[Harp-L] Creating solid notes through bending techniques

["John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx>]

Iceman:
	
	After my last post i spent some time trying to better analyze what  
parts of my anatomy i use when bending draw notes.  It's definitely  
not that part of my tongue that is in my mouth.  I can actually hit  
all of the draw bends without significant tone degradation even if I  
curl my tongue upward, putting the tip of my tongue firmly on the  
roof of my mouth and holding  it there while I play.  So, whatever i  
am doing is not being done in my mouth where my teeth are located.

	Have you ever seen the Starwars movie where Darth Vader grabs some  
unfortunate soul around the throat right under the jaw line and picks  
him up off his feet with one hand and chokes him to death?   (Or  
maybe it was some other villain with superhuman strength in some  
other movie.)  But, you get the idea--if Darth Vadar had his hand  
around my throat just under my jaw line and was about to pick me up  
off my feet with one hand, (and assuming i was playing harmonica and  
bending draw notes while he was doing it),  he would be able to feel  
the muscles of my throat just under my jaw pulsate when i play draw  
bends (like Dave Payne describes in his recent post, but the muscles  
i am talking about are located well above my Adam's apple, although  
my Adam's apple will also move).  Anyway, whatever is going on is NOT  
in my mouth.  I feels like it is my pharynx (like Steve Baker pointed  
out) and/or possibly the beginning of my larynx right below the  
epiglottis.  But it could be (or include) the root of my tongue. BUT,  
whatever I'm doing has nothing to do with my mouth or that part of my  
tongue that's in my mouth.

	The throat (or tongue root) muscles involved are the same muscles   
that are used to create throat vibrato, only there's significantly  
more muscle movement/exertion applied to make a bend. ( I've read the  
posts describing how to get vibrato with the lips, but for throat  
vibrato, there's nothing like the real thing=the throat.) IMHO, the  
more the lips are used by a lip purse player--for anything-- the more  
constricted the embouchure will be which can make the player's tone  
thinner and weaker. In this regard, playing proficiency and optimum  
tone production can be distinct skills.
	
	I do not pretend to be at (or anywhere near) the same level as  
Iceman, Winslow or Steve Baker (frankly, I'm flattered that any of  
them would even pay attention to anything i post and i am truly   
honored that any of them would actually  take the time to post a  
response).  Nevertheless, i am reasonably confident about describing  
what I have been doing  since i somehow learned to move everything  
going on when i make draw bends farther back than my mouth and  
somewhere into my throat.  Whatever it is I'm doing,  I am  
absolutely  confident that doing this has improved my playing.

	JP