bending four draw
Mr. Barrett,
finally I got to bend some reeds tongueblocked. I started out as a pucker and with that I could bend all reeds right on the money to all pitches I wanted. Right now I managed to bend the three draw to all seperate notes. I can seem to bend the 4 draw and the 6 draw but not as hard enough to get them all the way down. It seems the 3 and 2 draw reed are easier to bend tongueblocked then the 4 and 6 draw. I find it also easier to bend on the g and a harp. Is this all common or am I using too much force?
Does the airtightness off the harps has also something to do with it? The first time I got to bend tongueblocked was on very airtight seydel b-flat harp. Then I tried it on a stock marineband in g, which is very leaky but I could bend the three draw very easily.
A well set up harmonica will be easier for someone to bend in most cases... though in your case it makes the 4 and 6 draw harder to bend due to the fact that you're OVER-bending right now. You're using too much of the back of the tongue for the bend... focus on making your mouth cavity smaller and use more of the front of the tongue and mouth... a higher pitch bend requires a high-pitched embouchure... thus a smaller cavity. Force has nothing to do with it once you find the right resonant pitch for your mouth. And yes, this is VERY common for someone new to tongue block bending. Keep at it!