How to play harmonica blow bends

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Get your blow bends perfect every time with this lesson on blow bending technique for diatonic harmonica.
KEY - A diatonic harmonica.
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[@Learntheharmonica]

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[@ZvikaDror]

Great motive, wonderful lesson! Your explanations are impeccable. Few tips to add: * ALWAYS RELAX, standing or sitting comfortably, especially when you learn a technique which is somewhat "stressful" - you might find yourself stressing and "fighting" to get through - that is the best time to walk away for a moment, put down the harp, breath, loosen your lips and brain and get back to it relaxed and fresh. The top reeds are indeed very responsive and unforgiving, you can only learn to master the top octave by focusing and practicing a lot - see some scales you can do. * I recommend to start with a single blow bend blues scale to get the "feel" of the bend - 4th position - 6D 7B 8D 8B' 8B 9B 10D - Also, 4th position is very cool as you can use the same technique for the 8 hole blow bend to produce fluent 2 octave blues scale with 4ob (Overblow) - 3D'' 4B 4D 4ob 5B 6B 6D - I love 4th position - Great practice for both blow bend and overblow. * If you wish to practice 9 blow bend, play a song with Major scale, 2nd position (G on C harp) - 6B 6D 7D 7B 8D 8B 9B' 9B If you wish to go down an octave, you will discover another oveblow on the 2nd position Major scale, like in 4th position blues scale: 2D/3B 3B'' 3D 4B 4D 5B 5ob 6B. * 1st position on 3rd octave is a killer practice treat for blow bends fluency - 7B 8B' 9D 9B' 9B 10B'' 10B * I found that gentle "shadowing" of the Tongue for getting a blow tone bent down, is many times more accurate than changing the shape on the mouth cavity in general and blowing harder to "push" the note down, which is bad practice. Especially on 10 blow bend, to be precise, you can start by running long, steady, as quiet as possible blow airflow and experimenting bending it down by bring (slowly) the tongue edge to the bottom teeth base, and checking how it affects the tone - it should be clear, no additional pressure should be applied (don't blow hard to get the bend, do it "smart") and be very, very patient to get the tone in place. Depending on your unique mouth, tongue, teeth features, you might find that you don't need to get the tongue to the teth base but go half way, or a bit back or forth toward the air stream to change its direction - any method which will not be "stressful" and can be repeated accurately again and again to produce tuned bends is good for you if comfortable or you can get it without changing too much your "natural" playing embouchure - as you play the entire harp up and down and you need to get this "automated" and not something you need to think about and get ready for when a "special" blow bend comes up. Therefore - see some scales which includes blow bends, play stuff you play in lower octaves on the higher range, and ENJOY getting better every day :) Cheers!

[@Learntheharmonica]

Great tips Zvika :)

[@vansereno]

Before watching this video, I did not know how to blow bend. Thank you for teaching me!

[@Learntheharmonica]

You're welcome, thanks for watching :)

[@NiekopTube]

Excellent explication! It's subtle... that's the secret :-)

[@pjimmyd5516]

This is a great lesson Liam, I've just done the 10 blow bends on a G Special 20, the best way to describe it is like gently forming a whistle sound thro' the harmonica with the middle of my tongue pushing forward 😊😊

[@claudeperreault6348]

The best blow bend lesson I've seen so far! Very well explained. I can blow bend the 8 and 9 holes now but the 10 hole is much harder. Do you have any advice for achieving it on the 10 hole?

[@conniemartin9150]

Can’t get the tongue position at all. Can’t figure it out

[@kobudo]

Before watching this video, I was fiddling around with my C harp and figured out how to “switch” the 8b from clean to bent, and I got my first “real” bend right after you explained what the tongue should be doing with your hand. Great video and thank ya!

[@Learntheharmonica]

Well done, keep up the good work! Thanks for watching :)

[@NoirFan01]

It is both so weird and scary that this afternoon I was looking at an illustration for “C major diatonic harmonica layout” and wondering how one does the blow bend notes for holes 8, 9 and 10. Then, this evening I go on KZbin and your video is at the top of the list of recommendations. It cannot be a coincidence

[@Learntheharmonica]

Lol, that's amazing! We must be cosmically connected.

[@cicholasnage]

haha yeah something similar happened to me too, except i was just thinking about something, and then exact subject popped on my recommendations, does Google read our minds??

[@Nubenhoofer]

I imagine they are close to being able to probe our subconscious. There will be zero privacy in the future, and nothing will be sacred. Except MUSIC. They will never be able to take THAT from us...

[@KluiKaraoke]

How to bend at both ends, It’s very difficult.

[@young1939]

I only have a C BluesBand harmonica, but can do some draw bends and blow bends. I gave my grandson one and recommended your website and KZbin lessons. His name is Liam also.

[@Learntheharmonica]

What a great name!

