Re: [Harp-L] Tongue blocking and tone

[Cljdm@xxxxxxx]

Hi all,
 
For those interested in learning how to tongue block, I would suggest  
listening to Sonnyboy I, John Lee Williamson. For some unknown reason, once  I 
started to play along with his music, I started to tongue block.  I was  
trying to mimic his style, and it just started to happen. May or may not work or 
 help you, but it did for me. Once I started to tongue block (after 15 
years of  playing) , I never looked back. It was a major addition to my style of 
 playing harmonica.
 
I "purse" the 1 and 2 hole bends, most of the time, but am starting to see  
I can TB them also. Playing out of each side of the tongue block is a huge  
advantage to getting up and down the scales. I do still purse sometimes 
when the  moment strikes me to purse the note. TB opened up a whole new world 
for me. I  agree the conclusion here is to learn both. This is an interesting 
thread.
 
Best to yaz,
 
Chris Mastakas
 
 
In a message dated 9/10/2010 12:15:59 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

"John  Dekker" wrote:
<As a beginner, I pucker for everything, and find tongue  blocking to be 
very <difficult. Is it true that the great Chicago blues  tone can only come 
from tongue <blocking? I think I read that Little Walter  and others tongue 
blocked most of the <time. Is anyone getting "that" tone  while puckering?

Butterfield was a pucker player, and another poster  noted that Musselwhite 
is a self-identified pucker player too.  I think  both these guys sound 
great.  That's not a direct answer to your  question, but it's a big hint as to 
what the real question is.

As a  beginner, I think you're better off working on getting a big sound 
with  whatever embouchure comes most easily to you.  If you stick with the  
harp, sooner or later you'll learn additional embouchures.  In the  meantime, 
making notes sound loud and clear is more important than playing a  
particular embouchure.  

Getting a big sound is more about  breathing from the gut and relaxing your 
throat than it is about your  embouchure.  See 
http://www.hunterharp.com/breathex1/ for more  info.

Regards, Richard Hunter




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