Thanks for this video. I just received my first harmonica (as an adult) the other day from Amazon; Hohner Special 20 in the key of G and was able to do some minor bends, as played around with it but can't do it consistently. After watching this video, I went back to Amazon to get a harmonica in C but I went with an East Top because I need to cool it with the Amazon buying, lol. Can't wait to try bending on it.
This is why UA-cam videos are amazing. When you have someone who is expert at their subject AND able to explain to the viewers what he is trying to say in a way that anyone can understand him, then he has a broader audience who all become better because of his video. Well done and thank you!
Bro actually special 20 is 11000 rupees bro .can you tell me if is Suzuki Manji is good or eastop T008K(not a professional graded harmonica but plays good)
Thanks for the nice explanation!!! Unfortunately I had a problem with the special 20. I have been playing the harmonica for a few months studying with Rocket in C now I have bought a special 20 in D and I am having problems with the sharp edges of the present on the aluminum cover. I can't use it because it cuts my lip. :(
I feel like this was more about what KEY bends easiest....or maybe that's just what I would have meant when I ask "what bends easiest". For me, that's E keys (I don't play on F or F#)
I'm trying and trying but I haven't been able to make my first one. I'll keep trying though 😅Oh surprise, my Fender Blues Deluxe $20 harmonica, bends easily that the Hohner Crossover $75, I guess it's because I'm just starting to learn how to bend these instruments.
I have found Hohners to be atrociously out of tune out of the box. I have also found them really poorly responsive on the high notes until some reed work. The Lee Oskars I have purchased are in tune and bendable by a whole tone right out of the box. Just listen to how many Hohner players talk about profiling reeds, getting professional work done, not playing much in the high octave, etc. And at the same time, harmonica techs talk about not being able to make much improvement on Lee Oskars. One famous harmonica tech even says on his website that the stock parts work best on a Lee Oskar, so don’t expect improvement from fancy combs.. Read between the lines, they’re ready to go out of the box!
Between hohner sp20 and horner marine band 1896 does one take more air then the other and does one relack faster then the other without as much eford what's ur apinion
I'm studying in his online school. I'm not an english speaker(obviusly) , but it's really easy to understand him, and he explains straight and clear. I'm having fun since the first lesson. There're spanish speaking teachers online too, but I prefer Tommy's lessons.
Hey Tomlin.. I tryed to bend notes for a month now.. but I cannot bend.. I succeded some time but it is tough.. it is possible it's the harmonica? I got a fender blues deluxe but I cannot bend when I want.. I will try with the othe harmonica I've got but I have the fear to mess them up.. I have a hohner blues harp ms and a Lee Oskar.. all my harmonica is in C.. do you think it will be easier to learn with the other harmonica over the fender? thanks I hope I explained myself..
I’ve had a ton of luck starting off with Suzuki bluesmaster. Metal and plastic, so it’s gunna last a long time. Easy to bend and sounds sharp, and price wasn’t bad. Started on a C and G
When you were bending the notes in this video were you pursing your lips or tongue blocking? I’m just starting to learn to tongue block and I find it very frustrating. I can very easily control the bends while lip pursing. I’m curious why you don’t mention which you are doing in this video. Is it that it doesn’t matter?? Can you bend just as easily while tongue blocking? Or even for you do you still find it easier to control a lip-pursed bend or are you equally proficient at both?
I think Tomlin is mostly a purser but dabbles a bit with tongue blocking now. His lessons start with pursing and introduce tongue blocking at some point though. I’ve only been playing 6 months and just switched to tongue blocking. I love it. It came fairly easy for me but were all different. I find it much easier and relaxed to play tongue blocking. I’m still not great at bending but bending tongue blocking definitely is a bit different. It’s more with just the throat and less tongue use obviously since the tongue stays on the harp. I’m sure by now maybe you got it down? I’m still a work in progress with it. Not easy for sure! I’ve read for some they find bending easier tongue blocking. So far it’s easier for me pursing. We’re all different in what works best for us I guess! Anyway hope it’s all working out for ya! The harmonica is a challenging but fun journey for sure!
