D Harmonica 3' Bend
Sat, 11/16/2013 - 17:07
Hi Winslow...Is it common for players to have a problem getting a nice round sound hitting a 3' with a D harp? I can hit it much of the time but it sounds like a sick cat! I can't imagine what an E harp, or high F for that matter, would sound like. Thanks...Francis
Sun, 11/17/2013 - 05:36
#2
Will Try
Thanks for the reply. I don't have a B harp but do have a Bb. I don't have much trouble on any other key, however, the C 3' used to give me problems but the more I played it the easier it became. Will play around with different harmonicas and see if it works out. Thanks again!
Hi, Francis. The 3 Draw bend is the hardest to contol no matter what key of harp you're playing. This is because it's the widest bend, with four distinct notes - the unbent note and three semitones below it.
That said, there's a second element. Every bend, regardless of which key of harp it occurs on or what hole it's located in, is a specific note on the low-to-high spectrum.
For instance, 3 Draw on a D harp is the note C#, bending down to C, B, and Bb. Your problem could be with bending Hole 3, but it could also be with bending that specific C# that's an octave and a semitone above Midle C.
So one thing I might recommend is working on bending that same C# note on a different key of harmonica where that note is located in a hole that's easier to control.
By any chance do you own a harmonica in the key of B? On that harmonica, Draw 4 is C# - sames as Draw 3 on a D harp. Try working on that bend some. Does the bent note sound clearly, with a tone that is just as full as the unbent note ("as full as" does not mean identical - bent notes will always have a different sound).
Don't own a B harp? Try a Bb (where Draw 4 is C) or a C harp (where Draw 4 is D). These are just below and just above C#.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.