Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and TB

[Arthur Jennings <arturojennings@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Depends how define "exclusively," I guess. There are certainly many good players who only tongue block for octaves and other splits. There is another group -- Joe Filisko, Sugar Blue, James Conway and more -- who tongue block 98.7% of the time and only pucker for the rare tongue articulated note.

> On Jun 14, 2015, at 7:04 AM, Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I think of  us as , tongue blocking - Puckerist's
> Or puckering- Tongue Blockers.
> 
> No one is exclusively doing one or the other.
> 
> Mike Wilbur
> 
> 
>> On Jun 14, 2015, at 8:45 AM, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> I think
>> of the tongue block as "key board" and the "pucker" as "horn". in terms of
>> both
>> effective technique, and tone.
>> RD
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On 14 June 2015 at 22:29, Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> 
>>> That was a great explanation Phil
>>> 
>>> Mike Wilbur
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Jun 13, 2015, at 11:58 PM, philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> The main advantage of using the tongue block method is that it
>>> facilitates the tongue-slap. The tongue-slap is a grace-note chord played
>>> before the single note on the right corner of the mouth. This technique
>>> causes the melody note to ring out -- because it is the highest pitched
>>> note of all the notes (the crunch of the grace-note chord) and the single
>>> note at the far right.  This means blow holes 1 2 3 are hit first as a
>>> grace note chord and shut off as soon as they are sounded followed by hole
>>> 4. To get a sense of this technique, simply play the  C scale starting on
>>> holes 4 - 7 and slapping the three-note chord (to the left) after every
>>> note -- blow or draw -- in the scale, ascending and descending.
>>>> 
>>>> The fake slap uses the pucker shape over three holes. It switches the
>>> widened pucker for a chord alternating with narrow pucker for center note.
>>> If the melody note is blow hole 4, the mouth is widened to play holes 3 and
>>> 5.
>>>> 
>>>> The main difference between these two slaps is that with the tongue
>>> slap  the highest pitched note (and loudest or most prominent) is the note
>>> at the far right. With the pucker method the highest pitched note is NOT
>>> the melody note; the melody note is the CENTER and tends to get overwhelmed
>>> by the notes on either side of it.
>>>> 
>>>> One advantage of the pucker slap is that it allows a slap when playing
>>> hole 2 -- because there is hole 1 to the left and hole 3 to the right to
>>> provide a chord slap.
>>>> 
>>>> This is not as effective playing hole 2 with the tongue block because
>>> only the 1 hole is available to the left of hole 2 and NOTHING is available
>>> to the right of hole 2.
>>>> 
>>>> The work-around for this lack of notes to the left of hole 4 is double
>>> Richter layout like Hohner's Steve Baker Special tuning which duplicates
>>> the first  three holes that bend so there is a low octave and regular
>>> octave of draw bending notes. This extra low octave adds a bit of spice to
>>> the sound, kind of like SB II.
>>>> 
>>>> Seydel offers this tuning as well  and  a Sololist Pro 12 Steel Four
>>> TImes Richter where for sets of holes like 1 2 3 Richter.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> PS: The harmonica must be played right side up, low notes to left (NOT
>>> upside down) or all bets are off.
>>>> Hope this helps.
>>>> 
>>>> Phil
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: MundHarp <MundHarp@xxxxxxx>
>>>> To: tnysteph <tnysteph@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>> Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> Sent: Sat, Jun 13, 2015 6:33 am
>>>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and TB
>>>> 
>>>> Learn BOTH and interchange them... I do!
>>>> John "Whiteboy" Walden
>>>> Just now
>>>> In bonnie Scotland.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> In a message dated 13/06/2015 02:20:30 GMT Daylight Time,
>>>> tnysteph@xxxxxxxxx writes:
>>>> 
>>>> I guess  some only pucker, others only tongue block. But some mix both
>>> into
>>>> their  playing. I know Ronnie Shellist does both. I am trying to do the
>>> mix
>>>> of the  two also. So my question Does anyone have any good practice tips?
>>>> Any tips to  jump started this mix?
>>>> There is a lot to learn with 10 little holes, lol. I  am trying.
>>>> Thanks for any help.
>>>> Tony Stephens
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my  iPhone
>>> 
>>> 
>