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3'' Holding on the Clutch
3'' Holding on the Clutch
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MindTheGap
48 posts
Nov 02, 2013
4:10 AM
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More that one person has given me the picture of controlling the 3 step bends as like holding a car on its clutch on a hill. I think that's a good picture, in particular for a sustained note on the 3 full step bend.
Thing is that on a G or A harp the incline is shallow and it's easy, by the time I get to a D harp it's much steeper and the vehicle is wobbling back and forth, ready to stall. I'm talking about a sustained note here, not a quick passing note. In contrast the 3-full-step bend is solid, but not as useful.
I'm looking for empathy to and from fellow learners rather than approaches and fixes from old hands. But if there are any, do let me know.
In this piece, rockndaddy plays Key to the Highway on a D and handles 3'' just near the start with lots of wah and vibrato-tremolo. It sounds great but clearly needs a run-up.
In this clip, Brendan Power explains Paddy Richter tuning. At about 2:50 he talks about the difficulty of hitting that note. He adds vibrato too. Of course he plays it beautifully but the it's clearly a different kind of tone to the other notes.
So is vibrato the way to go? Personally I'm not a fan of vibrato-with-everything, but if that's what it takes. Or if you can play a plain 3'' without modulation, please post so us beginners have something to aim for. If it's just difficult, and will always be difficult, it would be good to know that too.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 02, 2013 4:35 AM
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SuperBee
1512 posts
Nov 02, 2013
3:27 PM
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I think it's just something which needs practice. I struggle with these notes a lot less when I devote attention to them in regular practice. I agree with your observation about moving from an A harp to a D, especially if you've been working on the A a lot. The D can seem uncontrollable at first. But you just have to recallibrate. Brendon is pushing the value of his alt tuning in that video, and I think what he says is fair enough, but it's a slight spin. Personally, Ive been reluctant to offer advice on how to practise this because I know there are other board members who have much greater insight. But as no one has commented, and strictly fwiw and because it may help get the ball rolling...here is what I reckon. First, you gotta be able to take that reed and play it clean. Maybe you can even get it to play a little higher than usual but if you can start at the top and bend it to the floor, way past the Bb, maybe it's into sharp A territory. And let it back up. Can you do that smoothly all the way down and back up? No jumps or quiet spots. I think that's the first part. If you have a spot where it jumps, go that place and work on playing through it so you can play it smoothly. What I do is use a tuner to then find the intervals. Start at the top and bend to the pitch you want and hold it. Hold it until you run out of breath. It doesn't really take long to realise you have to concentrate on holding it, it wants to wander off. There's another exercise. Practice going to the note, lowering it 20 or 30 cents, then bringing it back to pitch and holding it, then let it rise 20 cents and bring it back. This is about learning the fine control. You can practice changing the volume too, getting louder without changing pitch, ditto softer. Also practice moving between the pitches. Don't neglect the Bb. Try sliding between them smoothly. Then try jumping from one to the other. Try to hit it accurately. Half step to whole step and back. I think you'll find you start to get quite good at it quickly. Try all the combinations of jumps including unbent, but work on them systematically. If you do this regularly I think you'll find your control of the bends improves. This kind of exercise using a tuner I think speeds up the process. Of course you need to use your ears and learn the sounds of the notes. I don't think the tuner hinders that, but it gives you one less thing to concern yourself with while you are mastering the subtle changes required to take control of your mouth. Of course you need to be able to hear the notes and put the tuner away at some point. All I know is that it helped me see when my pitch varied by even a small amount, and in which direction. Your ears are not necessarily that well-'tuned' to detect that. Yo may notice these exercises actually begin to educate your ears. Or maybe you already have well educated ears. I didn't, especially. Anyway, I think this approach is what helped me to make quick progress when I really wasn't making that much by other means. I expect this aspect of playing will always demand attention though
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Last Edited by SuperBee on Nov 02, 2013 3:27 PM
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The Iceman
1249 posts
Nov 02, 2013
3:33 PM
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SuperBee..
pretty good insights.
MindtheGap..."3 step bends as like holding a car on its clutch on a hill"
bad image. makes it seem a lot harder than it is.
