David's Tip of the Day: Dip Technique - Part 1

The dip technique is where you start a note flat (slightly bent... around a half step) and release it quickly. It's common to associate the "Kya" or "Tya" movement ("Tya" is only performed in a pucker) to help with this technique.

The bend starts before the main note's rhythm and then releases on the beat where the note is supposed to land. For example. In "Feeling for the Blues," (Bending Study 2), the first note is a 3 draw dip. The 3 draw is on beat 1, or what we call the downbeat of the bar/measure. Before the downbeat, start your bend ("Ky") and then release ('a') on the downbeat to sound the natural 3 draw note.

This is an often-used technique on the harmonica and it's musical equivalent on other instruments. The 3 draw is the most commonly dipped note, but it can, and is, used on any bendable note on the harmonica.

Experiment with it a bit this weekend and then I'll take you to the next level in dips... dipping into a bend.