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Forums :: General Discussion

App that helps me clean up tongue block bends

2 replies [Last post]
Sun, 05/24/2026 - 06:58
Joshua Cunningham
Joshua Cunningham's picture
Offline
Level 1
Joined: 05/17/2026

I'm new to this program, so it may be that I'm just trying to tell you all something everyone already knows.  I apologize if that's the case.

 

I'm working to switch from being a predominantly pucker player to a  tongue blocking style.  I'm struggling with a lot of it, bending very much included, but I'm making progress.  In an effort to check and clean up my bends I've found using the free "Vocal Pitch Monitor" app, that I've long used to work on vocals, to be really useful and extremely easy to use for checking bending accuracy. 

If you set the key of the app for the harp you're working with, it shows you the pitch you're playing in real time, on a vertical grid that shows the notes of that particular scale with the roots clearly delineated, the notes of the scale in finer lines and the half steps in very faint lines.  As you bend the line representing your pitch moves on this grid, so you imediately and very clearly can see if you're sharp or flat and how what you're doing is affecting the pitch. 

It picks up the sound of my harmonicas wonderfully - much better than it does my voice.  It'll let you know if your harp is  going badly out of tune, too, but remember that harps aren't usually tuned to exact pitch, so, even if you're playing cleanly on a well tuned harp, some of the notes will appear just slightly off the line.

Here's a link if you want to try it:  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tadaoyamaoka.vocalpitchmonitor&hl=en_US

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Fri, 06/05/2026 - 05:30
#1
Mar-T
Mar-T's picture
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Level 6
Joined: 11/02/2020
Bending Trainer

I've been using an app that sounds similar. Its called Harmonica Bending Trainer. its free, but you have to tolerate a small bar of ads in the top of the screen...its not too bad. Made by Blowbend.jp and includes a built-in metronome.

 

...Worth a look!

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Fri, 06/05/2026 - 11:34
#2
UkuleleRob65
UkuleleRob65's picture
Offline
Level 8
Joined: 06/06/2014
Monitoring bending pitch

For some time I've been using the iStroboSoft app. Dennis Gruenling swears by it, and it works just fine for me. (Also use it to tune stringed instruments.)

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