[Harp-L] vibrato + bendometer = TB bending

["Jim Konish" <konisj@xxxxxxx>]

Hello,

 

I've been trying to bend notes in TB for about 2 years now, and after
reading a lot of explanations I've mostly been just blindly contorting my
tongue and throat in every way I can think of with barely noticeable
results.  I knew that I needed to adjust the resonance in my throat, but
knowing that intellectually is a far cry from knowing what to do with a
bunch of muscles that most of us aren't used to consciously controlling.  I
finally got it today, and if you can do throat vibrato but you haven't been
able to figure out TB bending yet, this might work for you too.

 

I was practicing intonation (not in TB) with Bendometer, and while watching
the pitch variation on 2 draw with throat vibrato, I varied the depth and
speed of the vibrato.  As I was doing that, I watched the center of the
pitch oscillation shift lower, but I wasn't using my tongue to do it.
Eureka!  Once I saw that, I tried to repeat it, and as I repeated it I
gradually became more aware of exactly what I was doing in my throat to
alter the pitch, and after a minute or 2 tried doing the same thing in TB on
various holes and it worked!

 

I hope this helps make the light go on for someone else

 

Harp on

Jim Konish

www.deepblueshag.com