Pullin' them down low...
David, I'm really spending a lot of time trying to drag these bends out. On the bright side - I got my first overblow today! Wow! It was quick, but it was there, and I had a beer to celebrate.
When I'm dragging the 2 and 3 draw low - really low - the back of my tongue is pretty much humped on the roof of my mouth, making crunchy k-k-k-k sound (for want of a better way to put it). How do I pull these bends really low and not have to have my airway constricted to the point of the air scraping it's way through the obstruction?
David,
Do you think using a Valved harmonica is of value in bending?
No. A customized harmonica (well setup harmonica) can help though.
Hi David,
I've been a pursed-lip player who can get by with unbent tongue blocking and slaps. I'm really forcing myself to learn bending using tongue blocking, as the tone seems much richer and it would be great to be able to go both ways depending. I know you say it's the same bending technique, pursing or tongue blocking, but it's a challenge for me to not starve off my airflow when trying to tongue block bend. I'm experienting with the "ku" and dropping my jaw, doing the yawn...anything else you can suggest? And yes, I will continue to perservere!! I'm loving the website. You're a great teacher, it's a lot of fun and I've already picked up many pointers in the past month I would never have stumbled on by myself. Thank you.
Jim
Thank you Jim, glad to have you on the site. Even though the principles are the same, it will feel like you're learning how to bend all over again. Pressure and tension will be replaced with a finesse and grace over time... the key is to experiment and to be patient. It will take the same amount of time to develop good tongue block bending skills as it did for you with puckering. Hang in there!
As you could see from the original post, I had a lot of trouble getting it at first, but I've got to tell you, once you get it - you get it! I can tongue-block bend like crazy now, and with the exception of the lowest on the 2 draw (which I can get, but not yet consistently), I've got it down pretty good.
Patience and practice. It'll come quicker than you think.
Thanks for your comments and encouragement David; I'll just keep at it!
Thanks for the encouragement and kudos to you for gettin' there!
Try "Ku." Also experiment with dropping your jaw. Keep in mind that your goal is to lower the pitch if your mouth and if your jaw is dropped you will have a larger/lower-pitched cavity. Keep experimenting... it take a time...