How to Play the Harmonica: Bending Notes on Harmonica

[digant1232000]

very nice tutorial.

[papercutexit0]

10 minutes later: I DID IT!!

[papercutexit0]

Am I sitting in front of my computer going "CHHHRRRRR.... CHHRRRRRR" with my tongue? Oh yes. Yes I am.

[SuarezNo7]

you look like your from the 1980's.

[dckstrat90]

you sir..are a boss

[BirdOfParadise777]

Wonder why YT is adding extra characters to some comments?

[JoshTruff]

i cant do it man, gotta practice i guess im starting to get light headed

[mcr08mj]

Am i the only one thats freaking snorting?!?!?! I dont get it yet...

[BirdOfParadise777]

So... do you answer peoples questions?

I got a cheap little harmonica just for the heck of it, to mess around with. Is it ok to learn on it in the beginning? Or, should I invest in a quality one to learn on? I am just now trying to find "how to play" videos. This one looks like a good one:) I just hope you answer questions, cause I don't stick with people who don't! :)

[PetCemetaryDude]

@BirdOfParadise777 Try asking this question in his website. harmonica (dot) com

I don't think he is reading/uploading/working in this channel anymore. :)

[BirdOfParadise777]

@PetCemetaryDude Thanks:)

[leftaign]

@BirdOfParadise777 Use your cheap harp to "know" the harmonicas. I mean, use that simple harp for one or two months, while you dominate perfectly the basics: clean notes and saliva control. Cheap harps use to have too thick tabs and bending is difficult, so, the day you feel prepare to do this and you know you love playing harp and you're going to do that for a long time, buy a fancy one.

[BirdOfParadise777]

@leftaign Thanks:)

I have not found anyone that talks about "saliva." Gosh! I hadn't thought about control of saliva. How do you do it?

[leftaign]

@BirdOfParadise777 Hahahaha, when you're a begginer, you don't automatically control the excess of saliva when blowing. Some people even make their harps "gush" (disgusting, I know). With some time, one learns how to avoid this and only waste the necesary saliva and economize breath. I'm surprised you nver heard about this before.

[BirdOfParadise777]

@leftaign Most people think it's too "gross" to talk about! I think "not controlling it" and ending up with a "gusher" is the "gross" part! LOL!

Not to mention being frustrating and the amount of time it takes to "get the hang of it" on your own.

[leftaign]

@BirdOfParadise777 Hahahaha... I still consider myself a n00b with harps (being playing for about a month and a half) but I've never had the saliva problem. I know this because of many forums and webpages with people talkin about. Tip: tap your harp over your pants (obviusly with the holes down) for about a minute everytime you finish your practices. That will take off the saliva you could spit. I've always done it and my harp is not a gusher, lol.

[leftaign]

@BirdOfParadise777 Sorry for the curiosity, is english your first language?

[zekeWN]

@BirdOfParadise777 This dude probably died of an overdose in the 90s

[dwb543]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have watched hundreds of videos, read books but have never been able to bend until now! I had to move up to the 4th until I could get it! Thanks so much once again

[JasontheFloridian]

bahahahaha... kow wah! kow wah!



[SuperCarlosseven]

Thank you!!!

[TheGreenLeaf92]

I knew nothing about bending. then i watched this video, im not using this technique exacly, but it helped me find away to get started :) thanks, best vid out there for sure!

[rioishikawa]

tilting really works for me!!! FINALLY... now i have to work on using my mouth instead of just tilting

[jeremyrees01]

I was practicing this and my Dad thought I was choking

[Datte1989]

so....i have this chromatic (4 octaves M. Hohner) harmonica...does the type and the quality of harmonicas play any role on how easy you can bend notes? tomorow i'll go buy myself a new harmonica (in the key of C), i'm between a Lee Oscar (29 euros) and a Marine Band Hohner (24 euros)... I'm a begginer and i want a good first harmonica to practise and learn :D Any suggestions?

[odedsol2]

4:54

Luke, I am your father!!!

[saabydo]

Well done man, great teacher

[skidmore75]

I also notice you are changing the angle of the harmonica at times. Dropping the jaw while on the inhale bend helps too I suppose from what I observed. I'm 81 and still learning.I think I spent too many years using the tongue blocking method. We had no videos or internet lessons so we could actually see the best way to lean on the harp.So far I find it easier for me to bend on the keys above the C harp..

[mrmuffnstuffn]

by far best vid to learn bending

[xTheEmilyx]

i love this lesson, thank you for posting. but I just have to say that if someone were to watch this without audio, they would probably be laughing a lot :)

[homeworkhater00]

When you bend your tongue up and down, are you suppose to move your jaw?????????!!

[forzamilano94]

man, you're the best... all of the others just kept sayin "you gotta feel it yourself, there's no way to show how to learn to bend". All you did was just say "bullshit, this is how it's done"! I'm sooo grateful, worked perfectly the first time I tried ;)

[joelcarillo]

hey man my parents got me an harmonica but it's on G what lesson should i start

[GloomFate]

I have being struggling with this for months 

[LeftToDie24]

Thanks so much im starting to get it :)

[gepickett]

Great Teacher! I'm getting it!

[Dopebud831]

Getting it! I'll just be bending one draw for a while until it sounds as clean as his.

[2012Aragorn]

Brilliant. Not played harmonica until today, checked this out and was bending (of sorts) within minutes. Thanks.

[alejomoreno12]

OOOH MY GOD IT WORKED !!!!!!

[DizzyHEllfire]

this is great! a bit tricky and uncomfortable but its fun to learn to bend.

[dileepnaik]

One the best demo of bending well explained one I have seen on you tube. Thanks.

[connormcj25]

hi connor here, i can only bend on the bottom note the c i 'd' i believe. whats wrong??

