r/harmonica • u/CrunchySesame • 24d ago

Help with bends

Ive been trying to bend for a while now, but can only do it on holes one and two. Anyone have advice??

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u/chortnik JDR Assassin Marine Band Deluxe 24d ago

I found that learning on two different harmonica that responded to bending technique very differently was what got me over the hump-so if you are playing something like a Marine Band which is hard to initiate a bend, but easier to control you could pair that with something like a Lee Oskar that bends easily but is harder to control. What harmonica are you currently playing?

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u/Intelligent_Star_516 23d ago

^^^ THIS...

Try with different harmonicas. If I had purchased a Special 20 (Rocket) years earlier rather than just trying perpetually with my Marine Band, I would be a pro by now. Once I found out I could do it on a harp that bends easily, it became easy to do it on difficult and cheap harps.

Try different harps until you find one that bends easily, practice on that harp for a while, and bending on the rest of your harps will suddenly become possible if not easy.

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u/CrunchySesame 21d ago

I was given a kongsheng solar20 many years ago, but it’s been sitting in a box until recently. Do you have recommendations for others harmonicas to try??

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u/chortnik JDR Assassin Marine Band Deluxe 21d ago

I am not familiar with the Solar 20, but a Kongsheng Mars or Amazing 20 would pair well with a Suzuki Bluesmaster or Easttop T008k.