[Harp-L] Recognizing a bend

[Adam Bloom <admanb@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm a new harp player (I've been playing about 1 and 1/2 months) and I've
just started working on bending the 4-draw on a C diatonic. I've read a lot
of good instructions (that all give basically different throat manipulations
to accomplish the same effect) and have been practicing.

My problem is, I don't really know if I'll be able to tell when I DO manage
a bend. :) I'm a beginning musician, so I don't have a lot of experience
with tone. I do have a CD that came with the book I'm reading (Jon Gindick's
"Rock n' Blues Harmonica") where he plays the unbent and the bent notes one
after another. You'd think that'd be enough, but I don't know.

My question is: will I be able to tell when I've bent it properly? Like,
will it be a "BAM there's a bend" moment? Or is it more a slide into the
proper tone? I can tell I'm doing some tonal manipulation, but I don't know
if I'm sliding, or just warping. ;)

Thanks,

-Adam