Mgimino
3 posts
Jun 17, 2009
9:26 PM
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I read it mentioned everywhere and see it mentioned in numerous youtube vids and something about Magic Dick 10 blow bend but after googling I have yet to find a definitive answer. How do you blow bend?
Does it matter if its tongue blocked or not?
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jonsparrow
460 posts
Jun 17, 2009
9:30 PM
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its just like a regular bend kinda. but you blow. to do the magic dick signature lick you gotta do it real fast.
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Oliver
63 posts
Jun 18, 2009
12:36 AM
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Hmmm, it's not really the same mouth / throat action required to bend draw notes as to bend blow notes. Almost the opposite in fact (in my case anyway!).
Try pronouncing 'shhhhh' while blowing and that might help you in the right direction. it's hard to describe. You need to focus the air channel in a different way to normal.
I don't tounge block except for octaves so really can't help there but my first guess is that it would be harder this way.
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Kingley
52 posts
Jun 18, 2009
12:50 AM
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Ok firstly it doesn't matter if you tongue block or not.
To play blow bends you need to do two things.
1. Get a mouth shaped like the vowel sound for "eeeee" unbent, then bend it to the shape "oooo".
2. This is very important. Use as little breath force as possible. Blowing too hard will not allow the bends to happen. This applies to all bending techniques including overblowss.
With practice using the methods, your blow bends will pop out extremely easily.
Oliver is right it's harder to play them tongue blocked, but not impossible by any means. Again it's just practice.
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Jim Rumbaugh
49 posts
Jun 18, 2009
10:42 AM
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Kingley : Thanks for that post. I just tried it and I I think I see what you mean. I'll have to practice it.
Now for another opinion. This is my self-taught method. ( I'm an intermediate level player )
I u-block ( roll the tounge into the shape of a u) and lay the tounge right on the hole. I then choke off the air flow by rolling the tounge into a deeper curve. I can use A LOT of air force, just the opposite of Kingley's method. It's good on holes 7 8 9 & 10. The higher, the easier. I can do the Magic Dick 10 hole bend, but that's about all of his stuff I can do. (grin)
Jim Rumbaugh
theharmonicaclub.com
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Kingley
56 posts
Jun 18, 2009
12:16 PM
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Interesting method Jim.
I can't u-block otherwise I'd definitely be trying it out.
The way we all arrive at the same destination via different routes is is one of the things that I like about harp.
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Mgimino
38 posts
Jul 23, 2009
11:58 AM
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One day it just clicked for me on the 7, 8, and 9 holes, but I still can't do that 10 hole ala Whammer Jammer.
It's driving me nuts not being able to hit it, did one day it just click for you guys because I don't think I'll ever get it (I've tried all lower harps to no avail)
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Michael
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GermanHarpist
531 posts
Jul 23, 2009
12:05 PM
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The thing that helped me get the high notes and the bends is to have a good back pressure and to keep that mouth cavity nice and big. Dunno if it helps.
EDIT: ok, I have to correct that, I actually tighten up my mouth when bending. However, it is no different on hole 10 than 7,8 or 9.
The problem I used to have, though, was that I couldn't hold the bend. i.e. it would pop in and than I would loose it again right away. However, more control and practice and now I can hold the bend.
**EDIT 2: Just practiced a little, the problem with holding the blow bend is the follows: Draw bends you can really rip em down all the way. However, if you try to do the same with blow bends you lose em again. So the trick is, as I see it, not to rip the bend down like with draw bends but just to stop your tongue in the middle (at the point where the bend doesn't go any deeper...).**
I should add: I only use the blow bends for technical practice and only very little in jams. The reason is, that this 7 ob is still kinda out of reach and thus the upper octave in jams. Thats also the reason I didn't go into depth practicing them...
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germanharpist, harpfriends on Youtube
Last Edited by on Jul 23, 2009 12:31 PM
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Mgimino
39 posts
Jul 23, 2009
12:24 PM
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I don't think I'll be using it much other than Whammer Jammer, which I'm about half way through but STILL can't 10 blow bend like he does.
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Michael
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Randy G. Blues
45 posts
Jul 23, 2009
1:12 PM
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When I first joined my blues group the leader mentioned that we might do Whammer Jammer. He was testing me (or screwing with me), as it turned out, but knew it would help me develop some more skills I needed. Ya, he's that intelligent.. anyway... I was able to get the riff you mention:
9 blow bend - 9 blow - 10 blow - 10 blow bend. I call it an overblow (maybe incorrectly), but what ever it is, I had a harp apart the other day and tried it and interestingly enough, most of the sound comes from the draw reed! So it could be a reed gapping problem with you. Gapping those high-pitched reeds can be a challenge.
To do it, try a lip purse blow, then slowly do the opposite of a draw bend (sort of)- instead of arching the back of the tongue to draw-bend, move your tongue up at the front of the tongue, in a arch, towards the roof of the mouth, with the tip sort of behind the lower teeth.
I can only get it to happen with holes 10, 9, and some keys on hole 8, a couple on 7, and one one or two on 6. The higher pitched harps are easiest.
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gene
216 posts
Jul 23, 2009
2:18 PM
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The way I'd describe it is
act like you're whistling a high note. That's similar to the "shhh" mentioned above.
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Philosofy
247 posts
Jul 23, 2009
6:35 PM
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I learned by having it described as "like straining hard to take a shit" :) It worked.
