Re: [Harp-L] Deep bends in tongue block

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

David Steenken asked:
> Are deep bends on diatonic harps keyed below C possible? I've been 
> tongue blocking for my blues/folk music for a long time, but whenever I 
> have wanted to play the deep bends on draw 2 and 3 I've switched to a 
> deep-in-the-mouth pucker. Is there some special technique for 
> tongue-block bends? I know this has been covered before, but 
> nonetheless what you'll think.
Others have offered good advice, David. Deep bends can definitely be 
made regardless of embouchure.

I'd ad this. The key knowledge is that your airways (mouth, throat and 
lungs) form a resonant chamber analogous to the "body" of a guitar. 
Lower notes require a larger volume of air in order to resonate. So, the 
key is opening your mouth, throat (as when you say "aah" for the doctor) 
and lung cavity as wide as you can. {As a side note, you should be 
using/learning to use your diaphragm, not your chest muscles to expand 
your chest cavity. That: provides a larger air mass than using your 
chest muscles; enhances your basic tone; and permits those lower notes.) 
You also need to train that tongue to stay low in your mouth,, not 
wagging in the air, which you may be doing as you learn to bend notes.

You will need to practice this to exercise the necessary throat muscles 
until it becomes a habit to keep everything wide open and easy to 
control the volume of the various parts of your airways. In general, 
wider or more open is better. For example, you should always play with 
your throat opened up (again like when you are opening up for your 
doctor's tongue depressor).

Let us know how you progress and if you have further issues.

Michelle

PS: My best advice, David: proceed directly to your local bookstore and 
buy a copy of Winslow's book, "Harmonica for Dummies." It's a 
treasure-trove of information that answers this and dozens of other 
questions in far more detail than can be done on an e-mail list. You'll 
thank me (and Winslow, of course)!