Holes that do not bend
Hi all,
I am Marco. I have trouble bending with some of my harmonicas and I think that the problem may not be me. I am an intermediate player, I completed the LOA up to The Strut that I am about to start. I used to have problems bending the 2nd and 3rd hole of my C harmonica (Special 20), but I thought it was my technique. Now I just got my D harmonica (marine band Crossover) and while I was able to bend almost every hole, the same problem arose with the 3rd hole. Conversely, I can bend decently every other hole, both drawing and blowing, of my harmonicas in A (special 20) and G (marine band crossover).
What happens with the "wrong" holes is that I feel nothing at all until the sounds comes out completely wrong and loud, like a suffering animal rather than a tune. I cannot modulate it at all, regardless of the tongue movements, it's either that awful sound or nothing.
Am I correct in assuming that the problem lies in the two harmonicas? If so, is it something I can fix by myself? Any ideas?
Thank you in advance
Marco:
You might post this same set of questions in David's "Ask Harmonica Instructor David Barrett" thread here in the Forum. He'll make some suggestions, probably with some links to instructive videos. But in the meantime, as a "perpetual beginner" (notwithstanding that I've progressed successfully through LOA Level 7), some thoughts:
First, given Hohner's general quality control these days, there's no reason why bends on any of holes 1-6 should be a harp issue. (It's a different situation for overblows on the higher holes, which may require some harp tweaking.)
Second, the techniques required for bending are complicated, counter-intuitive (e.g., bends are actually easier if you relax and play lightly), and differ depending on the harp key. E.g., bending the 6 draw might be easy on a G, but tough on a D, until you become accostomed to how you need to shape your mouth, tongue, air passage, etc.
One thing I found helpful was reviewing the MRI study David did some years ago at Stanford University Medical Center, where a lot of interesting things got revealed about what the various parts of the body involved in bending actually do. There's a link to the study in the Lessons here on the site at https://www.bluesharmonica.com/sites/bluesharmonica.com/files/mri_bendin...
Bending just takes a lot of practice, and an understanding that bending happens not because you draw harder, but because you shape your mouth and airway to resonate with the note you seek while bending.
And the way to progress is different for every player. E.g. some folks can quickly learn to half- and whole-step bend on the 2 draw, but have a difficult time on the 3 draw. And for some others, it's the reverse. For me, that half-step bend on the 6 draw has always been a bear, and it's only now, after six or so years of regular play, that I'm feeling confident about it in the keys I use most.
Heres one trick to try (adapted from a tip from Dennis Gruenling): Can you bend the 4 draw on your G harp down a half step, e.g., from A to Ab? If so, then take out that D crossover, and keeping the same mouth, tongue and throat shape, can you bend the 2 draw down a half stop, i.e., from A to Ab? You should be able to, as it's the same pitch change, just on a differnt hole on a different key harp. Likewise, if you half-step bend on he 6 draw on your G, i.e., from E to Eb, you shoud be able to use the same technique to bend the 4 draw on your D harp, from the same E to the same Eb.
It takes a long while, with patiance and relaxation. Best of luck with it.