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RyanMortos
231 posts
Jul 23, 2009
6:39 PM
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I heard it described more as a tongue block against your bottom teeth and use back pressure and think it bent.
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~Ryan
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
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Mgimino
41 posts
Jul 24, 2009
1:31 PM
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Well thanks for your tip guys, but I practiced all day and still couldn't hit the note. At some point I was getting a sound like not only was the blow reed playing, but the draw at the exact same time.
I hope I get this soon or it's going to drive me nuts.
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Michael
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tookatooka
316 posts
Jul 24, 2009
1:53 PM
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what harp are you using? Wonder if that may have something to do with it. I've heard that the wide short reeded variety are more difficult to blowbend than the narrow long reeded variety.
Wide Short = Suzuki
Narrow Long = Marine Band
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When I'm not blowing, I'm drawing.
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Bb
74 posts
Jul 24, 2009
2:03 PM
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I have no problem with blow bends. In fact, I've been working with them a lot lately cuz I've been working on low-down & dirty 1st position blue playing. Kim Wilson and Mitch Kashmar are crazy with this kind of stuff.It feels to me like I apply some back pressure in my mouth and my tongue gets forced up against the back of my bottom teeth and they pop right out. I can hit them at will, but articulating them like Kim or Mitch – dang! That's what I'm working towards.
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Mgimino
42 posts
Jul 24, 2009
2:04 PM
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I'm using Marine Bands. I read somewhere that Adam soaked his in water and it that makes it easier to play those blow bends, but I am reluctant to do so because I don't want to shorten the life of my A harp.
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Michael
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Bb
75 posts
Jul 24, 2009
2:14 PM
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You won't need to do that, man. Just keep at it and THINK about that note you want to hit. It'll come.
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mickil
395 posts
Jul 24, 2009
3:34 PM
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What Randy G Blues said, 'The higher pitched harps are easiest,' is not the case. If you've got any instruction material, it will tell you the exact opposite. I don't like to sound arrogant, but he's wrong and you will go nuts if you try to learn it on an F.
The shorter reeds on those harps take a lot more skill to pop into place. Try it with an F and a G to see which comes first.
EDIT: it's OBs that are easier to learn on a higher harp.
As for the actual technique, as far as I can tell, there's no difference. Do this:
1. Whistle a note.
2. Now whistle it again, but lower its pitch. See what happened with your tongue and jaw.
3. Now do all that again, but breathing in. Same thing.
As Kingley said, 'This is very important. Use as little breath force as possible.' He's right on the button.
Also, have a look at this little gem:
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/myquill/Harmonica.html
It's linked to in the FAQs page - I think - of this site. It's a brilliant resource and helped me get my first OB.
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
Last Edited by on Jul 24, 2009 3:39 PM
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Randy G. Blues
50 posts
Jul 24, 2009
3:39 PM
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mickel said:
"What Randy G Blues said, 'The higher pitched harps are easiest,' is not the case. If you've got any instruction material, it will tell you the exact opposite. I don't like to sound arrogant, but he's wrong and you will go nuts if you try to learn it on an F."
And he is right!
I misstated that- I should have said (and was thinking at the time):
"The higher pitched NOTES are easiest..."
Thanks for catching that...
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mickil
396 posts
Jul 24, 2009
3:45 PM
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RGB, I'm thinking about getting speech recognition software! I mistype so much stuff all the time that I have to correct! Drives me nuts.
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'If it sounds GOOD to you, it's bitchen; if it sounds BAD to YOU, it's shitty' - Frank Zappa
http://www.youtube.com/user/SlimHarpMick
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Mgimino
43 posts
Jul 24, 2009
4:09 PM
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Well I'm not trying to tackle the OB guys, just blow bending the 10th hole on an A harp.
The whistle thing isn't working for me.
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Michael
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Randy G. Blues
51 posts
Jul 24, 2009
5:30 PM
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As I mentioned, if the reeds are not gapped well, it can be problematic. The HIGHER PITCHED reeds (there.. I got it right that time) are sensitive to very small changes in gapping.
Try a different harp. Once you get the blow-bend to work, go back and forth from blow to blow-bend to learn the feel of it and develop some "muscle memory" for it. Then transfer that to other keys and or other holes on the same harp. At that point, if it still isn't happening on teh blow-10 on the A harp the reed(s) may need a little gapping assistance.
...and mickil- as far as speech recognition goes, I have it but don't use it. Once my brain creates misinforamtion, it comes out my mouth as easily as my fingers.. ;-)
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Mgimino
44 posts
Jul 24, 2009
7:40 PM
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I can't do it on my G or Bb harp either, I'm not going to assume its a problem with the reeds until it becomes absolutely evident over a long period of time. I don't want to have to open up a MB and risk screwing it up somehow.
When I do try it, I do get another note, which I think is the half step bend, but I cannot get the whole step bend. I'll work on it some more tomorrow.
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Michael
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Mgimino
45 posts
Jul 27, 2009
11:54 AM
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I think I got it, but I blew out the 10 reed on my harmonica in the process! I can't blow or draw on it anymore and get a note ahhh
Is there a fix or do I have to get another A harp
edit: Ok my harp just spit out the 10 reed, so I am guessing no fix for that. Well at least I can do it now...
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Michael
Last Edited by on Jul 27, 2009 11:57 AM
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