Advanced Blues Harmonica Techniques . . . And Bending
Probably the most important information to keep in mind while reading Part Three of this book is that much of the information is very advanced. Many harmonica enthusiasts play for years before mastering even the bends of intermediate difficulty, and may never learn to do a throat vibrato.
These difficult effects are presented so as to give the intermediate level harmonica player an understanding of what must be studied in order to become a serious instrumentalist. These last lessons are not meant as an attempt to present an exhaustive study of advanced harmonica techniques. Used in conjunction with Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks Volume Two they will prepare the reader for future, more advanced books in the Progressive Harmonica series. If you are interested in such books, please write to the appropriate address on page 2 for information, but do not send money.
Every serious harmonica player has an array of tonal effects that he or she uses when playing. One of the most difficult to master, but most important, is the throat vibrato. This effect provides the deep, wavering, tone heard in recordings or live performances, as demonstrated on 1e, then 2i and 6i on the recording.
The throat vibrato is produced by sending a continuous series of tiny cough-like sounds through the holes of the harmonica. This must be accomplished with the throat and mouth muscles in a relaxed state.
It may be easiest to begin work on the throat vibrato by gently, silently "coughing" into one of the holes, on the exhale. Gradually the speed of the "cough" must be increased, until one blends into the next. Eventually, this effect must be practiced on all inhale and exhale notes, bent and unbent, which may take many year practice.
As discussed at the end of Lesson Three, maintaining a relaxation of the musculature of the mouth, tongue, and throat is essential to good harmonica tone. Should your notes have a "pinched" or "whining" tone, you must work at staying relaxed while playing. Doing so will provide you with an important precursor to the throat vibrato.
About Bending
Bending is technically the hardest part of playing the harmonica, and for intermediate and advanced players only. For even those serious players who are content to play folk, bluegrass, or classical music, bending is not essential.
But for lovers of the blues, rock, or jazz genres, bending must be a lifelong study. For best bending results, read through Lesson 23 (and listen to those sections of the recording) before attempting to bend.
Bending is the act of constricting the airway in the throat by raising and tightening the muscles of the tongue. Only when the exact degree of constriction is attained will a given note bend. Unfortunately, the correct degree of constriction differs for each note on each key harmonica. In addition, some notes can only be bent down a certain amount, others more, as described below.
This book will only cover a general introduction to bending. Additional bending instructions will be included in Progressive Blues Harmonica Licks Volume Two described on page 104. Please do not become discouraged if you are not able to bend any notes right away. As you improve your ability to obtain clear, single notes, and as you experiment over time with the bending instructions, you will find that you can begin to change the tone of a note by changing the shape of the inside of your mouth.
Bent Note Notation
Since bending can lower a note to different degrees, depending on how far the note is bent, bending notation must indicate how far down the note is bent.
The notation system used in this book, and any other books in the Progressive Harmonica series, will indicate a bend by placing a small number to the lower right of the i or the e of the note.
It is possible to bend certain notes down one half step (the musical distance between two neighboring notes on a piano), two half steps, or three half steps. If a note is bent one half step down, it will have a small 1 to the lower right of the i or e. If a note is bent two half steps down, it will have a small 2. If a note is bent 3 half steps down, it will have a small 3 to the lower right of its i or e.
Following is the notation, from left to right, for a 4i bent down one half step, a 2i bent down two half steps, and a 3i bent down three half steps.
Following is a list of the notes that can be bent down. The letter names of the notes (on a C harmonica) are also indicated below. The ability to bend all of the listed notes may take the average player as long as several years, and although the 4e, 5e, and 6e notes can be bent, they are so difficult and rarely used in playing that they have been left out of this book. They are probably used by fewer than one in 10,000 players. As you will soon see, the 1 through 4i notes are the most important for the Blues Scale, at least to intermediate level players.
On the recording, the notes from 1i to 6i, then the notes from 8e to 10e, will be played. Each unbent note will be followed by its bent note (or bent notes, in the cases of 2i, 3i and 10e).
* although the 5i can be bent slightly, it does not change the note down to the E, but only to a point between E and F.
