tremolo on half step draw bend
Mon, 12/10/2018 - 09:56
Hi David,
I'm learning accompaniment playing study 5, 7th chords and I'm practicing blues creepin'over me. I wonder how to do the tremolo on the 3 hole half step draw bend (Gb) (IV7 chord in verse 3) because as I try to open/close my throat, the pitch is going to rise up to the G. Do you have a tip ?
Thank you
Hello cinnamongirl.
The area used for the tremolo, and the area used for bending, are separate areas. Bending uses the tongue, near the front of the mouth for the 3'. Tremolo uses your throat (vocal folds).
The challenge...
When new benders bend, they tend to tense all the auxiliary muscles (in this case, the throat). The tensing of the throat makes it difficult to perform a tremolo. When you relax your muscles to do the tremolo, the bend releases (because you're not used to bending with relaxed muscles).
Work on bending that 3' with only the location of your tongue, and not muscle tension (bending does not requite muscle tension). As a newbie, you may not be able to relax everything in your mouth, so focus on relaxing the back of your mouth (throat).
When you're able to get to that relaxed state, then you can start the tremolo and the bend won't release.