Learn how to play bends without playing a draw note first. Some would even say that bending the notes on a tenhole diatonic harmonica is what blues is really all about. Once you learn how to bend one hole, it is only a matter of time before you learn how to bend all the holes of the harmonica. This lesson assumes that you already know how to isolate notes. A brief history of bending notes with the harmonica dummies. Perfecting 3 hole draw bends on the diatonic harmonica. The 2 hole draw and low notes harmonica lessons, guitar. Fortunately, the scientific literature on note bending continues to grow. Is it true that note bending actually damages the reed plates in the long run.
Harmonica note charts in 12 keys with bends glenn weiser. Hhalf step, wwhole step, m3 minor third one and a half steps. Once you have achieved a bend, you will be on your way to playing blues but some people take months to master the technique. If you are a beginner searching for lessons, please click this link to be taken to the harmonica blues lessons for. We apply bending energy by changing the size of the oral cavity just like professor sumner miller changed the size. The majority of harmonica students find learning to bend 1draw the least challenging. Speaking poetically, bending on the harmonica is the wailing, moaning voice of the blues. Refer to note layout chart and keyboard illustration of chromatic scale. The two main key factors in this technique is producing a clear rich single note, and changing the shape of the inside of the mouth.
This lesson deals with the technique for draw bends, as well as the uses and advantages of bending notes on the harmonica. The sound of bending notes came to urban folk music in new york in the 1940s and 50s through the playing of north carolina harmonica wizard sonny terry and oklahoma protest singer woody guthrie. Harmonica physics bending nb the examples used here to explain harmonica physics are for a c diatonic harmonica. By bending notes you will obtain many of the notes that you thought were missing when you first picked up a harp. This weeks harmonica lesson will show you 8 tips to help you get started bending on the harmonica.
Getting the missing notes overblows and overdraws are bending techniques that give you those missing notes. Harmonica reeds are special because they can vibrate at different frequencies. How to bend notes on harmonica bending masterclass for. Here are notes charts for the 10hole diatonic harmonica in all 12 keys, with bends. How to bend notes on the harmonica free blues harp.
Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies tv shows news live. Todays lesson is just a quick tip to show you how to check whether you are bending the notes properly on a harmonica. Being able to create those missing notes is cruical for getting the right blues feeling. Harmonica note charts in 12 keys with bends by glenn weiser. The harmonica, also called harp, french harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and american folk music, jazz, country music, and rock and roll. Liam ward of teaches you to play bent notes on the harmonica. To check if your bends are in tune, you can use a chromatic tuner, a piano app or another instrument while bending on your harmonica. Here at modern blues harmonica, i offer the following lessons on the art of bending. This lesson deals with the technique for draw bends, as well as the uses and advantages of bending notes on the.
Since im trained in experimental psychology, ive been able to hone my teaching methods, to make them as quick and effective as possible. Im starting out on harmonica and, as expected, having lots of trouble with bending notes. In other words, on a diatonic harmonica, on holes 1 through 6, the draw notes can be bent, and on holes 7 through 10, the blow notes can be bent. This is your final level of study for draw bending on the harmonica. The bendometer allows you do play and see your notes in on any standard blues harp in all keys. How to make your bends sound really strong c harmonica lesson. If you play the main blow and draw notes available on a diatonic harmonica, youll be able to sound seven different notes or 19 different pitches, if you count the notes that repeat. Expect each chorus to take at least a month to dial in. Bending notes on the harmonica by david barrett for stanford ccrma music 318 class how the harmonica produces sound there are 20 reeds on the harmonica10 on the blow exhale reed plate and 10 on the draw inhale reed plate. Bendingprocessonthe101hole diatonicharmonicawiththe. Harmonica video harmonica lessons samples members jamming live testimonials. Youtube harp, muziekinstrumenten, musicals, liedjes, youtube. Bending notes on the lower draw reeds is a fundamental blues harmonica technique, something every beginner needs to master.
Im trying to learn to play the harmonica, and one thing i havent quite figured out is how to consistently bend notes. Downloadsvideo, audio and pdf lessons ready to download one to one. How to climax a harmonica solo using all draw notes will wilde by harmonica com. This is the only harmonica bending tool i know of that actually plays the sound of the bent note youre trying to hit before you start playing. Also you should not bend notes when you buy a new harp, and is.
