Re: [Harp-L] talking techniques again

[Michelle LeFree <mlefree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> The iceman writeth:
>
>  The discussion has started to morph away from "owning" hole 3 inhale first bend and into all inhale notes created through bending techniques in holes 2 and 3.
>
> This seems to be a common phenomenon - before one note is truly mastered, most harmonica players want them all.
>   
Much of my learning curve has involved going back over my learning 
resources over and over and over... I'm always finding new stuff 
"hidden" in material I ~thought~ I understood long ago. I still learn a 
lot each time I "re-take" Jerry Portnoy's CD Masterclass, my best 
learning resource other than in-person instruction by an accomplished 
player. In retrospect, if I really stayed with any particular subject 
until I truly mastered it, I'd still be working on Portnoy's first CD. 
That's one of the things that draws me to harmonica -- it's a 
never-ending learning process. The more you learn, the more you ~can~ learn.
> ... Using outside sources to suggest the sound of 3 hole inhale first bend (piano, tuner reference, etc) are not the most powerful way to approach this problem. The best way is to learn to create the note all by yourself, using only your body - this means forcing yourself to (gasp) sing the note and hold it at good pitch. If you can't sing it, you can't play it very well. Rest assured that you don't have to have a good singing voice to benefit (whew).
>   
Won't whistling do? Please say yes...
> For all the baby boomers I've taught, an excellent common song most know is "Spoonful" - the Cream version (my baby boomers were white middle class types, so they weren't hip to the original ODBG version of this song, but you can use that one as well if it is cataloged in your inner ear).
>
> Play the two hole inhale on a harmonica whose key is one in which you can duplicate that note easily within your voice range.
>
> This is the note you start singing "That" in the line "That spoon that spoon that spoon-full". The only other note used is up a minor third - "spoon", which is the three hole inhale first bend. So, get into starting from a reference point on your harmonica (two hole inhale bend) and sing until the melody will sound solid to someone else listening to you. Get to the point where you aren't sliding around looking for that second note up a minor third (spoon), but are hitting it solid. Raise your confidence level by sustaining that "spoon" note for five seconds or so.
>
> Now you've created the note you are trying to master from within - not using an outside source. 
>
>   
Yes! Spoonful is a great example. I also like Libba Cotten's "Freight 
Train" for working out on those pesky three-hole bends. Start with draw 
4 and you end up exercising those 3-hole bends very well.
> It will be easier to deal with the creation of this inhale bend note on the harmonica if you own the source of this note from within yourself.
>
> Then we can start to discuss the actual technique in simple terms - at the next lesson.
>   
I can't wait for your take on that, Larry!

Thanks,

Michelle