It's mostly a "trick of the tongue" as outlined in a lot of earlier posts on how to bend and is not that difficult at all. ---------- The Iceman
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MindTheGap
49 posts
Nov 03, 2013
4:46 AM
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Superbee - thank you, all helpful suggestions as usual. I know it's been discussed before many times but the 3-draw bends are so crucial it bears repeating.
OK I'll have one last pop at this:
I find that holding 3'' on pitch is harder on higher harps than lower harps. And this more so than the other bends. I've not seen that stated clearly in instructional materials, and as a learner it's helpful to know that. Yes or No?
What I *have* seen in instructional materials is that the 3'' is considered difficult. E.g. Dave Barrett, Exploring 3rd Position, 'The 3'' is difficult to hold dead on pitch and sounds really bad if it's off...' If hadn't read this then as a learner I would have thought that my bending technique was wrong, or my harps were wrong.
One of the very most useful features of AG's youtube videos is that he exposes the fine detail of harp playing - details just like this, although not this particular one I think. Maybe no one else is interested in this - I am. And if everyone else finds the opposite to me, I want to know about because then I can set about correcting my bending technique or buying new high harps.
Currently I use this experience as another exercise: practising the 3-step bends on a high harp requires more control and improves the bends on a low harp.
This isn't a theoretical detail. I want to play the tune Key to the Highway 2nd Position on a D harp, and there is a note that has to be held for 3 1/2 beats. I want to be able to play the 5th scale degree in 3rd position in the first octave.
Finally if there is a teacher out there who is willing to deal with questions at this level of detail, and is set up to accept paypal, please get in touch.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Nov 03, 2013 5:06 AM
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The Iceman
1250 posts
Nov 03, 2013
5:54 AM
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Where are you located? ---------- The Iceman
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timeistight
1415 posts
Nov 03, 2013
8:27 AM
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I don't think there's any secret. 3 draw bends are tricky because of its wide bending range (a bit more than a minor third). The 3 draw whole step bend is especially tricky because it's in the middle of the bending range, i.e., it's easy to go out of tune in either direction.
Bends on high harps are tricky because they require tiny embouchure adjustments that are hard to control and that problem is acute on the 3 draw for the above reason.
I find it takes practice to get my three draw whole step bend in tune and more practice to improve the tone of the bent note. I also find that I can lose the control of that note if I slack off practicing it.
I don't get much out of practicing all the three draw bends in isolation. It doesn't seem musical to me and I find it's easy to get out of tune without realizing. I like practicing familiar scales and familiar melodies based on those scales.
Some scales that use that note are:- first position major
- second position major pentatonic
- third position major
- any fourth position scale and
- fifth position minor pentatonic.
Practice the fourth position scales descending from 6 draw or 10 draw to fix the tuning of the tonic note in your ear before you reach the bend.
Last Edited by timeistight on Nov 03, 2013 8:31 AM
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Frank
3185 posts
Nov 03, 2013
9:16 AM
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Here is a fun thing to do for practicing intervals...The Illustration below is on a "C" harmonica.
Play the interval your interested in...in 1st, 2nd and 3rd pos consecutively as fast or as slow as you care to, while listening very carefully to each note.
Ex: If the interval is a fifth - play the (1 draw "D" - which is the fifth of 2nd pos)...Then play the (2 draw "G" - the fifth of 1st pos)...Then play the (3 draw bend "A" the fifth of 3rd pos)...Then play the( 4 draw "D" the fifth again of 2nd pos)
And delibrately spend some quility time exploring the fifths of those 3 positions, which will help you focus in on that 3 draw bent note :)
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MindTheGap
50 posts
Nov 03, 2013
12:14 PM
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timeistight - Yes I agree with you. Both your analysis and that scales, tunes (and Frank's intervals) are the way to improve this. Re improving tone - do you add vibrato?
Iceman - I am located near Oxford, England. According to the National Harmonica League there is no local teacher. So instead I will be looking for a teacher who I can put technical questions to and get a full answer e.g. via email.
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timeistight
1417 posts
Nov 03, 2013
12:32 PM
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I try to get bent notes sounding good without vibrato first.
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The Iceman
1254 posts
Nov 03, 2013
1:20 PM
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MindTheGap...
What you are looking for is easy...after all, hard work is for "Only Fools and Horses"
My email is IcemanLE@aol.com ---------- The Iceman
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