u/TheFaithfulComrade

Hello!

I have now been playing my Special 20 in C for about a year now, I am buying an A harp now and I'm deciding between models. I would rate myself as intermediate and I mostly play single notes.

The thing is, I sometimes get a pain in my abdomen / diaphragm, especially if changing from suck to blow quickly or if I'm not warmed up. I have some other health issues that arise from repetitive movement, so it's a combination of my body acting strange, my technique and the harmonica itself.

Then I tried the Blues Harp in C and the feeling is so much better- smooth and easy. The Special 20 feels like I'm sucking dry air through tiny holes compared to the Blues Harp. I also get less pain from the Blues Harp, as the sucking is more effortless.

Is it the harmonica (the wooden comb maybe?), is it really just my technique? Which model and key harp would be best for my situation?

I would appreciate any input from more experienced players. Both on technique and harp model advice. Thank you in advance :)

I have an college acceptance argumentative essay coming up in about a month. I need to write it on the spot using 2-3 articles.

I've been practicing for 2 months and I am just so frustrated, I feel like I have made zero progress... I get caught up in the planning stage, trying to form solid arguments and plan the logical flow of arguments. It ends up taking me WAY too long and it's soo exhausting.

I tried planning by hand with a spider chart, on a pc... I take on simple questions, without articles. But I try to get to the bottom of an argument so much that I end up tripping over myself, running in circles... If I don't get to the bottom of an argument, they are too similar/ don't make sense.

Any tips? Should I get a professional to help me?