Struggling with the 2 draw whole step bend on your lower key harmonicas? It's not a small mouth problem and it's not a talent problem - it's completely normal.
In this coaching call I work with Patti, one of my students, on getting her 2 draw whole step bend working on the B flat and A harmonicas. We start on the C and straight away hit a useful lesson about bending apps - handy at first, but leaning on them stops you trusting your ears.
Then I explain why low key harmonicas are harder to bend: you're tuning your vocal cavity to the note you want, and the lower the harmonica, the bigger that cavity has to be. Think of the C as your easy dumbbell, the B flat as the next weight up and the A as the one you're building towards. It's not about power - it's about finding the position and getting comfortable holding it.
We finish with a simple practice plan for working down through the keys - perfect if you can bend on your C but come unstuck when you play lower harmonicas with other people.
⏱ Audio Chapters
0:00 – What we're working on in this coaching call
0:22 – Patti's problem: the 2 draw bend on lower keys
1:35 – Testing the bend on the C harmonica
2:08 – Why you should wean yourself off bending apps
3:19 – Why low key harmonicas are harder to bend
4:55 – The dumbbell analogy: building bending strength
6:24 – Trying the bend on the B flat
8:00 – Trying the bend on the A
9:23 – A simple practice plan for lower key bends
12:32 – From practising alone to playing with other people
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