Re: Bending hole 5.??????

[G.Jackson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

> 
> 
> Harpers,
> 
> 	While we are discussing bending, I would like to ask:
> 
> Do you think that a new harp has to be broken in correctly, that is, that 
> the reeds have to be gently, carefully bent down to exact bend pitch during 
> the breaking in period to be able to get the really low bends consistently?


Ted.

	First off, I am no expert on bending, I can do it O.K. but I don't
play the blues, so I don't use the technique all that often. Bluse players
become better versed in the lore of bending the folkies!

However, for what it's worth, here is what I was taught.

Break a harp in GENTLY, do NOT go fo a full bend on a note at the begining.
Partial bends, gently done and now and again being the rule.
The reason I was given is that new reeds are not very maleable at first.
They tend to be more brittle than ones which have been *TAUGHT* to bend.
Note that they seem to need to be taught.
Many things in life show the same property.

A good acoustic guitar, or other acoustic instrument gets better the more
it is played. It is refered to as *playing in* i.e. "This will play in to
a fine guitar".
That playing in takes a few years on guitar/recorder/violin etc.
Some of the changes are due to the wood having to learn how to resonate 
at the required frequencies. Some to do with grease and water absorbtion.

Strange but true time.....

Electro magnets, when the power is fed to them in a forward and then a 
reverse bias, will show a nice symetrical hysteresis curve when plotted 
on a graph.
	 
However, if you just bang the power up to max. forward and then reverse,
you do not see a smooth curve. It's rough and not really symetrical.
If you ramp the power up and back slowly in small steps three or four times.
THEN you get a nice hystereis curve. They need to be *TAUGHT* how to respond.

Physics *IS* fun see?!!!


****** Text deleted to save band width*****

>............. revolt when I try to break into new patterns. Is this just 
>faulty technique? 

	**See above***
> 
> Any insight greatly appreciated
> 
> Ted Allbritton
> 
> 

 So, Ted that's my bit offered to the net gods.
 I'm sure other players will have more to say on it, and like all experts
 you should end up with a few different,disagreeing views.


 MORAL: Never ask an expert.

 Gordon Jackson.