[Harp-L] Re: Bending at the back of the throat

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>>G wrote: 
>>>>.......Something I've really benefited from is learning to bend when 
>>>>tongue blocking - bending at the back of the throat, instead of the 
>>>>front of your tongue (from your uvula forward) ...
>>Dave Murray wrote: 
>>>I know that I'm asking the impossible, but would you attempt to 
>>> describe how you do that?

And the most obvious way I can think to learn how to do this, do what I
did.  Learn to play tongue block exclusively - force yourself to find a way
to bend notes when tongue blocking.  And I've found it very useful to learn
to play TB from either side of my mouth with equal proficiency.  If you
hear a difference in tone, or whatever depending on which side you play
from, it simply means you're not as familiar with playing from one side
than the other.   With both under your control you can use it to make wider
interval leaps quicker, and is a stepping stone to playing counterpoint and
double stop harmonies - eg. Richard Hunter demonstrates this extensively
through both his acoustic albums.

>larryboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote
>>I hope G will describe his technique in more detail.  I for one, can't do 
>> too much behind the uvula.  

Assuming you can speak, your larynx is what gives you your voice and
controls some of the timbre and pitch of it.  I assume one has to have
control over that to speak.    It is well and truely behind your uvula and
is included in the region I'm talking about.   Learning how to use it for
playing harp takes trial & error and a lot of practice.  However ...

Snaruhn@xxxxxxx wrote:
>It´s not my intention to make a contribution to this very
>interesting thread G started on the list and caused some curious
>questions about the how to.

The thing that strikes me, is I'm hardly the first to do this.  There are a
number of strong advocates of playing tongue block exclusively.  
I've heard and read a lot about what embouchure any particular blues
harmonica musican uses or used.   
  The fact is there are many professional harp musicians out there, and on
this list who play harp with tongue block, and you can hear in their
recordings that they bend notes as a matter of course.  I take it as a
compliment that I'm being asked to elaborate, but they're probably far more
qualified than I to give instruction on bending notes in this manner.  

Some of the things that have helped is learning the basics of playing jews
harp, and I've learnt similar control is required to reign in the
intonation of my saxophone.  

Snaruhn@xxxxxxx continues:
>However, I just saw a TV report which exactly matched the subject.
>It was an interview with highly qualified musicians of a chamber music
>group all playing wind instruments. The artists explained how the
>mouthpieces of their instruments (clarinet, oboe, horn, trumpet) have 
>to be constructed, how the lips, tongue, mouth cavity have to be 
>positioned around the mouthpieces and what kind of blowing technic
>has to be applied to achieve the best possible musical effect.
>Then came the point of the feature. Endoscopes with lights were pushed
>into the cavity together with the instrument mpc and while the musicians
>played a camera recorded the position and motions of the tongue 
>sections and uvula and the changing of the cavity deep down up to 
>the  throat. 
>Moreover, one clarinetist even took the trouble to have the endoscope 
>cable through his nasal cavity into the mouth cavity so that one could 
>see now also the "playing parts" of instrument & body from above and
>behind.  
>When I saw these exciting pictures it really knocked my socks off 
>and reminded me of Howard Levy. I have the video where Howard`s 
>cavity was recorded while playing harp but that was years ago. In the 
>meantime the medical technic has developed considerably. 
>Upshot: If anybody is really interested to see how the throat manages 
>the bending or wants to see the K spot, it´s all prepared, don`t 
>hesitate.
>Siegfried

Definitely.  And its good to read this is available now.
However actually learning how to do these things whether you have access to
this material or not, still takes plenty of practice.   Just like learning
to swim for the first time... you gotta try it, to learn.

-- G.