Re: [Harp-L] bending technique (was tone)

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

In searching for a way to explain the "invisible techniques" of mastering the diatonic harmonica, I've refined my teaching over and over again to try to find the most efficient way of using words or mental images on students to get fast results.
 
My conclusion - all the other ways to teach bending "Inhale and say EEEEYO or KI-KO" or choke off the air in your throat, etc, will create a bend. You will be doing what you need to get a bend, but also bundling it with 2 or 3 other unnecessary movements. I just remove what is unnecessary and find the tiniest movement at the best "sweet spot" to create most amazing results. It is always easier than people believe. When they "get it", my students say "Is that all I have to do??? I was making it so much harder than it needed to be".
 
Whether one agrees or not with focusing on the tongue as an air deflector when creating inhaling or exhaling bends, the point is that my students are getting it in record time and making amazing progress.
 
The most wondrous of all muscles, the tongue, has the ability to form itself into amazing shapes. The front and back can act independently (allowing the back of the tongue to arch up and redirect air while the front is either at rest or in place TB'ing). 
 
I find the most resonant way to relax and hold your throat open for best harmonica tone is what I describe as "Pre-Yawn Attitude", that positioning of the throat when you just begin to yawn. If you speak and move to the "Pre-Yawn Attitude", you'll notice your voice deepening and gaining resonance. This is the same technique taught at Radio/TV speaking schools for that "Tune in at 6:00 PM for breaking news" deep resonant voice - a great example was Ernie Anderson (Cleveland's own original Ghoulardi) in LA in the 70's doing the voice over between ABC TV Shows ("Coming up next - on The LOOOOVE Boat"). Remember that stuff? He made $5,000 for an afternoon's studio work.
 
So, in learning how this feels and how to achieve it, you can hold your throat open and relaxed while using the moveable arching on your tongue to redirect the air (or change the diameter of the mouth chamber, if that's how you like to describe it) and cause the phenomenon known as "bending".
 
I teach specific target points, arrived at through two or three different ways to approach the awareness (student chooses which works best for him) that one can "aim at" to create the bend of your choice (works great in 3 hole inhale for all the notes). 
 
Giving the student something concrete to aim at (using physical sensations as a key) is a great way to teach consistancy in approach resulting in consitancy in results, on an instrument in which most of the techniques needed are thought to be "invisible".
 
The Iceman
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