The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #11431   Message #84879
Posted By: Steve Parkes
08-Jun-99 - 07:54 AM
Thread Name: Learning the Harmonica (Blues Style)
Subject: RE: Learning the Harmonica (Blues Style)
Let's just get technical for a moment ...

If you can whistle, you can bend notes. Try whistling up ad down the scale and try and notice what your tongue is doing: for low notes it's pulled back and for high notes it's pushed forwards in your mouth. (It's much easier for you to do it than it is for me to describe it!)

What happens is this: your lips make the whistle, but your mouth determines the note by the length of the resonant cavity. Excuse the jargon! It's like a flute - as you cover more holes, the length of the air column inside increases, and lowers the note. (If this doesn't make much sense, don't worry - somebody else will come up with a better explanation!)

When you play the harmonica, you can affect the pitch of the note by moving your tongue. The air in your mouth resonates and forces the pitch to change. It's easier on the draw notes than the blow notes, and easier on the low notes than the high ones.

You may have to experiment with the way you hold the harmonica in your mouth (the embouchoure, as classical harmonca players call it!) to get the best effect.

Incidentally, that's how you play the jaws ("jew's") harp.

Steve