[Harp-L] (no subject)

[Michael Snowden]

As a guitarist, 1/4 bends, whether by whammy or fretting are a part of my repertoire.  So 5-draw is a perfectly valid technique in my ears

What I object to, is teaching it as a "clean" bend. Especially if you practice with a tuner!
Mike

      From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica at xxxxx>
 To: Robert Hale <robert at xxxxx> 
Cc: "harp-l at xxxxx" <harp-l at xxxxx>
 Sent: Thursday, 1 February 2018, 15:12
 Subject: Re: [Harp-L] (no subject)
   
Why not?

There is a belief that if you bend 5 draw it will leas to quickening the
flattening of the hole’s reeds. However if you bend too far in any hole it
would do the same.

Then there is the fact that when you bend on hole 5 you get a sound that
cannot be located on a piano called a quartertone. But it can be located on
any fretless instrument or fretted instrument with the potential to bend.

This sound is disdained in Western classical music but encouraged in the
Middle East, China, India, Africa, the blues and other cultures.

It should be noted that unless your bends are perfectly on pitch you will
often play quartertones either higher or lower than the piano note bends.

So the question becomes, do you want to play Western Classical music on the
diatonic?  If not,  I recommend exploring 5 draw bend.

The second question is what is more valuable between the price and time of
repairing or replacing reeds and harps or the sound you get when playing 5
draw bend.

To me, the answer is clear. If I have to spend the rest of my life never
playing and hearing 5 bend,  kill me now.

Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 7:53 AM Robert Hale <robert at xxxxx> wrote:

> Why do some instruction materials, and some players insist on bending Draw
> 5?
>