Re: Pucker vs Tongue Block

[Jack Ely <SYS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Re: Pucker vs Tongue Block / Was Re: Joe Felisko

>Bill Grogan writes...

>To FJM,
>	I play essentially the same way you do, that is with the low notes
>left and cupping with my left hand.  I only pucker block and can't for the
>life of me fugure out how anyone can tongue block.  However, one fellow who
>I introduced to the harp some 16 years ago figured out how to do it, and now
>can play some stuff that I can't (like Chicken Train by the Ozark Mountain
>Daredevils).  What a blow to one's ego!  I guess that is the price to pay if
>you are a teacher and your student surpasses you!

Bill, This only tells me that you must be a good teacher.  :^)
I hope all my students surpass me.

To those weighing the pros and cons of tongue-blocking:
I always tell my students (beginners) to play which ever way is most 
comfortable - chances are they have been blowing on a harp for a while and I 
can't see trying to change that and expect them to play a single note, read the 
spots etc., all at once. Then, sometime during the class, I show them both 
methods and urge them to work on them and eventually learn to play proficiently 
both ways. There are many benefits to this.

a). One is playing octaves. You'll never learn to play octaves if you can't 
tongue-block.

b). Once you learn octaves you will learn to "narrow" the blocked holes down 
and be able to play harmonizing notes (I.e., 5ths, 6ths -- 3rds are real easy, 
just play two adjacent holes). Just remember all adjacent holes don't 
harmonize.

c. Then you can work on "tongue switches" - that's where you can play 
alternating notes - first out of the left side then out of the right side or 
vice versa. -- You can make an octave jump without moving your head. [and the 
beginners will all say "How does he do that!"]  :-)

d) The one which is really cool is the trill (or warble) or whatever you call 
it - Alternating adjoining notes rapidly. I really envy those who can do this.

My next door neighbor tried to teach me to tongue-block - his reason was for 
self accompaniment/rhythm. I didn't work on it very hard because I ran out of 
breath (translate to lazy). I was nine then. I decided to learn to play octaves 
in 1976, at age 40. I remember it was at my first SPAH - and I timidly asked 
the first pro I ever talked to in my life, Stagg McMann (Hugh 'Pud' McCaskey, 
rip), how to do it. [He was great, just treated me like one of the guys - which 
I later learned most of the pros do]. He observed what I was doing and simply 
said "Relax, your trying too hard". (If it had been someone else asking him, 
the answer may have been different but I have relayed that tip to several 
people and it's usually been right). By the next day I had it down. But I still 
was primarily a pucker player and making the transition from single note to 
octave and back was awkward and inaccurate. I decided to learn to tongue-block 
and finally got it down - now, octaves and octave jumps are simple. When I 
decided to learn tongue switches I had a bright idea- I started tongue-blocking 
and playing out of the left side of my mouth - really awkward but I got so I 
could play strongly out of either side. I've become more confident with these 
techniques and often use them now in (club) practices and gigs.

If you send this post through the BS_Sifter Rev 7.1a you will be left with some 
useful tips...

1. Play with relaxed, supple lips and tongue pressure. You don't have to smash 
   your mush to get a single note or a double stop or octave.

2. Learn to play both methods: Pucker and Tongue-Block.

3. Beginners: Concentrate on and master the method most comfortable for you    
   now -- then learn and master the other method.

4. Once you learn to tongue-block Learn to play with the same proficiency out    
   of both sides of your mouth.

5. Practice going from one embouchre to another once you have learned them all,    
   get so it is second nature. While practicing a song you know well - play 
   SINGLE note pucker, go to TONGUE-BLOCK then OCTAVES and finally 
   TONGUE-SWITCHES,

6. Use the "TONGUE-SWITCH" method to produce a trill. [Most difficult in my 
   estimation unless you were blessed with a vibrating tongue].

7. Don't try to master everything at once - might as well be frustrated on 
   only one thing at a time.  ;-)

8. If there is a tip #8 it would be to learn when to - and when not to use 
   these techniques. I had a tape sent to me once of a guy who played every 
   note of every song in octaves. Jeezus- I don't know how he lived through it 
   without collapsing a lung. And it really grated on the nerves.
							Jack

        Jack Ely - Columbus, Ohio              SYS_ELY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx