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Techniques: Bending
[General Information] |
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Bending is a technique done on the harmonica which allows you to change the actual pitch of a note (typically by lowering it). The bending of notes is not exclusive to the harmonica. This changing of pitch can be done on guitar, saxes, other string instruments, electronic keyboards, and more.
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"Tilting the harmonica to bend"-- A quick, easy way to begin bending notes is to hold the harmonica by the ends and tilt the back of the harmonica up towards your nose (you should have it far enough into your mouth, with single notes, that it won't pop out). Listen for the note to go lower in pitch. This trick of physically tilting the harmonica up will create the same change of angle that we will strive to do internally. Make sure your single notes are strong and clear before attempting to bend (see photo examples).
(View all Beginner's Shortcuts)
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General Bending Information
- Bending performs two main functions for us on the harmonica:
1. Wailing effect- It creates a sound effect that is very human and at the same time animal-like. The bending effect can sound like crying or wailing or moaning.
2. Adds missing notes- The bending technique also allows us to play some of the notes that appear to be missing on the diatonic harmonica. For instance, if you bend the hole 4 draw of a key of "C" diatonic harmonica, you will be playing a Db ( or C#) note which is the missing note between hole 4 blow ("C") and hole 4 draw ("D"). With the basic draw and blow bends you can get fairly close to playing chromatically (all 12 different white and black keys on a piano) on a diatonic harmonica.
- Bending can be one of the more difficult techniques- Because bending tends to be one of the most difficult techniques to master on the harmonica, we suggest you come back this section and re-read it a few times over the next weeks (even after you think you've got it). Bending is not something you can show someone and sometimes words seem to fall short in explanation. There is a lot to comprehend on this page and the others in this section. Be patient, it will come.
- Different types of bends- Although bending is done primarily on the draw notes at the low end of the harmonica, there are four types of bending found on a diatonic harmonica. These are: draw bends, blow bends, overblows, and overdraws. Advanced players can find information on Blow Bends in the Advanced Techniques section.
- Standard draw bends always go down in pitch- At this point, we will only concentrate on the most common type of bending, draw bends. You will notice that the standard draw (and blow) bends always go down in pitch (lowers the note).
Draw Bend Info
- The most common and useful bends are done on the 2, 3, and 4 draw holes- The draw bends can be done on holes 1-6 draw on a standard diatonic. But the most used and most useful bends for blues, rock, and country are the bends on 2 draw, 3 draw, and 4 draw. Although hole 5 draw technically can be bent, you should avoid doing so. Bending this note will not give you any new notes like the other holes do, but instead, has a tendency to ruin the 5 draw reed prematurely (the same is true for the hole 7 blow bend).
- Different holes bend different amounts- The holes 1, 4, and 6 draw will each bend a half-step down in pitch. Hole 2 draw will bend down a complete whole step and hole 3 draw will actually bend down a step and a half (3 1/2 steps). On a standard key of "C" diatonic, hole 1 draw will bend from the note D down to Db (which is the same as C#). Hole 2 draw will bend from the note G down a complete whole step to F. Hole 3 draw will bend from the note B down 3 1/2 steps to Ab (which is the same as G#). Hole 4 draw, the same note as hole 1 draw but up a complete octave, will bend from the note D down to Db (which is the same as C#). And hole 6 draw will bend from the note A down to Ab (or G#).
*In the following sound file, hole 1 draw is bent down a half-step ("D" to "Db"), hole 2 draw is bent down a whole-step ("G" to "F"), hole 3 draw is bent down a whole-step ("B" to "A"), hole 4 draw is bent down a half-step ("D" to "Db"), we skip hole 5 draw, and hole 6 draw is bent down a half-step ("A" to "Ab").
| Bending- holes 1-6 draw (see above) |
.Mp3 Example Available in Members Area
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Breathing & "Shifting"
- Bending consists of only two major aspects or concepts:
1. Breathing
2. Shifting.
- Breathing: good technique is important for bending- Bending is possible, but much more difficult to learn if you are having trouble getting single notes. You are best off having a 60- 90% rate of successful single notes before spending too much time working on bending. Check out the section on breathing if you are having difficulty getting a pure, unmuffled, "in tune" note out of the 2 draw hole. You can check this by comparing the sound of the 2 draw to the sound of the 3 blow. They are the same note on any standard tuned diatonic (both are a "G" note on a key of "C" harmonica).
The more you suck with your mouth, the harder it is to bend- The breathing is exactly the same as what was discussed earlier. Remember, breathing for harmonica means "not sucking and blowing from the front of your mouth (lips)." Your mouth should not be the source of airflow. The more you suck the air in, instead of pulling the air through the harmonica and through your mouth, the harder it is going to be to bend a note.
- Shifting: changing the angle of the airflow- "Shifting" means that you are shifting or changing the angle of the airflow to make a note bend. Normally, for clean single notes, the flow of air is parallel to the reed and cover plates (see red line in graphic below). When you change this angle you will put pressure on the reed and cause it to vibrate more slowly, thus lowering in pitch. To get the pitch of the note to go down, you want to change the angle of the airflow so that it is being pointed up at the upper pallet inside your mouth (see blue broken line in graphic below). That is, you are pulling the air up and out of the harmonica.
- "Shifting" is a tough one to learn- It is extremely difficult to teach/learn this technique. Many books and instructors try to create a shortcut to bending by getting the student to say certain syllable and vowel combinations (i.e. "wee-ou-wee") or have them move their tongue or jaw up or down, or back or forward. None of these tricks work for everyone every time (see the next bending page for numerous suggestions). The bottom line is that you must change the angle of the airflow for the note to change pitch. Do whatever it takes inside your mouth to make that happen. Don't think too much about this, it probably won't help. Picture the concept and let your body figure it out.
If you haven't become an expert at bending yet, fear not. Our Members Area has much more instruction with tips, Mp3 sound files, photos, diagrams, and help from the Discussion Forums to get you bending with the best of them.
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