Hello and welcome to this week’s lesson where I will be showing you a clever way to learn how to play the 3 draw whole step bend in tune on any harmonica.
Click here to download lesson resources
Most people struggle with hitting the 3 draw whole step bend at all and then when they finally do, it is often too deep or not deep enough. They might then try using a tuner app to see whether they are in tune. This then tells them that they are out of tune but it doesn’t help any more than that.
There is a simple solution to this problem which is using another harmonica as a reference pitch for the bend.
Reference harmonica
If you are trying to play the 3 draw whole step bend on the C harmonica you are actually trying to hit an A note. So if you play an A note on another harmonica that doesn’t require bending, you can hear what it should sound like.
I suggest that you play the 4 blow on an A harmonica to hear what the bend should sound like on the C harp.
Learn what the vibrations feel like
Not only do you learn what the note should sound like but your mouth learns what it feels like to vibrate at that pitch. This makes it much easier to play the bends – as if by magic!
Try this on all keys
You can do this trick any key harmonica as long as you have enough other harmonicas as references. I highly recommend that you download my reference chart for the 3 draw whole step bend on all keys by clicking the button below.
Click here to download lesson resources
Good luck and thank you!
Good luck with your bends. If you have any questions just send me a wee email.
