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- Subject: Phil Wiggins Trills
- From: "JACK ELY"@mrgate.mec.ohio.gov
- Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 17:28:00 EDT
- A1-type: DOCUMENT
- Posting-date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 00:00:00 EDT
>Ted writes... >I doubt it can be explained, but does anyone know how Phil Wiggins >plays what sounds like 32nd notes (trills?) on the Cephas and Wiggins, >Bluesmen album? I've blown and blown 'til I'm blue in the face and >still ain't got a clue. >Thanks for any response, Ted If it is a thirds trill (term?) i.e., adjacent blow notes or adjacent draw notes it could be a head shake, a harp shake, or the very difficult tongue switch (Alternately switching adjacent holes by moving the tongue back and forth rapidly). All of the above which I doubt is what you're hearing. I rather would think it is a blow/draw trill - same hole, rapidly playing a blow note then draw note. (i.e. playing a E to F trill on hole four) There is a method which is really quite easy to do this very rapidly. It's harder to describe than it is to do - I don't know what the method is called but is common with classical harmonica players (They can play precisely the number of trill notes called for in the score). Rather than "breath" in and out rapidly you "swish" air in in out of the harp using your tongue. No air enters or leaves your lungs while doing this. You know - the way you swish mouth wash in your mouth. In fact it's fun to do this and at the same time breath in and out heavily - people wonder "How does he do that". Try the same thing except with your harmonica (and leave out the mouth wash :-) I'll bet you're doing it within 2 minutes. Notes above hole 4 or 5 usually work better. Jack +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ + Jack N. Ely, Operations Mgr. Internet: SYS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx + + Ohio Department of Education ely.j@xxxxxxxxxxxxx + + Information Management Services BITNET: N/A + + 2151 Carmack Road UUCP: mecsys!ely + + Columbus, Ohio 43221 Voice: (614)466-7000 FAX: (614)466-0022 + + ________________ + +"Have harmonica, will travel." [|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO|]=<] + + Wire Cat Daddy, Columbus /_________________/ + +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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