off-cut given to me by Stan Skov, from dijeridoos and plosive
percussion aerophones that he was making.

Bamboo Jaw Harp (1)

http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/3034/thumbs/1Jaw_Harp_5SD_Pic1.jpg Top view (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=726) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/3034/thumbs/1Jaw_Harp_5SD_Pic_2.jpg Underside (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=727) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/3034/thumbs/1Jaw_Harp_5SD_Pic_3.jpg Underside close up (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=728)

http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/3034/thumbs/1Jaw_Harp_5SD_Pic_4.jpg Tied handle (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=729) http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/data/3034/thumbs/1Jaw_Harp_5SD_Pic_5.jpg Side view (http://www.bamboocraft.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=730)