Here I am a bit over a year into my harmonica journey. Loving it.
I’ve been able to 1/2 step draw bend for a while. However, I am having a challenge with draw bending when it calls to start a draw in a bend -vs- drawing into a bend or in and out of a bend.
Examples:
“draw in and out of the bend”
-2 -3 -3’ -3 -4 (I am able to do)
“start draw in the bend.”
-2 -3’ -4 -3 (I am unable to do YET)
Side note 1: when I say unable - I can start in a bend but I don’t hit the note. I’ve been working in the Bend_It_better tool.
Side note 2: I used -3’ as an example but it’s all draw bends.
Side note 3: I am not working on blow bends at all yet.
Mike - the -3’ is the toughest note to play in tune. Perhaps work on the -1’, -4’, or -6’ first. They’re easier to get in tune!
The drill is simply bend the note down, and stop your airflow, well, fun on keeping your mouth in exactly the same position, and then start airflow again. Stop it/start it. Stop it/start it. Over and over. That gets you used to starting in the bent position.
I would start you bend by slowly moving your tongue back a=making sure your tongue is laying flat. When you hear and feel the air rushing through say KA to activate the bend. Once you get this down slide from -2 to -3. I lay all bends when I practice them and try to play a simple riff bends only.
I think once you can bend consistently you will be able to play one from the start. Try this riff 6 -4 -5 -2 -3( first step bend) and -3. Just let the bend go and play straight into the last note. If you can bend -2 try sliding into the -3 bend and see if this helps as well. The riff above requires a very rapid change from -2 to a -3 first step bend. I have a long way to go but having a small riff you can practice with bends only might help as it did and does me.
Hi @cloves-fibs0f. I can’t help you with how to do it, but there’s a tune that I practice that requires it. Sounds like you may already have a song that you’re trying to play, but the harmonica solo in “Take the long way home” by Supertramp is my nemesis. You might want to have a look at that one if you want a song to practice going straight into a -3’.
Lots and lots of practice my friend.
I still suck and bending, particually on the 2// and 3/, 3// (still can’t get the 3///) - however, I keep practicing and I can get on 4/ and 6/ reliably enough to get them into phrases/tunes that aren’t too fast.
You’ll get there and once they start getting usable in playing it feels realy good.
Hey Mike, great to hear you’re enjoying the journey—sounds like you’ve made awesome progress already! Starting in a bend can definitely be trickier than bending into a note. One thing that helped me was isolating that bend and just repeating the attack over and over without playing a full phrase—almost like treating it as its own exercise. Also, sometimes backing off the air pressure a bit helped me focus more on tongue position and embouchure. You’re definitely on the right track using the Bend_It_Better tool too—keep at it, it clicks with time!
