hello everybody , so here is how i bend the 3half steps on the 3 draw . _for the first half step i pronounce" KEE" and drop my larynx (my larynx help me to achieve the bend)
_for the second one i pronounce "KA" ad again i drop the larynx _for the last one i make a "KOO" sound further back in my throat and it works
i afraind of developping bad habits so if i am doning it the wrong way please help me . sorry for my bad english and than you very very much.
Thank you alot The Iceman for your replay, so if i understand correctly i should stop using the larynx to get the bends in tune and just use my tongue to get them, i think i am going to cry. .
you are probably really using the tongue for the bends, but focusing on your larynx. Try not to change too much of what you do if it is successful. Just change your orientation and understand the tongue and its role in bending. ---------- The Iceman
hi thank and i know i am bothering you so i am sorry but i need some clarification. _please correct me if i am wrong : we use more the front of the tongue to get the 3'? _and the middel of the tongue for 3"?
I don't get you Iceman. Videos have been posted, several pros like Jason have admitted it. Even some beginners on here say they are doing it and you tell them they are not. Several threads have made it clear!
Why will you not believe that throat bending is real? You are obsessed with denying it's existence because it goes against your teaching. You are determined to answer every question posted with your methods.
Your rate of success with your students is your selling point. I'm sure they can play pretty good. I bet they can't overblow and do some of the modern techniques. They don't even know what's out there.
New players. If you want to do the very beginning of throat bending, try this.
Let the mouth fall open slightly like you are about to fall asleep. Keep this facial muscle relaxation at all times. Tilt the back of the harp up and let it fall in deep. Now drop the jaw and be as relaxed as possible. It is very important that you train your jaw to stay down in a relaxed manner. Place the tip of your relaxed tongue at the very bottom of the front teeth. Let your tongue hang there like a limp dishrag. Keep open and relaxed and do a two hole draw and focus for a minute on the relaxation and open mouth. Now simply say "kuh" from as far back in your throat as you can. Don't try to bend just say kuh. What's happening? Each time you say "kuh" you are slightly bending the note. Keep doing it. Don't worry about a bunch of a e i o u stuff. The muscle control of the throat can make the harp do anything you want PLUS you have a large resonator and much more control over what you are doing. Much better than smallishly tongue bending from the front of your mouth. Newbies this is the way to go if you someday hope to overblow and overdraw with amazing control...not to mention the tone and control of blows, draws, blow bends and draw bends. Tilted harp, big mouth, relax everything, and all the work comes from the incredible throat muscle. I would be happy to compare my tone and pitch control on any hole 1-10 on any harp low to high, with someone that bends small in the front of their mouth with their tongue. With all due respect....I wish I could show Iceman in person.
@harpdude, it's not the only way to play harp is it? I think both ways are as important as each other. I use both all the time. I mean without the tongue involved how can you give it some sharp attack and also some other articulations? Some years ago I started out like the OP and ended up with throat bending and vibrato 70 -80% of the time but I don't feel like I've found a holy grail or something. Ther're just tools to get me closer to what I wanted.
puri...you use it 70-80% of the time and its just another tool? ha! ALso..I can tongue just fine throat bending. The tip stays against the bottom teeth and the fat of the tongue touches the roof of the mouth. I'll tell you what is easy throat bending. Play four counts ta ta ta ta on each note of the 3 hole draw going up and down. All four pitches will be clean, full and identically articulated? Seriously..can you do that bending with the tongue? 3 draw ta ta ta ta 1/2 step bent ta ta ta ta 1 step bend ta ta ta ta 1 1/2 step bend ta ta ta ta
@harpdude61: sez "Why will you not believe that throat bending is real? You are obsessed with denying it's existence because it goes against your teaching. You are determined to answer every question posted with your methods.
Your rate of success with your students is your selling point. I'm sure they can play pretty good. I bet they can't overblow and do some of the modern techniques. They don't even know what's out there."
In the world of psychology, the above dialogue is called "You'ing".
It's a very unhealthy trap into which to fall and actually tells more about the "you'er's" internal attitude than anything else.
The poster is assuming they know what is going on in another's head and telling them what their intentions and thoughts are.
Not only is this usually a group of incorrect assumptions, but is also presumptuous on the part of the perpetrator.
It is also a technique used to inflame a situation (particularly the quote "I bet they can't overblow and do some of the modern techniques. They don't even know what's out there").
However, it takes 2 to tango.
I won't respond directly to this outside of pointing out the psychological nature of the comments (from my own perspective and experience).
Not "taking the bait" causes postings like this to hang in the air, twisting in the wind, and allows all readers to draw their own conclusions. ---------- The Iceman
@harpdude, "puri...you use it 70-80% of the time and its just another tool? ha!" You're much older than me. Don't react like a kid tryin to win over something. I didn't say it's not important did I? It's something that most tongue blocker do it all the time, it's just what happen so naturally if you're going after good tone, good vibrato, and more comfortable bends eventually it'll come but still, it's just another tool to me. I mean I didn't feel the need to give it a distinct name and the urge to go out and preach about it. I don't disagree with throat bend but I don't diss another approach either.
I apologize Iceman. I did not mean to sound like I was gearing up for battle. I'm sure you are a great teacher and your students are lucky to have you. No doubt you cover all techniques. It just kind of woke me up a little when the poster felt like he was bending from the throat and you told him he was not. If he was my student I would steered him toward it instead of away as you did. Bending from the throat with a dishrag limp tongue is a very real technique.
for the unbent note i use the vowel AH. (G# on an A )harp first bend EE (G on an A harp) second bend OH (F# on an A harp) third bend OO. (F on an A harp.
the first bend is the trickiest to get clean. you can do it.
the second and third are a simple separation betwixt the two.
forget kutakahuuta and all that nonsense. don't think about throat or diaphram. just open up. it'll come smooth and easy w/ out thinking.
---------- MP affordable reed replacement and repairs.
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A word of caution to all those struggling with techniques and reading postings on this (or any other) harmonica chat site.
Don't get confused with conflicting and/or multiple approaches. Seems to be human nature that people start to argue about certain paths in learning.
Since there really is no ONE ULTIMATE WAY to do anything, pick one suggestion that resonates with you and don't get sidetracked into combining all the advice together.
Commit to one course of action for an extended period and really sink into it. If it doesn't give you satisfactory results over time, then try another. ---------- The Iceman
Hello everybody and thank you very much for your great help i finally get those 3 bends just by using my tongue and i am really happy now but throat bending seems very interesting too so i will give it a try in the future . again thank you a lot wish you the best
long time ago all you heard about pronunciations was DIT for DAT and a HUH on the exhale,draw DIT-DIT,BLOW HUH,draw-DAT-DAT...THAT GOT ALOT OF HARP PLAYERS GOING TO A GOOD GROOVE !! and of course SBW2 AB- WAH !!!
Last Edited by colman on Mar 14, 2013 6:12 AM
