Re: [Harp-L] Re: a question for all you toungue blockers outthere...



Very Nice Post Bob and I totally agree...

Tightening up a the worse thing you can do!

I've copped a great exercise from my vocal techniques that transits over very well to my Harmonica Technique....

Before I play do about 10 Minutes of scales vocally, the key here is to Stick out your TONGUE as far as you can and then run the scales, don't sing loud as the point here is to strengthen the glottal opening in the back of your throat.

This will do WONDERS for your tone on both Diatonic and Chromatic.....

If you happen to be a singer, this will save you MANY a HOARSE throats the day after!

Be sure to WARM DOWN as well, you don't have to vocalize as much on the warm down, just out the tongue and do some syllables etc......

Be careful tho, I do this in my car and eventually, someone at a red light is gonna call me in as a perverted whacko...!!!! this doesn't look pretty... but it wotks!!!,-))))

Happy tonguing!!!!!!!!!!!!,-))
best, rob


----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Robert Paparozzi" <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 3:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: a question for all you toungue blockers outthere...




----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Paparozzi" <chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "backbender1" <backbender1@xxxxxxxxx>; <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: a question for all you toungue blockers outthere...



Good point Dennis,

I'd probably put the Chicago Style (Walter, Smith, Horton..et all) TB on equal importance to the "Legit" Classical music TB approach ....It's pretty much a necessity if your going for that "Classic" Chicago sound.
best,
rob

Hi,
When I first started out, I strictly TB'd, then learned pucker, which was easier for me for the blow note bends on the top register, and stuff like the Sonny Terry technique of beating the tongue against the palette, and for the past 20 years I've used both, often switching right during the phrase, and IMO, it is extremely advantageous to know both because each brings many different things to the table the other doesn't. With the TB, you need to keep the embouchure steady, but create a larger air cavity in your mouth, but the thing that harp players tend to do that gives them tons of problems is that:


a.) most players tend play extremely uptight and unknowingly restricting their airflow and then they wind up using too much air pressure to do anything;
b.) beginners of the TB technique tend to "slam" their tongues very rigidly and excessively hard on the instrument, and then they cause themselves the classic problem of playing with a wet mouth 24/7.


The TB technique, just like vocals, requires that the body MUST be relaxed and NEVER uptight in order for it to work properly or else all you do is constantly working against yourself, or basically being your own worst enemy in the process. Puckering requires a bit less open jaw space, but in either case, the ENTIRE body from head to toe MUST be relaxed so that you don't impede the airflow or need an excessive amount of air pressure to do anything.

TB is the method of choice for classical, and Cham-Ber Huang's old instructional sets usually preached the TB technique and to get around, you move the harp in an arc, and NOT your head, especially when playing some really quick phrasings, and I've found this to be very true and handy, and stuff that requires more speed like country, this method works very well.

Some of the Chicago stuff can be done either way as long as you make some adjustments. With Big Walter, the beginning part of the solo on Jimmy Rogers' "Walking By Myself" can only be done as a TB in order to get the articulation and the accenting of the very first 4 bars correctly. Sonny Terry was a pucker player, so in the end, from my experience, it is to your ADVANTAGE to learn both. To get good at anything, love it or hate, frustration is a BIG part of the learning process that we ALL go thru with ANYTHING in life, and though it drives you nuts, but once you begin to get the hang of something, it all pays off in the end.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/


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