David's Tip of the Day: Good Tone - Part 3

"E" is a great location in the mouth to show someone how to bend on the harmonica (this is similar to a 4 draw bend on a mid-range harmonica). Bending is created by producing a constricted air passage and tuning the point in front of the constriction (towards the harmonica) to the pitch of the bend you're trying to create. If your mouth is tuned to the reed you're playing, then your tone will be fine for every-day single-note playing. If your mouth is tuned higher in pitch than the reed, then your tone will suffer and may cause unwanted affects (bending, airiness and/or stalling). If your mouth is tuned much lower than the reed, your tone can be better, though you're tongue is far from the area it needs to be in to start the bending process.

Let's to a test of observation...

Grab an A Harmonica... play a 1 draw... then a 4 draw... and then a 6 draw. What do you observe your tongue and jaw, i.e., the mouth cavity, doing?

More tomorrow...