Bending help
Mon, 03/23/2015 - 12:10
I'm new to harp. I have been working on bending study 1 for at least 2 months. I can bend 1, 2 (1/2 and whole), 5 (to extent you can), and 6. But 3 and 4 (which I have read are the "easiest to bend") allude me. I can only get them to start down a little - but less than a 1/2 step. Is this a common problem? Any ideas why? Any suggestions would be appreciated as I don't seem to be getting any closer to making the bends. Thanks.
Hello rich.d.porter. Each person's mouth is different, so this is not uncommon. Basically through experimentation you're now comfortable humping the back/root of your tongue in the back of your mouth for the lower bends and comfortable moving the front portion of your tongue in the front of your mouth for the higher bends. Your practice is to focus on using the middle of your tongue in the middle of your mouth (for most people it's the area why you say Kee). You may also find success focusing on starting in the position you would perform your 6 draw bend and then start the bending movement, focusing on keeping contact with the roof of your mouth the entire time... you're most likely not humping your tongue high enough in that area of your mouth/tongue required for that bending range.
Another tip, if you have other keys of harmonica, is to use them to help you. For example... the 2 draw on the C Harmonica is G. Working your 2 draw bend (which you can do well already on your A) is the same range as the 3', 3" and 3''' of your A harmonica. Working on the 2 draw of the C Harmonica may help your 3 draw on your A Harmonica.
Best wishes on this, and of course review the Bending Level 1 videos often, the exercises in there help.