I’ve been playing for about a year and am trying to start learning to bend. I can sot of bend the 4 draw- on the bend it better app the line moves from blue, in the middle of the D square to red right on the bottom border of the D square, but it feels like it takes all my effort to do this, and I can’t get bends on any other draws using the same mouth position. Any advice?
I can also do the ee-oo sounds without the harmonica in my mouth and feel my tongue and throat move, but for some reason when I put the harmonica in my mouth and draw, my tongue and throat refuse to move in the same way. Has anyone else had this problem? It almost feels like my tongue isn’t strong enough to move back and up when I’m drawing through the harp. Thanks in advance for the help!
it’s not the force. you don’t need to tense every muscle in your face so it feels numb after- it may “feel that way” and initially it’s something you’ll do though
—————–> Speed. I found that depending on the hole, how “abruptly” you try to do the bend it will work for different holes. try doing it way quicker instead of “easing into it” like most youtube videos usually show
If you can whistle inhaling and lower the pitch stop and do not move anything . Pay attention to where your tongue is. To do this you slide tour tongue in. next place your harp in and repeat this, If you try this and hear air rushing through your mouth try the KA. This should activate a bend. I feel your pain as when I started my reed locked up. I was going through the sweet spot and trying to hard. It is one of those things that the harder you try the tougher it is,
Bends completely suck, @kylebartho. But they are necessary to learn and to practice.
I completely suck at bending, and all things harmonica. So caution about something…
I blew out my Key-C Lee Oskar harmonica on the 4-draw by overdoing it. Exactly what you are practicing. So…
“Moderation in all things, including moderation.”
