Bending

Once a player develops good bending chops on one key of harmonica their next goal is to gain proficiency on all keys of harmonica. A simple way to do this is to take a challenging bending song that you can do well on one key of harmonica (a song that preferably uses both deep and half step bends, such as the Bending Study 5 song "Half Steppin'," which has every bend represented on holes 1 through 6 of the harmonica in the first chorus!) and play it in all twelve keys. continue reading...

There's a tendency for new benders to push their tongue hard on the face of the harmonica, using it as a type of anchor for the humping of their tongue. Tension in the front of the tongue, or the pushing of the tongue forwards onto the face of the harmonica, commonly causes thin and airy tone while bending. continue reading...

Alfred Förtsch just contacted me in regards to his new website dedicated to the physics of how the harmonica works, specifically bending. His website is http://www.bluesharpscience.de and if you haven't already done so, take a look at my paper on the subject https://www.bluesharmonica.com/sites/bluesharmonica.com/files/mri_bendin... and the paper with Stanford University http://scitation.aip.org/content/asa/journal/poma/19/1/10.1121/1.4799443 Best wishes on your new site Alfred.

Join Ross Garren for his latest lesson on overbending where he covers overdraws.

In this study song, titled “Moanin’ After Midnight,” we’ll work your overbending in the context of 1st Position blues, utilizing the expressive techniques you learned in Study 5. You’ll need a Bb Harmonica for this study. You can find this lesson here http://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/bending_study_12_overbending_study...

In this study we dig into expressive techniques to use with your overblows, specifically dips, quarter tone bends and “false fingering.” You’ll need a Bb Harmonica for this study.

The goal of this lesson is to continue advancing your overbend skills while simultaneously filling in the harmonic/theory knowledge that’s required of a traditional blues player to be able to apply/execute overbends well in our common three positions (1st, 2nd and 3rd). This will be achieved by studying chords (arpeggios) and chord scales (a combination of chord tones and scale tones), all to give you more material to play while improvising. continue reading...

In this study we’ll define what an overbend is, what notes are available on your harmonica with overbends, how to perform an overblow and provide you with exercises for you to practice overblows on holes 4, 5 and 6. continue reading...

Stuff You Should Know releases on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to. On Tuesday the subject was "Bridges: Nature Abhors Them" and at 48:21 they speak of mechanical resonance in regards to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge disaster. Believe it or not, the understanding of this will help you to become a better harmonica player. continue reading...

If you've read it once, read it again... this paper is as important to advanced players as it is beginning. The more we can understand how the harmonica and mouth works in the bending process the better. In Ross' Overbending Study 1 he'll be referencing the concepts from this paper, so you'll want to review it to fully understand how the reeds work in the overbending process. https://www.bluesharmonica.com/sites/bluesharmonica.com/files/mri_bendin...