[Harp-L] Re: Bending at the back of the throat

[larryboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

G wrote: 

.......Something I've really benefited from is learning to bend when tongue
blocking - bending at the back of the throat, instead of the front of your
tongue (from your uvula forward) -

Dave Murray wrote: 

I know that I'm asking the impossible, but would you attempt to describe
how you do that?

>>>>>>>>>>8<<<<<<<<<<<

I hope G will describe his technique in more detail.  I for one, cna't do too
much behind the uvula.  For me its all in front of the uvula.  In the meantime,
I teach bending at the K spot.  Th K spot is that point where the back of your
tongue makes contact with the top of your mouth to pronounce the letter K. 
Another important concept in bending is constricting the air flow.  You can
easily hear a drop in pitch by dipping the harmonica mouthpiece into your lower
lip and slightly covering the hole you are drawing.  This dip in pitch (or
bend) is due to the constriction of the air flow at that point.  Move the
airflow contriction point back to the K-spot for better tonal qualities.  Try
drawing in air with a relaxed tongue, then move the back of the tongue up
toward the roof of your mouth, not all the way, but part of the way.  You
should hear a bent note.  Try this technique with a pucker embouchure first. 
Applying it to a tongue-block embouchure will take practice (duh) In the TB the
channel of air moves down the side of your tongue, as the tongue is applied to
the mouthpiece.  Hope this helps.

Best Regards to All,

Larry Boy Pratt
www.parkhousejam.com

Hope this helps

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.