[aball010]

@connormcj25 i can only do it on the first note too? idk whats wrong :(

[brooklynstudio]

2 things:

1)You look kinda like Steve Vai. Or he looks like you.

2)I wonder if anyone has ever swallowed their tongue attempting this.

[tonyromeo999]

Thank you very much

[plambaguin]

thumbs up if you taught, that was Rafael Nadal :D:D

[MadnessOfMarmots]

This is by far the best video on how to bending.

[zackgto77]

the moment of truth bending...serious awesome lesson bro..thanks! god bless 

[GeoffWilde]

I did it first time i tried. Weird.

[MrNoexcuses]

Is this the man with the golden voice from youtube?

[instancesinwhich]

@MrNoexcuses no haha

[shadowvampwolf]

i..think i got it...but im not sure lol

[dknego1]

thank you so much, you are a great teacher, i learned this tehnique immediately ;D

[magicshoemonkey]

Holy crap, I've been trying this for days, watched 4 or 5 different videos, and now within the first 3 minutes of this video I figured out, at least how to do it, even if it still sounds awful. Thanks a billion.

[cramsiuolnosduh]

Lol bro

[TrueAriesRocks]

3:59  he is possessed

[DannyJSjr]

sounds like darth vader. 

[amfilicau2b]

man you look so hansome

[bromixsr]

This is probably one of te best explanations, technique wise. I've been, for a while of and on and in that time playing beds only using my mouth shape, ee-oh. It makes a big difference in using the whole mouth structure, bends come faster and are more easily controlled. Nice stuff, have to try it on my wife as well.

[numetalci]

JP i dont think that thats a good idea to start with 1 draw, because its so different than the others, i think 4 draw is the most suitable one to start bending

[youthfulfreedom]

a lesson with a smile:)

[TheTupeng]

great!!! im learning it.. this is an example of a good teacher



[LuciferSam141]

I've looked through probably like 20 different videos on bending and this was probably the only one that went into specifics on how to do it rather than pretty much saying "do what I'm doing". Thanks a lot man this helped a lot.

[PaxRomana28]

I threw up, sticking my finger in the back of the mouth

[MichaelNus]

Really good teacher. I can already do it on the first hole!

[bongkagztoy]

you're a good teacher..keep it up dude..

[TheAsteriskMark]

Best harmonica teacher ever... I succeeded at the first try! Thank you sir!

[joranderaaff]

This helped me SO much already! Tank you!!!

[SGimpsy]

GREAT! GREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE­EEEEEAAAAA

AT!

[jgergen99]

GOD BLESS YOU SIR

[sundance4229]

picked it up straight away with this technique.. Many thanks..

[flyingspacepotatoes]

is it possible to bend chords?

[Annettesmusic]

First video I watched out of about 20 that taught me how to bend my first note.  Yay! Thank you!

[ferhadteyro]

You're really good teacher, and so with smiles and practice drawing, thank you very much.

[JBladerMS]

Very nice tutorial! Lol I started bending after about thirty seconds of the video, it's just moving the top of your tongue. I've been playing the clarinet for more than half a decade, so this was extremely easy XD. Thanks!

[PhinnyCobbler]

I can ONLY get 1 to bend, and only slightly. 4 is not wanting to bend at all...

[abe956]

are you exhaling when you say "ha" after bending?

[Affael]

wooooooooow

first bend

big thanks, watched many others with their "EHH" "OHH" but didn´t get it.

[zaccety]

Nicely explained, like it!

[jspider27393]

4:52 haha Darth Vader

[SuperHurra]

JP Allen's Lessons on Cunnilingus: Part Deux

[Ro7aTION]

Thank you so much, I was able to bend (a little) on my first try after watching your video! Great lesson!

[vmkhanh]

can u put the subtitles on, please.

[sgahlot]

congrats for putting up such fabulous lesson on youtube.....you are best so far

[nerdy8675309]

Your mom made the same sound last night - 2:33 sorry couldn't help myself, but seriously this guy is amazing?!

[AlwaysInWonderLand1]

wen i did that co part....I sounded like a dieing pig....this is hard!

[superPizzation]

thx i got my first bend

do you have a channel or something like that?

[sirvaan]

just got my first bend watched so many others this best the soft pallet tip helped the best.

[kungfukats]

JP Allen is a god

[Bloodrush87]

this got me my first bend, and of course with lots of other previous videos, but this one is probably one of the better tutorials on bends around youtube.

[kjw291]

a good tutorial, definitely gave me some insight into what I'm supposed to be doing

[oiram32]

finally I got it!!! best lesson on youtube!!! thanks a lot

[GregMarshManBajorek]

These lessons really do work! I just bought my 7 piece set of Bluesband Hohners just yesterday, and started with his online lesson here on youtube, and I'll tell you what. I can already hear myself playing things just right. These bending techniques are unbelievably amazing! The combination of lifting the tounge, lifting the soft pallet, and angling the harmonica all together really gives you that nice bending sound most people are looking for! I just tried it and got it! Thanks JP!!!

[bklonb]

Please help me! I cant find which notes/holes to bend on a key A Harp. I can only find bent notes for the c Harp while doing some research. advice would be greatly appreciated thank you :)

[lennyw99]

Thanks! You made me realise I wasn't unbending the note

[HulZor]

man you're an amazing teacher! thanks a lot!

[sumydid]

Great. But I found out I got a "air leak" from my nose which makes bending a lot harden. Have to practice on just breathing through my mouth... any tips?

[MrKustomVids]

amazing thanks.....

I can only bend hole one though

wat about 4?

[GoldbergSpear76]

another fantastic tutorial jp

[SERSDELIS]

this stuff rocks....learned in two minutes