Great advice that fits perfectly with my past two years experience with serious playing, after "playing around" for decades. I love the ease of relative ease of bending with the Special 20's, especially Bb, C, and D. I also love my Seydel 1847's--both the sound and the longer life of the steel reeds of the white comb (Silver and Lighning) and black comb (Noble) models--but they're a bit harder to get good bends with, especially the G and A harps. I also find Suzuki and Lee Oskar harps harder to bend, though nice otherwise.
I don''t understand why no one ever mentions Easttop harps. I have found them to be a great sounding harp at an affordable price. They have a deep resonance, a comfortable feel in the lips, and a bendability comparable to any other brand. I play Hohner, but I do love my Easttops. I order mine through Danny Gajovski @ New Harmonica and have found him to be a good guy that stands behind his product and will help in anyway he can if you have an issue. Just sayin'.
I've got a handful of C harmonicas and for beginners learning to bend I recommend a Suzuki Bluesmaster or a Tombo Major Boy. They have a nice smooth comb, soft reeds, and a nice clean, forgiving sound. Don't get a Suzuki Manji. They are really hard to bend and require a lot more air. They are pretty unforgiving. The Suzuki ProMaster is also a good choice but I'm not sure it's worth the extra money, and the metal comb makes me drool like crazy. That said, my ProMaster G is almost as bendable as my Bluesmaster C, so the ProMaster is a pretty sweet harp even for beginners.
Thank you Tomlin - I recently subscribed and am enjoying your videos. I am a beginner. I purchased a 3 harmonica set (C, G & A) from Fender "FENDER® BLUES DEVILLE HARMONICAS" for about $99. These seem to be pretty good quality and I have been able to bend pretty well after only a couple of weeks of work. Enjoying this new experience!
I Ben learning from your videos for about a year just watched your video on amazing grace last night berry simple picked it up in about ten minutes and would really like to see u do sum videos on sum country music oldies like Tennessee whiskey and others along with sum new country thanks for the great lessons
Very helpful advice and great information as always. I love all my harmonicas. You're a good teacher and your videos are very useful. Thanks so much! 🌻🌿💖🌿🌻🌿💖 (trying to learn the kalimba too..Yikes! )😬
I'm just starting out at 62. Never played a harmonica as a child (how in the heck was I raised???). Thought I'd have plenty of time to dedicate being home so much more now with COVID-19 supposedly everywhere . I geared myself up with a Suzuki Manji in C before seeing your Hohner -vs- Suzuki -vs- Seydel video -- then bought a little Hohner Remaster in C with a nifty, clear plastic comb. I've been trying to use the Remaster to learn the basics based on understanding the reeds are softer and likely easier for a beginner to bend. But I've been trying and trying and still can do only a "dull" bend on the 1 key and barely a slight dip (no real bend) on the 4. I'm a softer player who's not "blasting" anything, but I'm getting breathless! Any other ideas I can try? Thank you, Tomlin!
I thought that when you say a note is bending that it only means the pitch is lowering and that what is actually happening is you’re tuning your oral cavity to support the lower note. I saw a video where they demonstrated bending with a slide whistle connected to a harmonica. If it is true that it merely depends on the changing and tuning of your oral cavity, i.e. moving your tongue back in your mouth, then it seems the varying flexibility of different reed materials wouldn’t matter. But I may have misunderstood... wouldn’t surprise me. I misunderstand a lot.
I only have a couple Seydel 1847 Noble. They all bend great out of the box. The only key I never bought was in C ... couldn't get one single bend out of it ... even I had the chance to try several ones. But I absolutely love the quality of this Harp!
A great French harmonica player name : Jérôme Peyrelevade has collaborated with a specialist to create a very new type of harmonica on which, bends and overnotes are much easier to do. This harmonica call ARKIA. I think you can find informations on it easily on thse Web.
I bought a cheaper harmonica to start and I thought that bending was impossible because of the lower quality, BUT with a little gapping and practice I understood that it was simply me that was lacking the correct mouth position. If you happen to have a sub 20€/$ harmonica don't get discouraged, it gets better with practice, but don't blow too much.
Tomlin, I am only playing Seydel right now, simply because the reed spacing is different between say, my Session Steels and a Special 20: the distance between a clean 2 draw and a clean 8 draw on the two is different. My hat is off to you for your ability to go from make to make. Right now, I need the consistency.
