From: "John F. Potts" <hvyj@xxxxxxx> Date: October 4, 2008 9:50:38 PM GMT-04:00 To: icemanle@xxxxxxx Subject: Creating solid notes through bending techniques
Iceman, You wrote (in part):
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.
My response:
I think i am the one who submitted the post that you are referring to as "controversial" because I have said recently (and more than once) that the tongue does not need to be involved in bending. I am very reluctant to disagree with such a respected and accomplished player/instructor as the Iceman, so let's consider whether our "disagreement" may be due to confusion about how I am describing the physiology of what happens when I bend a draw note.
I always use my diaphragm to produce air pressure and to articulate separation between notes (although I will use my tongue to articulate separation every now and then for variety or certain effects). I can make, hold and control each of the draw bends with my tongue flat against the bottom of my mouth and the front of my tongue in contact with the bottom of my lower front teeth without any perceptible tongue movement. I can also bend while tongue blocking if i really want to, although it is not my preferred technique. After reading your post, i tried it and found out that I can also play all of the draw bends with my teeth essentially clenched (I need just a slight opening to let the air through) although tone is very poor when i do that. And I can open my throat for the 2 draw and 3 draw bends without dropping my jaw, but, again, tone is not as good without keeping my jaw dropped and relaxed. I can also do draw bends by arching the tongue in the manner you describe, however, I get better tone, precision, speed and control by doing it with my "throat." BUT, I suspect that what i think i am doing with my "throat' my actually be a movement at the root of my tongue that is so deep/far back in my mouth that it feels like i am doing it with my throat. So, maybe I'm actually bending with a slight arching movement at the very root of my tongue that feels to me like it is happening in my throat.
Dropping the jaw is important for tone and slightly exaggerating the drop will HELP a player learn the "pre-yawn" open throat technique, But, i agree with you that dropping the jaw is not actually necessary to open the throat for a 2 hole or 3 hole draw bend.
So. we may not actually disagree to the extent that we are in that much controversy. Over the years, I think i just may have learned to do the subtle tongue arching that is associated with making a draw bend at the very root of my tongue so far back in my mouth that it feels to me like i am doing with my throat. BUT, for me, it is definitely NOT a movement of the part of my tongue which is in the same part of the oral cavity where my teeth are located. All muscle movement for me is much farther back than what is done using the tongue arching technique that you describe. However, I definitely agree that your tongue arching technique works consistently well. i used to use that technique all the time before i somehow moved everything i was doing farther back towards or into my "throat", which is how i've been doing it for the last few years.
JP