andyFrantsen
1 post
Nov 20, 2013
11:40 AM
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Hello Forum People,
First time poster here.
I been playing for about 5 weeks, and recently began learning to bend. It sounds fine on the 1 and 2 hole, but when i try to bend on the 3 hole it sounds like a dogwhistle and like something is stuck in there.
I have tried opening it op, but I cant see anything that looks stuck or anything.
Anyone know how to fix this?
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Gnarly
791 posts
Nov 20, 2013
12:19 PM
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Try plinking the reed--take the cover plates off and sound the reed by raising the reed up a little bit and allowing it to slap back to the reed plate. Don't bend the reed, just plink it.
If the note sounds clear, it's probably your technique--harmonica is tougher to play than some people think.
Don't give up tho, it's also more rewarding than some folks know.
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Adam Hamil
112 posts
Nov 20, 2013
1:05 PM
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In addition to what Gnarly said, you should also check the blow reed. If the note sounds clear when your not bending, and funky (in a bad way) when you bend it could be that blow reed. Make sure the blow reed gap is close but not too close.
if niether one of these things cure the problem, then it is more than likely a problem of technique.
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C. Adam Hamil
HOHNER CERTIFIED Free Reed Instrument Technician
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Gnarly
793 posts
Nov 20, 2013
2:52 PM
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Good point Adam!
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GamblersHand
474 posts
Nov 21, 2013
2:21 AM
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In my experience the 3 hole bends are the most challenging (and rewarding) to master. Keep at it - I wish I'd focused my practice on these much earlier
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The Iceman
1282 posts
Nov 21, 2013
5:47 AM
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If hole 3 sounds bad, chances are your bending technique is not efficient...even in holes 1 and 2.
What happens is that 1 and 2 are forgiving of poor bend technique, but NOT HOLE 3.
It's worth revisiting the technique and not assuming you are doing it right just because hole 1 and 2 are responding.
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The Iceman
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WinslowYerxa
424 posts
Nov 21, 2013
10:52 AM
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What Iceman said.
Listen closely to the tone quality of your bends in Holes 1 and 2. Bent notes will never have an identical tone color to unbent notes (although some players can get close). However, a well-payed bend will sound as loud (or as soft) and as tonally fully as an unbent note, and can be played with no more effort than an unbent note.
So work to get easy, full-tone bends on Holes 1 and 2, and then see what that does for your Hole 3 bends, which are the most difficult draw bends to master.
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Winslow
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andyFrantsen
2 posts
Nov 21, 2013
11:25 AM
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Thanks for the pointers.
The 3 reed plinks fine. So I will get to Work on the bending technique.
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