[Harp-L] Re: Practicing through the bends

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

 Perhaps you will find the consistent bends using the tongue approach. New students using this technique very quickly hit all the bends at proper pitch.


 Iâve been using a little Korg electronic chromatic tuner to check pitch as I work at trying to do this with precision and figuring out what to do when in order to be able to hit each of these bends consistently at proper pitch (which is still very much a work in progress).Â

 


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: John F. Potts <hvyj@xxxxxxx>
To: icemanle@xxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, Sep 23, 2009 5:53 pm
Subject: Practicing through the bends 









The Iceman sayeth:Â
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My opinion is that theÂ

essence of bending techniques rests purely in tongue position - throat,Â

jaw etc are kept in the "almost yawn" position, but don't contribute toÂ

the pitch placement. If you will accept this premise, the control is easy to achieve.Â
Â

Larry,Â
Â

I do not question the validity of your recommended approach.  But, it doesnât work for those of us who do not use the tongue to bend.  In my experience, bending with the throat produces superior tone and control. Once one can drop the 3 Draw 3 half steps (bbb) at will using the throat, separating the lowest 2 (bb and bbb) available bends seems to be a  matter of changing the size and shape of the oral resonance chamber, and separating the Ist and 2d  (b and bb) bends seems to have more 
to do with the relative depth/shallowness of the bend.  Iâve been using a little Korg electronic chromatic tuner to check pitch as I work at trying to do this with precision and figuring out what to do when in order to be able to hit each of these bends consistently at proper pitch (which is still very much a work in progress).Â
Â

Identifying/controlling the bends with tongue position works fineâbut only for players who actually use the tongue to bend.  Those of us who bend with the throat must necessarily employ a different technique.Â
Â

JPÂ