My First Bends


Note bending on the 10 hole harp

Many of the tunes we learn in KS1 and KS2 involve straight note playing. All we need to do is follow the tab, blowing and drawing in the correct sequence, while paying attention to musical elements such as phrasing, time signatures and dynamics. These are notes are represented by the golden squares in our diagram (the black squares are the breathing channels).

Note squares chartThere is a second level of note playing on the harmonica however, which involves the technique of note bending. It adds twelve extra notes to our range, the blue squares in our diagram, and is best learnt on a 10 hole harp. Not every note will bend, but your Harp Academy teacher will show you how to master this important new skill.