hi fellas hoping you can help me here. i have been playing/learning about 18 months and i feel i may have missed something in the basics re articulating notes. was revisiting Adams blues scale lesson when it occurred to me i don't articulate many notes...ie da ta etc (or maybe it is a subconscious thing) technically, should every note be articulated in this manner or is it fine to draw/blow without actually "sounding" a sylable? or is articlation simply a variation in the range of sounds that can be produced? certainly, on some notes and particular harps or keys pronouncing "da" or "ta" brings a better response from the reed. which then leads to bends....i am really only just starting to get a few bends happening, but i can't hit a bend by articulating without sliding down to the bend...but it is a better note eventually....so, when you go for a bent note do you let your mouth/tongue/jaw etc drop straight into that embrochure/position or do you find you move from the unbent position to the bent embrochure? or am i overthinking it? i would appreciate any comments phil
Phil, You're definetely not over thinking it. You can do everything you described.... or you don't have to do any of it. It's really what ever the song calls for, or how you want to play the song.
I typically don't articulate a lot of notes, but I do the first one in a riff. I tend to roll through them evenly, but give the opening not a "Gaw" or "Kaw"... you get the picture.
It's the same with the bends. You can start unbent and bend down, or vice versa. There is a band I'm not a member of, but jam with sometimes that play punk and rock. They are not bluesy at all, so I don't fit in real well with their sound. However, there is one laid back song I like to set in with them, and the very first note I make is the Bent 4 draw, and I bend it hard and long, slowly releasing to unbent. This gets their attention.
Check out Carlos Del Juncos version of Blues with a feeling and hear his opening 3 draw bent note. It has a timber and tone that drives me crazy trying to recreate.
Starting a note bent and immediately releasing to unbent is called "scooping" I believe. I find I usually do this on the 4 draw without being conscious I do it. It kinda adds something to the note.
I personally drop right into the bent note--sometimes I even hit it--if I miss--Keep the pressure on and force it on down.
If we couldn't overthink things we'd probably all be piano players ;).
I checked this out and found that I am not aware of articulating all that much either--unless I'm chugging--but on closer inspection I found that I am articulating without thinking of it--little subtle throat pops--starting and stopping the air with the diaphragm--etc. I ain't saying this is right or proper--but I just figure that as long as the music sounds good I'll keep letting it happen--while always having an eye toward making it sound better.
thanks preston,oldwailer i am encouraged by your responses.....seems i am probably on the right track...just need lots more practice i guess peace phil
Check out Adam Gussow's series of lessons on train grooves on YouTube (gussow.047) good practice on articulating without the harp.
Last Edited by on May 28, 2008 12:51 PM
try the 3 hole bends with natural note articulate e ew half step like little girls say ew ew ew daddy.oo for the full step. than aw for the one and ahalf step. e ew o aw. thats what jerry portnoy says it helped me. hope it helps you. happy harpin.drop your jaw each half step.
Like Preston said, it depends a lot on the song. You can do some cool stuff with articulation. It can affect your tone. You can also do some crazy stuff like this:
