Help!

[<Randy.Lilleston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 > Help me please!  I am having a terrible time bending
 > notes.  I know this
 > sort of thing comes with practice, but could someone
 > give some advice to
 > help me along?
 > Thanks in advance,
 > Mike

Of course. First, can you whistle? Bending notes requires
almost the exact same pucker as whistling in the same note.
For me, the trick is to sort of curl my lower lip into a
deeper "u" and curl my tongue. Works like a charm.
Remember: Your lips should wrap around your harp lovingly,
not harshly (boy, I wish I could find a better way to
describe that last phrase!). And breathe from your
lungs...don't "suck."

It only took about two years of semi-regular practice for me
(grin). Learning how to bend kills off a lot of wannabe
harp players. It's sort of like the frustration I feel right
now in trying to do overblows, which I am convinced don't
really exist, but are just the invention of someone's active
and evil imagination. (People have given me lots of advice
about overblows on this mailing list...I have tried every
bit of it...and I still sound like I've been eating lentils
again. But enough about my problems).


-Randy "Blowin' All Night" Lilleston-