I've been playing quite a few valved harps lately. In refining my technique, I've found that I can get the same single reed bends on harps set up to overbend.
By this, I mean I can, for example, get the 7 draw to bend done like a valve bend before popping to the 7 OD.
I play pretty hard for an overbend player, so my gaps aren't really that tight to begin with. I am able to take my key of D harp, which should be hard to overbend and single reed bend, and add shading to 4 and 5 blow like a valve bend. I can bend 6 down to pitch, I think. 7-10 will bend similar to a valve bend, but I am not totally they all make it to pitch.
At any rate, all the single reed bends in holes 4-10 for sure work well enough for shading just like a valve bend on a half valved harp. This has been brought up before, and I know I commented on being able to do this on some random harps, but I am revisiting this after becoming proficient on half valved harps in high keys. I was able to bend the notes before, but more as a trick than anything. I now feel like I can do it on stage with a well set-up harp.
Obviously, I didn't intentionally set the harp up to do this, but realized it was a sweet side effect. Right now, when I practice, I feel like I want to do both - play overbends and use valve bends.
I'd be interested to hear from valve players and if they find they can play single reed bends on non-valved harmoincas. IME, and this is crucial, there is a give and take with any and all bending. These single reed bends sound like valve bends, which don't sound like other bends, etc.
*EDIT
There was a thread where this was discussed previously, but I can't find it at the moment. I was able to achieve single reed bends on lower keys and bend them to pitch, but most recently, I've been able to do it on higher keys, which should be harder. I think this is a great way of adding expression to your playing! ---------- Mike OOTB Harmonica Price List VHT Special 6 Mods Note Layout Comparisons Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Last Edited by on Oct 08, 2012 7:56 AM
Mike, you'll have to search the archives, but Todd Parrott posted a thread about this some months back. Although I'm sure he's not the only player using this technique, he seems to have fully incorporated it into his playing style, and he's likely someone that you'll want to talk to in more depth about this technique. ----------
I can't comment as a valved player, but for what it's worth, I can accomplish single reed bending on most notes of all keys of my harps. The only tricky note is usually the 5 blow. I believe it all has to do with the gapping. Some harps work better than others, even in the same key.
This is the video that was part of the discussion when single reed bending came up before. Here Howard plays in 2nd position on a Db harp, beginning at the 2:00 mark. So, is the note at 2:07, again at 2:24-25, and again at 2:30-31 a single reed bend on the 5 blow, or is it the 4 overblow being bent up? Though it's a pretty strong bend at the 2:07 mark, I lean more towards believing it's a single reed bend.
We already established in a previous thread that it is not another position besides 2nd, not a valved harp, and not an alternate tuning. Howard also confirmed this for me via a message on Facebook, but said he didn't have time to listen at the moment to determine what type of bend it is, and suggested that I join the Howard Levy Harmonica School (which is probably not a bad idea, but not for the sake of this one question).
It may be single reed bends that Todd describes but it sounds more like inflections than full 1/2 step bends...similar to what you get by draw bending 5 draw...like LW did.
