Re: [Harp-L] Creating solid notes through bending techniques

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

 It seems that tongue position is controversial in how one approaches creating bends. Some insist that it is the throat, lowering of the jaw, or keeping the tongue out of the way that creates the bend.

I've arrived at what I consider the "essence" of controlling the bend. It is not the throat - opening the throat into the "pre yawn" attitude gives a richer and deeper tone. Since I can bend notes while clenching my teeth, I've concluded that it is not a lowering of the jaw that is necessary. For me (and my students), it is understanding the tongue, creating target spots within the mouth and arching the tongue in order to direct the air flow up and over that controls the bend. When one discovers the "sweet spot" - or the exact area to flex the tongue, it doesn't take much movement at all to produce all the bends, even the four that live in 3 hole inhale.

As to building the tone on these notes created through bending technique, it is a two fold approach. One - to get to the essence of the bend with the most minimal amount of movement along with confident and solid diaphragmatic support, and Two - to re-examine the way you create the given notes. In most cases, the player may be putting too much force into the given notes, thereby making it very hard to match with notes created through bending.

Often it is the fear and lack of confidence behind sustaining a note created through bending technique that holds one back. 

Another interesting tone factor is the proper pitch on a note created through a bending technique. For instance, if you create a 4 hole inhale bend by lowering the pitch as far as it can go (to what I call the "floor"), the pitch of this note will actually be almost 1/4 tone flat of the true pitch of the note. I teach a technique by which the student learns to feel what the sensation is like when the bend is pushed into the "floor". Once he recognizes this, I coach him to PLACE that note about one foot above the "floor". The result is a truer note based on pitch and a rounder note, as the "bottom" of the note is not being flattened by pushing into a "floor". The tone improves as a result.

The Iceman


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: MLeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Fri, 3 Oct 2008 7:12 pm
Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Creating solid notes through bending techniques



Grant Dermody, in a couple of teaching sessions, quickly surmised that I was
likely failing to get my tongue out of the way.



My question for the masters is what can I do to improve my bent note tone?
I've begun to wonder if the tone of some of them will ever approach my tone
with unbent notes, which I am pretty happy with. Are there exercise,
concepts, or rules that can guide me in my solitary efforts to improve?

Many Thanks,

Michelle




_______________________________________________
Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l