tongue slapping bent notes
is this possible/people finding it difficult? i can bend pretty accurately with my tongue on the harp, and even bend a second after the chord is sounded..but i'm having trouble slapping the bend note..is it my throat muscles arent strong enough yet and just practice more?
thanks again.
ian
You can slap directly to a bend - I do it and I think I've heard Cotton do it, and even maybe some of the pre-war players.
It's not a question of strength. If you can bend with a tongue block, you have the tools.
Try this: Play a bent Draw 4 with a tongue block. Memorize what your tongue is doing.
Now lift your tongue off and slap it back on to arrive at a bent note. When you pull your tongue back, you con't need to move it very far - just far enough to expose the other holes in your mouth.
When you put your tongue back on the harp, you also re-configure it for the bend you just played (and memorized) just before you pulled your tongue off.
The skill here is returning to the tongue configuration for the bend as you place your tongue back on the harp. Essentially you're alternating between two states:
- Tongue on and bent
- Tongue off
You can even do a rapid alternation between a bend and a chord. This technique also works with side-to-side tongue movement as well as on-off movement.
excellent thank you very much!
i've read your book twice, mr.yerxa!
I've never heard of this technique. It would be best to post this question directly to David in his forum heading instead of a general discussion. He's the man.