Can bending break reeds?
Thu, 09/08/2016 - 15:55
So I'm a new player trying to start getting into bending and I wonder if it's possible to over-do bending to the point that it makes the reeds go flat or eventually break? I've done most of my bending work on a C harmonica and now my 2 draw is slightly flat and that's probably the hole i was trying to bend on the most. It's bad enough that sometimes it bends without me even trying. I assume all harps should be capable of bending out of the box but would a flat/sharp reed make bending easier and is there anything I should do to bend safely so I don't ruin any harps?
When you bend a note, you get it to vibrate slightly slower or faster than it would with a neutral air flow. Esseintally, you tune your mouth to a note that the reed can respond to - within the range of notes it can bend to - and persuade the reed to vibrate at that rate.
You can bend notes with very gentle breathing, with no danger to the reed.
HOWEVER, you can damage reeds by:
1) forcing more air through the reed than it can handle
2) trying to bend the reed beyond its range.
When you do either (or both) of these, you give the reed energy that it can't dissipate through normal vibration, and cause stress than can cause reed failure, i.e., leading the reed to go seriously out of tune and eventuall break off near its base.
Every bendable note on the harmonica has a limit, and it's different for each note. Learn those limits and what they sound like, and then work within them, and you'll be fine.
Go on Facebook and you'll find macho types swaggering about, complaining (but underneath it bragging) that they break reeds left and right and asking where's the harmonica that can stand up to a real man, unlike those pussy harmonicas made by (here you can insert the name of whatever brand they're complaining about)? Usually those guys are blowing way too hard, and trying too bend too far at the same time. Not only are they breaking their harps, they usually sound terrible.
So learn to bend with persuasion and not with force. Your listeners, your own ears, and your harps will thank you.