Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and Tongue Block



Ask yourself two questions:

-- What can your tongue do when it's on the harp? (tongue block)

-- What can your tongue do when it's off he harp? (pucker)

Both questions have plenty of good answers. Michael point out some of the tongue block potential - a huge amount of detail can be added to show how both classical and blues players make extensive use of tongue blocking. Though I don't think that tongue blocking slows you down - in fact, it makes some fast playing easier and cleaner.

With your tongue off the harp, you can make articulation sounds such as T, L , and T-L, which allow you to start and stop notes quickly and repeat them very quickly. You can also make more pronounced shift in vowel sounds and the changes in tonal brightness that they bring.

Winslow
 
Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com


________________________________
 From: michael rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Sam Lyons <sjlyons93@xxxxxxxxx> 
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 5:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and Tongue Block
 
Anything that can be done with a pucker can be done with a tongue
block, except arguably play as fast.

Tongue blocking enables playing 2 notes that are far away from one
another.  It enables using the 2 draw and 3 blow G notes as a
continuous drone to be played while the other side of the tongue plays
a melody.  It allows for quick shifting from single notes to chords
that can be approximated but not duplicated while puckering.  It
allows for quicker shifts from a low to high note and back.  It allows
for a sound called a flutter that involves playing a chord and rapidly
hitting the harp repeatedly with your tongue.

I love both embouchures and think both sound different and feel
different and suggest different licks.  I feel the same about U
blocking.  I do not know why anyone would restrict themselves to one
embouchure.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com

On Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 5:57 AM, Sam Lyons <sjlyons93@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Are there specific instances where it would be better and/or easier to use
> a pucker over a tongue block, and a tongue block over a pucker?
>
> Sam Lyons.


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