Learn to play harmonica. MUSIC 097 OK ~ BENDING NOTES ~ What makes a note bend? Normally, when you play a note on your harp, the air passes over the reed more or less parallel with it. If you cause the air to pass over the reed at an angle … it makes the reed vibrate at a different rate, so the note changes its pitch and we say the note has “bent.” IT’S BY CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE CAVERN OF YOUR MOUTH THAT THE AIR IS DEFLECTED AND THIS AFFECTS THE TONE AND PITCH OF THE REED. Some trivia ~ when you bend a note on a harmonica, the note flattens . . . when you bend a note on a stringed instrument, ie a guitar, the note sharpens. ! Now isn’t this great information? ! ! ! There are several ‘bending’ methods in addition to what’s on the video, here are two others ~ 1) Place your harp in your lips at hole 1 … inhale while DRAWING FROM YOUR ABDOMEN … drop your jaw. The note will bend. Try it on holes 2, 3 and 4. (These are the holes that are the easiest to bend.) See it demonstrated here – this is an EXCELLENT presentation – www.youtube.com 2) This method is a bit more advanced. ~ Choose one of the holes 1 to 4 … USING THE MUSCLES DEEP IN YOUR THROAT/NECK draw the air through the reed. ie DRAW FROM YOUR THROAT. Your tongue goes back a bit and your jaw drops a little … it’s dinky to explain, however by experimenting you’ll soon get it. See it demonstrated by Adam Gussow on this video – watch his throat closely and you’ll understand. www.wonderhowto.com Bending notes …
