Re: [Harp-L] The joy of absolute fallacies

[Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx>]

I believe you JR, but find it difficult to credit. I don't believe I could
bend with my nose expelling air.
No, I simply cannot do it (I'm trying it now)
I don't know how one could visibly demonstrate that it's possible. Maybe
with a feather in front of your
nostrils. If you care to knock up a video, I'd be most interested.
RD

On 8 February 2015 at 00:27, jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Rick Dempster writes:
>
>
> "Crikey..this is still going on...if it hasn't been said already, they
> will NEVER be able to [bend] a note with the pharynx open. "
>
> Except this isn't true.  You can bend notes while inhaling or exhaling
> through your nose.  I had never thought about this at all until someone on
> harp-l pointed out the prevailing "you can't do X if you don't shut off
> your nose" with X being bending, good tone or the like.  I then thought
> about my playing and noticed that I often breath or leak a little air
> through my nose when playing.  And I can bend just fine with that.  And
> have decent tone (I'm not Big Walter by any means, but I don't suck either).
>
> These absolutes are easily dispelled: try bending a note while also
> inhaling through your nose.  I run out of breath fairly quickly, but I can
> do it with no perception of a tonal change.  Now, would it be better breath
> control to learn how to close ones nose off?  Of course.  But there are
> times when in something akin to the idea behind circular breathing when it
> becomes useful to leak a little air or take a bit in while playing.  I
> don't do it consciously, but when I bother to really pay attention to my
> technique, I find that there seem to be patterns at play in this.
>
> For the student in question.  I would encourage them to keep playing first
> and foremost.  Try the balloon or other tricks written out here.  But don't
> even focus on that--just keep playing.  And if they are discouraged because
> they can't hold a not for long--work on other songs.  Eventually their
> breath control will improve simply through Kim Wilson's "harp-in-mouth"
> method.  Annie Raines style minute long draw bends are fun, but there are a
> lot of other things one can do while developing.
>
> JR Ross