Friday, May 27, 2011

[Music] Harmonica technique: bending note

well here is to anybody who has a harmonica and wants to play it, I'll show you some cool stuff about the guitar later in the future.
 If you don't know how to bend a note on a diatonic harmonica, you'll soon get boring with this intrument, because this is the most popular ,the best and the trickiest technique on the harmonica, along with the over blow technique

 Bending note only happens when you draw. At playing a harmonica, you should start with the C harmonica. You can only bend notes at the 1st,2nd, 3rd,4th and 6th holes. Here is the picture wich illustrates possible bend and overblow notes on a C harmonica:

you can see in the 2nd, 3rd, you can bend more than a half step, it depends on how deep is your tounge bending in the middle.

 First, let me show you how this works
 the Hamonica notes change when you change the dirrection of the air you draw in.



 In order to do this, you have to make a special position of your touge and lips. Some people say the best way to learn this technique is saying "Weeeeee", and then say "ooooooo" to bend (of course we just need the mouth position when I said that, you can't actually say anything when you are drawing XD) . If you do this the first time and the note actually bended, then you're better than me!
 It took me sometimes to figure out, and what I did is I put the hole a little down, it worked to.
remember this is not how you do it and don't get used to it because this is just for you to understand how it works.

 As I said before, you have to bend your touge, and remember to put your tounge always at the middle of your lips so in can dirrect the air.

 I found a really nice web site, wich has picture that make you easy to understand, is one of the top web site when you find "bend harmonica" on Google.

so this his how you bend it on the 4th (D to C#)
Note Bending
 bend your tounge lower when for a step a step and a half at the 3rd hole:
Note Bending

 Pretty hard right?. That is because you've just made your tounge to something it has never done before. Now you've understood how to bend it, it's just the matter of time until you become a harmonica pro. good luck
 This is the most difficult technique on the harmonica, others are pretty cool too,like the overblow, it's still a note bending technique but way easier, the easy wah-wah that you cannot miss in a blues song... I'll teach you next time. Have fun practicing!

24 comments:

  1. This is some interesting and useful information! I've been looking into learning the harmonica...

    ReplyDelete
  2. interesting haha if i ever find my old harmonica im gonna have to come back and re read this

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow didnt know that harmonica gifs existed !

    ReplyDelete
  4. used to play the harmonica but it's been a long long time i haven't practised haha great tips!

    ReplyDelete
  5. who would have known it to be so complicated

    ReplyDelete
  6. LOL i never figured how to play one
    gonna try this actually

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was thinking about learning to play harmonica, since my friend is great at playing acoustic guitar. Hope you post more harmonica techniques.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cool. Will try this when I get back home from work. Followed!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have one at home, wanna learn to play it bad

    ReplyDelete
  10. I played it for a while but it got stolen. I wish I STILL HAD THEM...

    ReplyDelete
  11. those diagrams showing the direction and flow of air intake make it so easy to understand.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Never thought that it is that complicated o0

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have a C harmonica and been playing for a while. But cant get the bending done right, nice post man

    ReplyDelete
  14. very cool! i like the explanations of how sounds are being perfected

    ReplyDelete
  15. I didn't know there was so much science in a harmonica

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ive always wanted to play Harmonica like this..
    Maybe ill try.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Man about a year ago I was all ready to buy a harmonica and determined to get good, but I never went with it. This was an interesting post, I'll keep it in mind if I ever learn how to play!

    ReplyDelete
  18. i have a box of harmonicas i bought for my brother that he never plays.. maybe ill pick it up and beat him! haha

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for the info. I actually got my harmonica out and I am trying it right now...

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've always loved playing around with harmonics.. This is very insightful.

    ReplyDelete