[Harp-L] bending technique (was tone)

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave wrote:

" I'm choking the column of air to get the bend, and tone does change  
(suffer). So, how do you do those low bends without messing up your  
tone? "

To which Iceman responded:

"Your bending technique needs refining. Bending comes from  
redirection of the air over the tongue, not from choking off the  
column of air."

I'm not sure I agree with the above, but that depends on a  
clarification.  Are you using your tongue to redirect the air, ie, by  
humping the tongue up or otherwise distorting the tongue?

If so, then I would say that is not the method I use at all.  I tend  
to bend by changing the entirety of my oral cavity, usually from  
slight contractions and expansions which are rather hard for me to  
pinpoint physically.  Here I am altering the resonant body in such a  
way as to effect the bend.  True, the air is being altered in my oral  
cavity, but not redirected with regards to the tongue in particular  
(my tongue is essentially inert during this--essentially, as you are  
altering the cavity in which it sits, which does effect it, of  
course, but not nearly as much as the throat cavity itself by an  
order of magnitude).

I would suggest that the answer to Dave's question is in fact found  
in the question itself.  Bending is not "choking" and I think that  
(even if unintentional) the use of the term indicates that you are  
trying too hard and probably forcing things.  Relax, it is a simple  
matter of altering your oral cavity and can be done at any volume  
level.  I find that the lower the pitch the farther back in my oral  
cavity I have to change in order to generate the bend.  In the end,  
at a certain pitch point I simply cannot bend without enlarging the  
cavity (dropping my jaw considerably).  If you are having trouble  
with tone or anything else on low-pitched bends, I would suggest  
thinking about having as large a cavity as possible, dropping the jaw  
and focusing on the rear of your throat, where the sound "guh" is  
made.  Conversely, for higher pitched bends I focus much more at the  
front of my oral cavity.  Either way, the tongue really isn't involved.

Perhaps Iceman was just describing the area, and yes, the oral cavity  
does contain the tongue, but I think the idea of redirecting air is  
wrong--it's more altering the resonant body to induce a pitch change.



 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'