Bending
Sun, 03/24/2019 - 15:38
Hey! Love the site!
I‘m pretty new to the harmonica and I’m starting to learn how to bend on the draw holes 1-6. I can do it but I feel like I really have to suck in a ton of air in order to achieve the bend, to the point where often it kind of sounds ugly and not very clean.
Is this common? Is there anything you think I should be doing differently to achieve less taxing bends with cleaner sound?
Thanks!
Andrew Kern
Mon, 03/25/2019 - 12:59
#2
Thanks!
I’ll watch the videos
Thanks!
I’ll watch the videos some more and keep trying to reduce the airflow / focus on the tongue.
Hello Andrew. Using a little bit more tension in the mouth, and a little more airflow when learning how to bend is normal... it's hard to relax when you're trying hard to do something new. With that said, "slight" is the key word. If you're having to use excessive air, then you'll want to stop that and focus more on the placement of your tongue. Watch my bending videos over and over... they mean more each time you watch and then practice the advice I give. Most players are not humping their tongue up enough... that is something you'll want to focus on. Also, experiment, experiment, and... experiment. This is a mysterious technique (you can't see what your tongue is doing, and what you're trying to achieve)... so work hard, but be patient.