Bending notes on the harmonica

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Lunkhead
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Bending notes on the harmonica

Post by Lunkhead »

I've been trying to figure this out and not getting anywhere. I've read tutorials and watched videos. I see a lot of "You won't have any clue how to do it until you do it, then it will be obvious" which is very much NOT helpful, even if it's true. Anybody here got any experience and advice with this? At least so far I've learned which holes you can bend which ways, in theory, but, I have yet to make any of them bend.

https://www.harmonica.com/harmonica-bending-1087.html
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Rabid Garfunkel
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Re: Bending notes on the harmonica

Post by Rabid Garfunkel »

Which harp are you using? I've found the Hohner Special 20s to be easier to bend than, say, their Blues Harp. Though Lee Oskars are pretty bend-friendly across the line, and have more... interesting... tunings than your friendly neighborhood Marine Band.

Short answer: change the airflow in your mouth while playing a note.

Less short answer: inhale through your mouth. Feel it in the back there, where the roof meets the flappy bits? Now inhale through your nose, mouth closed. Feel a different flow? Remember the feel.

Now grab the harp and suck on the 2 hole with the mouth inhale (there's no way to say that well ;-)) and add the nose inhale a mo' later. You may get the beginnings of a good ol' hee-hawr in there.

Each bendable hole takes a slightly different technique, though.

Bon chance!
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