Hi Tomlin great video. FYI, I just clicked that link to amazon and they only have key of B special 20's available. All the other stock is unavailable. I live in Australia, not sure if this is a factor.
Quite a lot of people recommend the SP20, so thats what i bought first. I've since added a Seydel, Lee Oskar, and a blues harp to my collection in different keys and concluded that basically the SP20 is the wisest choice. It is in my experience as a beginner the easiest to get a good controlled bend on. The Seydel (in D) is the cheaper blues session bronze model but i have a much harder time hitting and controlling bends on it without them sounding really weak and airy.
I started out in ‘97 on a Hohner Pocket Pal, which was a nasty little thing to play. Even when I play it now it’s like a full blown fight to play just like it was all those years ago. I could bend on it, but it wasn’t slick, it was hissy and was a hard experience. When I shifted to Lee Oskar I found I could bend the lower notes straight off with very little effort. I find them great for bending on, and they have a good tone too. I’ve heard they are hard to overblow on (although Mr Oskar manages it) but I never really learned to overblow any way.
Tomlin Leckie To be fair it’s an assumption on my part. In the leaflet that comes with his harmonicas he explains what notes can draw bend, blow bend and overblow so I figured he must be able to do it, but I may be wrong. Overblowing is something I can’t do but was recently gratified to hear Paul Jones, who is a bit of a hero of mine, say he can’t so I guess I’m in good company!
Great channel Tomlin. I’ve been a pro piano player for fifty years and have just started seriously on harmonica. Seeing the ‘grown up’ and professional musical notation used in your lessons makes everything easier. Thank you.
Hi Tomlin, I've been using a Special 20 in C, a Marine Band De Luxe in A and a Lee Oskar in D. The Lee Oskar is for me the most difficult to bend. The shape of the cover plate is different, is this the reason?
I have a Hohner Sp 20 in C and a Lee Oskar in Bb. The difference between them is very minor. I would argue the Hohner is slightly better value for money and easier to control on the bend. The hohner is also slightly shorter and chubbier in your hands which makes it easier to hand waa on.
✏ Get your FREE harmonica tab PDF and audio clips here 👉 foxly.link/f5gidD
Finally, someone that can fully explain bending. thank you .
Thanks for this video. I just received my first harmonica (as an adult) the other day from Amazon; Hohner Special 20 in the key of G and was able to do some minor bends, as played around with it but can't do it consistently. After watching this video, I went back to Amazon to get a harmonica in C but I went with an East Top because I need to cool it with the Amazon buying, lol. Can't wait to try bending on it.
Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to ‘Subscribe’ and turn on notifications to never miss another Harmonica video. :-)
Tomlin Leckie sf
Thanks for a great instruction on bending. By far the best one I have ever seen.
Thanks for your clear instructions... I'm glad your still here, first watched you years back.
Thank you lot of video i am watching. You Are the one who can explain clearly. Good Teachers
This is why UA-cam videos are amazing.
When you have someone who is expert at their subject AND able to explain to the viewers what he is trying to say in a way that anyone can understand him, then he has a broader audience who all become better because of his video.
Well done and thank you!
double edged sword, spending too much time on youtube takes time away from work and practice
2:26.... awesome.....for a moment I thought oh no that's misplaced but an immediate correction followed.... shows your meticulous nature...
Thank you Sir!
Great!
how come you never thought about fender
if I have a Hohner Marine Band in C should I invest in a Special 20
Bro actually special 20 is 11000 rupees bro .can you tell me if is Suzuki Manji is good or eastop T008K(not a professional graded harmonica but plays good)
Easttop 008 is good harmonica, easy to bend, chords not sound as good as on the Hohner, but its fine.
Thanks for the nice explanation!!! Unfortunately I had a problem with the special 20. I have been playing the harmonica for a few months studying with Rocket in C now I have bought a special 20 in D and I am having problems with the sharp edges of the present on the aluminum cover. I can't use it because it cuts my lip.
:(
HARDEST harmonica to bend? Seydel steel. Nothing human could bend those reeds. I almost quit.
