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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Draw 3 one step bend...
Draw 3 one step bend...
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harpnoodler
9 posts
Jan 11, 2009
7:33 PM
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Hi all, I'd love some feedback on this hole. I'm not just trying to get my blues chops back (if I ever really had 'em), but I'm working out on some fiddle/scots/irish tunes and a few others as well. On more than a few (e.g. Londonderry Air, Gonna Lay Down my Sword and Shield), the draw 3, full tone bend is a critical tone. I can hit it OK, not usually too sharp or flat, but it sounds rough, worse when I try to add vibrato. I'm thinking of filing the 3 blow reed, which would work for LA, but in the other tune, I get into a funkier TB'd bluesified chorus or two and need the blow chord.
Are there folks out there who can play the bent tones so the timbre (is that the right term?) is close to the unbent reeds?
Is it possible to get a smooth throat vibrato, like Adam's --as opposed to (Butterfield's e.g.) rougher one-- on bent notes, or do most players use a diaphragm v. for these ones?
I know Brendan Power files his 2 or 3 reed (don't recall which one)--or gets custom harps, more likely-- to get the 1 tone 3 bend note, and that leads me to think it may not be worth the effort, cause I ain't no BP.
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2009 7:33 PM
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Buddha
14 posts
Jan 11, 2009
8:32 PM
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the bent notes will never sound the same as regular blow or draw notes. I love the sound of the notes that reside within the three hole draw. You've got to get your intonation together to sound good.
Brendan Power build his own harps and has so many different tunings, I don't know how he keeps them all straight or even how he remembers them.
Brendan will build you a harp, ask him for the paddy richter tuning.
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Warbleman
48 posts
Jan 11, 2009
8:49 PM
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Jason Ricci gets his vibrato on bent notes by lowering and raising his jaw.
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Andrew
65 posts
Jan 12, 2009
12:03 AM
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I'd say practise a bit more, but it does depend on the harp, and the bend does need to be blown in. How loud are you playing?
(I use diaphragm vibrato.)
Last Edited by on Jan 12, 2009 12:05 AM
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harpnoodler
11 posts
Jan 12, 2009
6:28 AM
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"I'd say practise a bit more"... and you'd be right, Andrew. Not sure what you mean by "blown in": you mean the reed conditioned by repeated bending? I'm trying to play quiet and smooth and very unbluesy on "Danny Boy".
Buddha, I have made my own PR tuning on a harp by filing the blow 3, but of course I've lost the major triad blow chord. I guessed that the sound of the low bends would necessarily unique, but it helps to hear it from someone who's paid the dues. So I guess the challenge is to find a sound I can live with or file the reed. Thanks all!
Last Edited by on Jan 12, 2009 6:29 AM
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harpnoodler
13 posts
Jan 12, 2009
6:15 PM
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Actually, for those of you trying "Down by the Riverside" in the bottom octave of the harp starting on the 3 draw like me, it involves more than the 3 whole step bend. You also need the 1/2 step bend on that hole as well as the 1/2 step bend on the 2. I was practising it today and noticed that I don't do as much tongue blocking on it as I thought, since my full step 3 draw bend sounds like crap when I do it TB. Anyway, it's pretty rough at this point, but if anyone can tell me how to link to a box.net file and if anyone is interested, I can post a version in progress.
I belong to a piano beginners' forum and it's nice to hear how others are doing and get support/constructive criticism from others on the same path. Most of us there use box.net
Last Edited by on Jan 12, 2009 6:17 PM
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