Bending!
Hi David! Recently I'm learning the first level 4 study song called The Strut. There's a lot of bends going on and when I'm playing the tune and recording for self assessment. While playing, because of the excitment at first I think I play the song relatively good but when I hear back the recording... UGH! The bends are really flat. I really try to start my practice routine with practicing bends and getting the notes in tune with the keyboard but playing in real time, usually I go flat on that bend. Any suggestion? I'm starting to get really frustrated! LOL Thanks in advance.
Hi David,
I already posted messages about bending on the General Discussion forum but I wonder if you could also help...
I started learning to bend over 2 months ago and for some reason, I seem to have got the more difficult bends first (holes 2, 1 and 3 in chronological order). The issue I have is that the tone is awful. For example my easiest bends are on holes 2 and 3 but the sound coming out is like a 'fog horn'. I also seem to have increased air flow when attempting to bend and feel that I am running out of breath.
Do you have tips on how to improve tone?
Thanks,
Mark.
Hello Mark. Let’s start with the breathing…
If you find yourself running out of breath quickly, make sure that your nose is NOT opening while you try to bend. If your nose is open, you cannot bend. If you confirm that you nose is closed, then you’re probably just breathing in too forcefully to try and create the bend. Bending doesn’t require you to play any louder, so focus on breathing the same as when you’re playing a non-bent note.
Now for the lower holes being easier…
Bending is all about tuning your mouth to the pitch that you're trying to create on the harmonica. This is achieved by humping up your tongue to create a frontal chamber. Your tongue is comfortable humping in a place in the middle/back, where the lower bends are controlled. To get the higher bends (4 through 6 in our case), you’ll need to practice raising more of the front of your tongue, further forward in your mouth. “SH” is a good example of this… working well for a 6 bend for example.
There are some bends that can be harder to control, but I wouldn't say there are easier or harder bends to perform, it's just luck of the draw where your tongue humps comfortably. For some it's the lower bends, and the higher bends are harder, and for others the opposite.
And tone…
Tone of your bends will not be great for quite a while… that’s something we work on over time… years to be honest. It’s hard to say relax when you’re trying hard to do something for the first time, but the general goal is to not muscle up when you bend, or play harder (louder)… it’s all about experimenting with tongue location in your mouth.
Watch my bending video every couple of months… you’ll pick up some new, and important each time.
Bending develops over time, on its own schedule... which is A LOT slower than we wish it to be, but it is what it is.
Keep at, you WILL get it, you just don’t know when.
Thanks for your advice David. I think my nose is open which is why I am runiing out of breath. I can demonstrate this by playing an unbent draw note and pinching my nose...the result is a fuller, louder sound. Could you direct me to the bending video which you refer to in your previous message?
I've read the research paper that is on this site and so I think I have the science behind it. Unfotunately my tongue doesn't understand science :-)
That's great that we checked this... you'll want control over your nose.
Here's the lesson on controlling the nose: https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/breathing_harmonica
Here's the bending lesson: https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/bending_study_level_1
Hah, yes, the tongue like good 'ol reps.
Hello Norlo28. That's okay, flat is fine. All those bends are blue notes, so having them be flatter than what the tuner is asking for is actually better. The only bend that's not that way is 3"... you don't want to play that any lower. The exception to this idea is when you're playing in unison with another instrument (like when doubling the head with a guitarist), but that's not the case for this song.