I feel like this was more about what KEY bends easiest....or maybe that's just what I would have meant when I ask "what bends easiest". For me, that's E keys (I don't play on F or F#)
I went through so many videos about bending, Tomlin nailed it for me and been taking his instruction ever since!
I'm trying and trying but I haven't been able to make my first one. I'll keep trying though 😅Oh surprise, my Fender Blues Deluxe $20 harmonica, bends easily that the Hohner Crossover $75, I guess it's because I'm just starting to learn how to bend these instruments.
Is the 4 draw bend difficult on any harp? I find the 4 draw bend super easy on my harps BUT I don’t have a G harp or A harp yet.
Newbie here, I have a special 20 (c). I want to buy another harp. A nice one. No plans to gig. Just for fun. What do recommended?
I have found Hohners to be atrociously out of tune out of the box. I have also found them really poorly responsive on the high notes until some reed work.
The Lee Oskars I have purchased are in tune and bendable by a whole tone right out of the box.
Just listen to how many Hohner players talk about profiling reeds, getting professional work done, not playing much in the high octave, etc. And at the same time, harmonica techs talk about not being able to make much improvement on Lee Oskars. One famous harmonica tech even says on his website that the stock parts work best on a Lee Oskar, so don’t expect improvement from fancy combs.. Read between the lines, they’re ready to go out of the box!
Awsome vid. Just ordered the spec 20 now.
Where did you purchase your harmonica case from?
Give sample of blowing all holes from assending or descending sounds without covering wirh your hands
Between hohner sp20 and horner marine band 1896 does one take more air then the other and does one relack faster then the other without as much eford what's ur apinion
For heaven's sake,get on with the lesson with the C harmonica, and don't waste our time!
I have also found that the special 20 is the most beard friendly! It even bites less than the Marine Band!
Love Special 20's. It's all I buy anymore.
I'm studying in his online school. I'm not an english speaker(obviusly) , but it's really easy to understand him, and he explains straight and clear. I'm having fun since the first lesson. There're spanish speaking teachers online too, but I prefer Tommy's lessons.
Also l should have said “great video. Very clear”
Hey Tomlin.. I tryed to bend notes for a month now.. but I cannot bend.. I succeded some time but it is tough.. it is possible it's the harmonica? I got a fender blues deluxe but I cannot bend when I want.. I will try with the othe harmonica I've got but I have the fear to mess them up.. I have a hohner blues harp ms and a Lee Oskar.. all my harmonica is in C.. do you think it will be easier to learn with the other harmonica over the fender? thanks I hope I explained myself..
I have a hard time bending on a D harmonica, compared to C, G and A
I’ve had a ton of luck starting off with Suzuki bluesmaster. Metal and plastic, so it’s gunna last a long time. Easy to bend and sounds sharp, and price wasn’t bad. Started on a C and G
When you were bending the notes in this video were you pursing your lips or tongue blocking? I’m just starting to learn to tongue block and I find it very frustrating. I can very easily control the bends while lip pursing. I’m curious why you don’t mention which you are doing in this video. Is it that it doesn’t matter?? Can you bend just as easily while tongue blocking? Or even for you do you still find it easier to control a lip-pursed bend or are you equally proficient at both?
I think Tomlin is mostly a purser but dabbles a bit with tongue blocking now. His lessons start with pursing and introduce tongue blocking at some point though. I’ve only been playing 6 months and just switched to tongue blocking. I love it. It came fairly easy for me but were all different. I find it much easier and relaxed to play tongue blocking. I’m still not great at bending but bending tongue blocking definitely is a bit different. It’s more with just the throat and less tongue use obviously since the tongue stays on the harp. I’m sure by now maybe you got it down? I’m still a work in progress with it. Not easy for sure! I’ve read for some they find bending easier tongue blocking. So far it’s easier for me pursing. We’re all different in what works best for us I guess! Anyway hope it’s all working out for ya! The harmonica is a challenging but fun journey for sure!
Probably the best explanation of bending I've found on U Tube. Thanks so much!