[@priscillaquinn9505]

I dont understand why i cant do this.. i can do draw bend but i cant get it to change note whatsoever with blows. Update. Ok i figured it out. You should have put more emphasis on how literally small of a section of actual breath it is.. i know you did try to talk about it but i feel like no one explains it well enough to really get that

[@micksherlock3969]

Great stuff Liam, i've moved on quite quickly because of this lesson. Cheers mate. ( on a Crossover in D )

[@Learntheharmonica]

You're welcome Mick, good to hear from you again and good luck with your playing :)

[@marianoturienzo6974]

May you explain how to do it? To much mambo jambo bananas 🍌

[@evandavies4049]

Thanks Liam that's why I cant bend when I try a melody step one done only

[@GokhanBeken]

Hi, I have 2 questions. Is the 5th hole blowing bend possible? Is the 7th hole drawing bend possible?

[@Learntheharmonica]

No, you can't really bend 5 blow and 7 draw because the opposite reed in each case is a higher pitch (the same reason you can't bend 1,2,3,4,6 blow and 8,9,10 draw). However, you CAN bend the 5 draw and 7 blow - but only minimally.

[@joecrumb1798]

Try it on F# sounds like dog whistle 😂

[@christelleberthon]

I'm appalled ...I came for the balloon !

[@Learntheharmonica]

For my next trick... digg.com/video/diy-bagpipes-a-balloon-and-a-harmonica

[@vinces.2862]

Very excellent - something else I can add to my bag of tricks when playing. Thank you my friend.

[@Learntheharmonica]

You're welcome, thanks for watching. I don't know how it's taken me so long to do a blow bend video!

[@mk5586]

Du bist einfach super. Jeder der Harmonica lernen möchte, ist bei dir genau richtig. Du bist perfect! 👌👌👌👌👌👍👍👍 Viele Grüße und vielen Dank Liam Manuel

[@Learntheharmonica]

Danke!

[@danlaxer514]

I found this very helpful. I managed to get up into the upper end of the harp. But just as you said, I try to go too fast and get frustrated. Thanks, Liam.

[@Learntheharmonica]

You're welcome Dan, thanks for watching :)

[@green323turbo]

Very good video. You explain it well.

[@Learntheharmonica]

Thanks!

[@jayjay1598]

Brilliant. Very clear. Thanks! 🙂

[@Learntheharmonica]

You're welcome!

[@kalebmendez439]

Thanks for the tips

[@Learntheharmonica]

No worries Kaleb 😎

[@allenhawker3911]

So an over blow raises the pitch? Blowbend lowers it?

[@allenhawker3911]

It takes little airflow like draw bends?

[@Learntheharmonica]

Yes overblows give you a note above the natural pitch - you don't bend up to them, they just "pop out" when you get the technique right. Blow bends lower the pitch, just like draw bends.

[@allenhawker3911]

@@Learntheharmonica Thanks Liam!

[@lucassilvamiranda4694]

Excelente vídeo.

[@Learntheharmonica]

Thanks!

[@worldwideexplore3511]

We should do some short tips on TikTok!

[@tedc6694]

Do these techniques work with all harmonicas? Like my chromatic (push bar for sharps and flats) or just for blues harps?

[@Learntheharmonica]

Hi Ted, this lesson is specifically for diatonic. It's possible to get bending sounds on the chromatic but it's not quite the same and you don't want to send your chrom out of tune by trying to force it.

[@i3roly]

hello again. i have a question. i note that in your video you state you're using an A harmonica. some of us getting started would like to practice our technique before buying additional harmonicas (and tutorials). could you possibly post a brief video on how a blow bend would sound on holes 7-10 for a C harmonica? i know you said it's squeaky but from an expert like yourself it would at least give us something to work off. thank you

[@Learntheharmonica]

Hi Gagan, thanks for commenting. Best thing I can suggest is to use a tuner or search for an online piano, that way you can check which notes you're trying to achieve on a C harmonica. It will sound the same as an A, it will all just be higher.

[@BigBlueBruh]

Great video. Could you please recommend a good harp tuner App? Many thanks

[@Learntheharmonica]

It's not a harp specific app, but I like this one - www.petersontuners.com/products/istrobosoft/

[@c44bul]

please share levellers carry me tabs plssssssss

[@Learntheharmonica]

I'll see what I can do :)

[@c44bul]

@@Learntheharmonica thank you sir. i am waiting impatiently...

[@cultivatelife]

Overblow raises the pitch, whereas blowbend lowers it. Other than that, is that technique and embrochure the same?

[@Learntheharmonica]

They're similar, but with an overblow you have to exaggerate the technique as if you're bending lower and lower (though you won't be making a sound), until the high note pops out of nowhere. Definitely similar but takes experimentation to get each one right.

[@igarskof6522]

Very helpful! Thanks

[@Learntheharmonica]

Glad it was helpful!