Half steppin is a swing tune in the key of f, and contains very highlevel licks and phrases. Its an effect produced by the interaction of the blow and draw reeds together, and its regulated by your. So i started teaching specialized classes in bending, and have taught thousands of people to bend notes in person, through my private harmonica lessons and through my group workshops. Quantifying the draw bends our diagram of a c diatonic harmonica shows you which notes are found in each hole click it to enlarge. Unfortunately, you cannot just hit a bend really hard and expect it to actually be in tune. If the two sounds match perfectly youre doing good. Once youve learned how to play chords, rhythmic patterns, and single notes on the harmonica, its time to start learning songs and bending techniques. You can technically play crossharp in a minor key by bending the draw 3 down a halfstep, but it requires a lot. Much more instruction, information and harmonica lessons available at. Practicing harmonica bending technique blues harmonica. You can also access our site through your mobile phone. If you arent able to bend notes straight away then just keep experimenting with different mouth shapes until you find one that works for you. This means that your top lip will be covering quite a lot of the top cover plate and your bottom lip will be covering a little of the bottom cover plate.
It is also possible to blow bend and overblow notes on the harmonica but these techniques are beyond the scope of this lesson. How to prepare for bending notes on the harmonica dummies. Otherwise, you can move your tongue position up or down your tongue position a little to achieve the notes you want. Both reed plates are attached commonly via screws to a comb commonly made. Bending a note on a harmonica is an advanced technique that makes a wobbling sound with each note you play. However, about 30% of students find bending 4draw easier.
I can only hit two and three draw, inconsistently, for a semitone, and can only do it with my tongue out of position. I have an instructional audio download called learn how to bend on a. Bendingprocessonthe101hole diatonicharmonicawith thevisual aidofmagneticresonanceimaging mri bydavidbarrett. Lower notes have longer or heavier reeds, and thus more momentum to overcome for bending. Speaking technically, bending is a downward change in pitch. Top 5 songs without bends harmonica tab youtube gitaarakkoorden. Bending notes on the harmonica requires the ability to make and hold a single note. Perfecting 3 hole draw bends on the diatonic harmonica, watch. Free youtube lessons from my education playlist the lessons found below were.
Most blues harp players would agree that bending notes is the essence of blues music. Do not enter the lyrics or song in the harmonica notes converter box, harmonica notes converter converts harmonica notes line by line so enter only one line from the notes at once if you dont want to get confused. Just like a blues guitar, the blues sound on a harp is achieved by being able to bend notes. If you want to bend easier, you must develop clean, clear single notes, and gain control of your airflow. Other modern overblowers include youtube favorites adam gussow and jason ricci. To bend notes 1 through 6, youll need to narrow your mouth or block off the other holes with your tongue so you only play 1 note at a time. Standard bending for holes 1 to 6 the draw note is the higher pitched note in the hole. Hard at first, but it gets easier the more you do it. Print and download despacito remix sheet music by marijan srsa arranged for piano. The techniques have been around at least since the 30s, but only became really popular after the pioneering work of howard levy in the 80s and 90s. The purpose of this playlist is to consolidate all of my harmonica lessons about harmonica bending into one location, so that you can drill down on mastering this allimportant technique of bending notes.
In this video i describe how to practice this and why its so important. When rural harmonica players arrived in cities like memphis and chicago, they started adapting their playing to the urban environment. Harmonica bending is essentially the same thing as tuvan throat singing, except that the vibrator is outside and adapts to the changes in resonance. In this course from professional harmonica player ben hewlett, discover how to play several familiar songs like amazing grace and love me tender. I realize many will recommend that i just spend more time. Bending notes on the harmonica is one of the tools that make the instrument so appealing for blues. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes reed chambers or multiple holes. Is there another brand which makes bends easier or perhaps a different key. The thing i love about this new bending tool above is that its super simple. Some of the other harmonica bending tools are cool, but they can get a bit complicated for beginners.
Regular bending blue squares enables us to find many, though not all, of the missing black keys. These clean, heartfelt sounds, drawn or blown by the blues harpist, give you that deep soulful feeling whenever you listen to blues music. Bending notes with the harmonica musicians webstore. Tanks aloft at the very least one can get a minimum of a semitone bend down from every single note on the chromatic harmonica. Harmonicabending wikibooks, open books for an open world. It even shows how you bend and overblow your notes. Whenever you are playing harmonica, not just when bending, it is good to have it slightly tilted up. Free harmonica lessons samples watch video lesson free. So what im going to do is, im just going to again show you an example of that and hopefully you can follow, its just you can essentially do it on every note, the higher notes on the harmonica are harder and the lower are much easier to bend just because they are bigger reeds and they bend more easily, and thats why its called bending. Our focus here is to develop your ability to hit all bends including half steps from all directions. Here are some exercises to help you make your bends sound really better. Do you have some tips on note bending on harmonica. How to bend notes wildflower harmonica instruction. Blues harmonica for dummies has some great notes on bending, or.
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