Re: [Harp-L] Re:Practicing the Bends

[icemanle@xxxxxxx]

 whew - sure seems like a lot of work as you describe it.

?try the target points. my new students are able to go from bend to bend in adjacent holes accurately and they find that it isn't difficult at all, as easy as saying "T" and then "K". There is practice involved, but it happens in a few weeks rather than months/years.

However, some, when given the choice between a shorter and longer path, seem to choose the longer one. You still arrive at the same destination - it just takes longer.


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>
To: grahammoore2008@xxxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wed, Sep 23, 2009 6:32 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re:Practising the Bends










Graham laments:

"...i can bend all these notes no problem on their own both up and down the 
problem is when i move from hole to hole for instance. 
3" to 2' to 3'to 2" i cant seem to hit what i have heard referred to as the 
"money note" i have practiced and practiced and still finding it difficult to 
move around these bent notes correctly..."

Yup, going from bend to bend in adjacent holes accurately?is not an easy task to 
pull off convincingly. Yup, it takes practice to get it right. As others have 
alluded to, it also helps a lot for you to really know the tone you are 
anticipating. 

Okay, here are a couple of ideas for you:

Practice some drills like these, moving from unbent?directly to?bent holes... 
back and forth:
1-2
1-2'
1-2"
1-2'
1-2

2-3
2-3'
2-3"
2-3"'
2-3"
2-3'
2-3

It really helps to do these exercises with the aid of a piano to play the 
correct note as you're trying to hit it with the harp. 

You can also?start with an unbent that's higher than the bend hole like this:
4-3
4-3'
4-3"
4-3"'
4-3"
4-3'
4-3

These kinds of drills will really cement those stops for you. You can also try 
them moving from bend to bend, but these are even more difficult without the aid 
of a piano or other refrence. Best to start with an unchanging?bent tone that's 
easy to reach, like this:

4'-3
4'-3'
4'-3"
4'-3"
4'-3'"
4'-3"
4'-3'
4'-3

Try to articulate a chord that incorporates one or more bent tones. You can play 
the notes individually on a piano to check your tone... articulating simple 
chords that use one or more bent tones w

Look at the A major chord on your C harp. Articulate it by playing:
A?? Db? E?
3"? 4'???5+?

It is?a chord you can articulate when playing?4th?position... Or, for me it 
comes in handy in a blues context, 3rd position, since the A7 is typically the V 
chord in a Dm blues (the fourth note of that 7th chord, G, can be played on the 
6+). Play it up, then down again, hitting the appropriate notes on the piano as 
you go. 

Another good approach, as I've mentioned here before, is to play a song you know 
the melody to that might require you to move from bend to bend. I used the 
example of the tune "St. Louis Blues" in 2nd position, but there are others you 
could work with. Using a familiar tune helps because you already know the tone 
you're looking for, and with practice will eventually hit it dead on, and 
fluidly. 

Good luck! 

Harpin' in Colorado,
--Ken M. 

TeraBlu Band on My Space
http://www.myspace.com/terablu

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