Re: [Harp-L] talking techniques again



Hi Iceman, 

It's a very good question. I'd say that it's important to have a reference note in mind before going for the 1-half-tone bend on 3 draw, which is 3 clean draw. 

It doesn't mean that one has to play clean 3 draw prior to playing the bent note. But my approach includes very simple ear/voice (just vocalising while listening - like in vocal audio exercises) training , including diatonic and especially blues and chromatic scales, so that the students have the half-step increments in their inner ear - often very useful to play the piano keys in sequence while singling along. 

The next very useful exercise is to arrive to the 1-half-step bend note on 3 draw from different notes and play that one particular pattern in a loop, for instance, from 1 draw to 3' draw in a loop: so it's a draw/draw pattern. Then a very good pattern is a blow/draw loop: like 3 blow 3' draw in a loop. It's important to have a reference note of the 3' played from time to time to stay on track. Yes, and the condition to the 'pattern loops' is that they are played within the blues scale notes and after practising the blues scale itself, so that the inner ear keeps the reference 3' draw note in memory. And the number of cycles to keep playing the loops should not be less then 5-10 (just a starting point - different for everyone) of a satisfactory quality (soundwise). And it should increase with practice. Ideally one should play the looped patterns - not necessarily quickly - for a half a minute or longer without change in sound quality. 

After half-step scale exercises and looped patterns practising it's not that difficult to hit 3' draw from the first attempt once some of other notes in the scale have been hit before. 

In fine, I'd say that the ability to arrive in 3' draw depends on  a well balanced combination of the inner ear memory and muscle memory. 

Best, 

Alex

P.S. I understand that this approach might seem quite complicated for your students, but they don't have to necessarily comprehend the process. You can just simplify your job by providing them with the prerecorded audio exercises so that they practice some loops at home and play/vocalise blues/chromatic stales. BTW, this approach works very well for the rest of the bends on 2 draw and 3 draw. 




>>> <icemanle@xxxxxxx> 04/09/2009 16:23 >>>
At one of the Augusta Heritage classes, I asked the students, who considered themselves int/adv intermediate the play 3 hole inhale first bend.

Out of the class of 25, only about two of them could achieve it and hold it for a few seconds.

The realization came to me that most students really didn't prehear this note in their inner ear before attempting to create it.

So, I'm interested in how many of you process this one note on the diatonic. (Everyone should have some reference point that they use - you'd be surprised at how many, when they are totally honest with themselves, really don't have a clue, but go for it in a general sense).
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