Incorporating Bending into Playing: Which Notes?
Since I'm a selft taught (until now) intermediate to advanced intermediate player, I've been going through the lessons from the beginning to fill in the gaps in my playing. I've been reviewing some of the bending lessons in the last few weeks without delving fully into them. I can do bends, and I have played bends when I play (for example the whole step bend on Low Rider). But I'm confused as to what bends are the more typical ones that one should play.
I know conceptually that on the low register (on a C harmonica), there are two notes missing: F and A (one of those you need on Low Rider). I also know that when playing in third position in a minor key (in Dm), there is one note from the minor scale that is missing:Bb, but it's not possible to bend to get that note in the middle register (an overblow is possible I suppose). You can, however, bend to get that note in the lower register.
Also conceptually, if I think about the blues scale (again on a C harmonica) in second position, It has a flat 3rd (again Bb) and a flat 5th (C#) plus the built in flat 7th (F). Those two bends would be on draw 3 and draw 4.
Am I missing any other standard bends that one should play?
Interesting. Am I really doing a draw bend on the 3 draw on Low Rider? I'll have to check!
I can see the benefit of 4' (flat 5th in 2nd position), 3'' (the missing A on a C harp), 1' (again flat 5th) and 2'' (missing F on the C harp) plus 3' (flatted 3rd) and 2' (the missing F# in the second position major scale on a C harp). But what is the benefit of 6'? This would be a flatted 2nd in 2nd position.
Oops, sorry, you're correct, just 3 draw, not 3'. A student was recently using this as a IV7 Chord lick (as a quote) and we lowered the 3 to 3' to match the flat-7th of the IV7 Chord. Glad you mentioned that, sorry to be misleading.
The 6' is used commonly in three ways...
1) As a gateway bend to help someone learn how to blow bend. The embouchure required to bend the 6 is similar to what's needed for an 8+ bend.
2) As a passing tone from 6 to 6+ as you're playing the V Chord (Bar 9) to IV Chord (Bar 10), which is the 5th, flat-5th passing tone and then Root.
3) Every now and again played on the I Chord as part of a defending lick from the 9th, such as 6-hold 6' 6+ 5 4 4' 4+ 3' 2
In general, as a study, your goal is to have fun challenging yourself to learn all of the bends... it's part of the mastery process on the harmonica.
Thanks for the clarification. It had occurred to me that one could use bent notes as passing notes. That makes a lot of sense.
I do want to say that it's amazing to me how just a little instruction (plus playing on stage at least once a week) in the last few months has improved every aspect of my playing in a substantial way. Bending (other than for coloring the notes) is the biggest hole in my harmonica playing. That is my goal for this year.
Fantastic. You're asking very insightful questions, so it's no doubt to me that as we continue our studies together I look forward to great progress from you... we're just scratching the surface right now. Once you can bend all of your notes and perform the common tongue blocking techniques (basically by completing bending studies and tongue block studies up to Study 5) your studies really begin.
Thanks!
I've only just completed the first two or three lessons on tongue blocking, but within a few weeks I was tongue blocking on stage and doing octaves, tongue slaps, tongue switching, flutters, etc. The hardest part for me is to be patient and realize that there's a lot more to be learned and do all the lessons one at a time.
Yes, enjoy the journey. The exciting thing is there's always something to work on, you don't have to wonder what's next.
You're going about it the right way... it's smart to review the lessons.
I wouldn't say there are more common bends in our world, we use bending so much that it makes sense to work on all of them equally.
The more common bends at first are the ones that are most easily played, like the 6', 4', 3", 1' and then 2", in that order, over the time it takes to develop the skill.
Then we work the bends in the middle... these are more challenging to control... and are 3' and 2'.
The 3''' is avoided since it's not a common note used in 2nd Position. After a couple of years of study in 2nd Position we then move to 3rd Position where the 3''' is common, but by then they can hit that bend with ease (we don't focus on it at first because it can cause issues of bending too deeply when trying to hit the more common 3' and 3", so it's best not to mess with that issue until it's needed... when we study 3rd Position).
"Low Rider" is a good example of a standard blues riff, it uses deep and middle bends... 3' 3' 3' 3' 3' 4+ 4, 2 3' 4+ 3' 2, 2" 2" 2" 2" 2", 2" 2" 2" 2" 2", 2" 2. You can see why developing all of your bends in practice is important.