Great advice that fits perfectly with my past two years experience with serious playing, after "playing around" for decades. I love the ease of relative ease of bending with the Special 20's, especially Bb, C, and D. I also love my Seydel 1847's--both the sound and the longer life of the steel reeds of the white comb (Silver and Lighning) and black comb (Noble) models--but they're a bit harder to get good bends with, especially the G and A harps. I also find Suzuki and Lee Oskar harps harder to bend, though nice otherwise.
I don''t understand why no one ever mentions Easttop harps. I have found them to be a great sounding harp at an affordable price. They have a deep resonance, a comfortable feel in the lips, and a bendability comparable to any other brand. I play Hohner, but I do love my Easttops. I order mine through Danny Gajovski @ New Harmonica and have found him to be a good guy that stands behind his product and will help in anyway he can if you have an issue. Just sayin'.
I've got a handful of C harmonicas and for beginners learning to bend I recommend a Suzuki Bluesmaster or a Tombo Major Boy. They have a nice smooth comb, soft reeds, and a nice clean, forgiving sound. Don't get a Suzuki Manji. They are really hard to bend and require a lot more air. They are pretty unforgiving.
The Suzuki ProMaster is also a good choice but I'm not sure it's worth the extra money, and the metal comb makes me drool like crazy. That said, my ProMaster G is almost as bendable as my Bluesmaster C, so the ProMaster is a pretty sweet harp even for beginners.
Thank you Tomlin - I recently subscribed and am enjoying your videos. I am a beginner. I purchased a 3 harmonica set (C, G & A) from Fender "FENDER® BLUES DEVILLE HARMONICAS" for about $99. These seem to be pretty good quality and I have been able to bend pretty well after only a couple of weeks of work. Enjoying this new experience!
The million dollar question.
I Ben learning from your videos for about a year just watched your video on amazing grace last night berry simple picked it up in about ten minutes and would really like to see u do sum videos on sum country music oldies like Tennessee whiskey and others along with sum new country thanks for the great lessons
Really good and informative video!
Unfortunately, my wife doesn’t let me have fun with the hoes in the garden, not sure I’ll be good at this bending thing. But thanks for the video 😁
Very helpful advice and great information as always.
I love all my harmonicas. You're a good teacher and your videos are very useful. Thanks so much! 🌻🌿💖🌿🌻🌿💖 (trying to learn the kalimba too..Yikes! )😬
I agree. For me it's easier pronounce UA (in spanish pronuntiation). In english would be similar to the "wa" of water (english pronuntiation).
,,,💚,,,
I have one Special 20 and a bunch of others. Did you mention Lee Oskar's? Thanks for the great lesson and advice! Always appreciated!
Hi. Lee Oskars are famous because it's more difficult than others to bending.
Hi tomlin.. What key for sound bluesy.. Thnk, u... Sorry my grammar so bad.. I, m frm Indonesia..
I'm just starting out at 62. Never played a harmonica as a child (how in the heck was I raised???). Thought I'd have plenty of time to dedicate being home so much more now with COVID-19 supposedly everywhere . I geared myself up with a Suzuki Manji in C before seeing your Hohner -vs- Suzuki -vs- Seydel video -- then bought a little Hohner Remaster in C with a nifty, clear plastic comb. I've been trying to use the Remaster to learn the basics based on understanding the reeds are softer and likely easier for a beginner to bend. But I've been trying and trying and still can do only a "dull" bend on the 1 key and barely a slight dip (no real bend) on the 4. I'm a softer player who's not "blasting" anything, but I'm getting breathless! Any other ideas I can try? Thank you, Tomlin!
Thanks! That was very useful and encouraging!
I thought that when you say a note is bending that it only means the pitch is lowering and that what is actually happening is you’re tuning your oral cavity to support the lower note. I saw a video where they demonstrated bending with a slide whistle connected to a harmonica.
If it is true that it merely depends on the changing and tuning of your oral cavity, i.e. moving your tongue back in your mouth, then it seems the varying flexibility of different reed materials wouldn’t matter.
But I may have misunderstood... wouldn’t surprise me. I misunderstand a lot.
I only have a couple Seydel 1847 Noble. They all bend great out of the box. The only key I never bought was in C ... couldn't get one single bend out of it ... even I had the chance to try several ones. But I absolutely love the quality of this Harp!
A great French harmonica player name : Jérôme Peyrelevade has collaborated with a specialist to create a very new type of harmonica on which, bends and overnotes are much easier to do.
This harmonica call ARKIA. I think you can find informations on it easily on thse Web.
I bought a cheaper harmonica to start and I thought that bending was impossible because of the lower quality, BUT with a little gapping and practice I understood that it was simply me that was lacking the correct mouth position.
If you happen to have a sub 20€/$ harmonica don't get discouraged, it gets better with practice, but don't blow too much.
Tomlin, I am only playing Seydel right now, simply because the reed spacing is different between say, my Session Steels and a Special 20: the distance between a clean 2 draw and a clean 8 draw on the two is different. My hat is off to you for your ability to go from make to make. Right now, I need the consistency.
Hi Tomlin great video. FYI, I just clicked that link to amazon and they only have key of B special 20's available. All the other stock is unavailable. I live in Australia, not sure if this is a factor.
Quite a lot of people recommend the SP20, so thats what i bought first. I've since added a Seydel, Lee Oskar, and a blues harp to my collection in different keys and concluded that basically the SP20 is the wisest choice. It is in my experience as a beginner the easiest to get a good controlled bend on. The Seydel (in D) is the cheaper blues session bronze model but i have a much harder time hitting and controlling bends on it without them sounding really weak and airy.
My Lee Oskar has a plastic comb. My Horner Marine was sharp against the lips.
Lee Oskar is a rebranded Tombo Major Boy, maybe with some modifications, and they are REALLY comfortable! Great clean sound too.
I think. Lee oskers are a very good harp!!!
Can I get one of them please.
Seriously you have so many harmonicas😲🤤😫
Fender Blues Deluxe are great to "blow out" for bending practice.
Not buying this one, bends to easy. 😂
Thank you sooo much....!!!
Best plain explaination! Thanks Tomlin!
Oh those hot summer days with me having fun with a hose
I started out in ‘97 on a Hohner Pocket Pal, which was a nasty little thing to play. Even when I play it now it’s like a full blown fight to play just like it was all those years ago. I could bend on it, but it wasn’t slick, it was hissy and was a hard experience. When I shifted to Lee Oskar I found I could bend the lower notes straight off with very little effort. I find them great for bending on, and they have a good tone too. I’ve heard they are hard to overblow on (although Mr Oskar manages it) but I never really learned to overblow any way.
Hiya - I'm glad you've found your harmonica :-) I did not know that Lee Oskar was an overblow player - that is very cool!
Tomlin Leckie To be fair it’s an assumption on my part. In the leaflet that comes with his harmonicas he explains what notes can draw bend, blow bend and overblow so I figured he must be able to do it, but I may be wrong. Overblowing is something I can’t do but was recently gratified to hear Paul Jones, who is a bit of a hero of mine, say he can’t so I guess I’m in good company!
Great channel Tomlin. I’ve been a pro piano player for fifty years and have just started seriously on harmonica. Seeing the ‘grown up’ and professional musical notation used in your lessons makes everything easier. Thank you.
Awww, thank you for the kind words. Really appreciate it coming from a co-musician. :-)
Thank You 🙏
What about Lee Oskar?
Very good. Enjoyed it.
Hi Tomlin, I've been using a Special 20 in C, a Marine Band De Luxe in A and a Lee Oskar in D. The Lee Oskar is for me the most difficult to bend. The shape of the cover plate is different, is this the reason?
In my case the easiest are Special 20 and Lee Oskar, Marine Band really hard. However my MB is a G which may be the reason.
I would go with a sp20 in D as apposed to the Lee Oskar. Lee Oskar is a pretty good harp but I find the Sp20 more airtight and easier to bend
I've read that Lee Oskar's are the hardest to bend.
I have a Hohner Sp 20 in C and a Lee Oskar in Bb. The difference between them is very minor. I would argue the Hohner is slightly better value for money and easier to control on the bend. The hohner is also slightly shorter and chubbier in your hands which makes it easier to hand waa on.
I recommend you do less speaking
He never stopped speaking but if you want to learn bad habits, then this is the video for you. Welcome.
that slurp tho lmao