Re: To Tongue-Block or not to tongue-block?

[Randy Lilleston <randyl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On 17 Jan 1995 BEERE_MARK@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> OK, so I've been playing north of 2 years, and I've never really given tongue-
> blocking much more than a passing try.  I guess cuz when I first started
> learning my book described it as one option to get a single note and thought
> maybe it'd be a better development of technique if I could do it just with
> the appropriate lipgrip (hey, a snigglet!).  Anyway, I'm wondering do almost
> all accomplished players use this technique, or, except for the most dramatic
> and quickest of note changes, tongue blocking is just one way to change a note?

 Most of the biggies use tongue blocking. There's a roundness and warmth 
to playing in tongue blocking style (particularly close-mic'd) that just 
can't seem to be duplicated...and I'm a pucker player. If I'm ever able 
to bend worth a d*mn as a tongue blocker, though, I'll switch over.
 There are some good pucker players out there, most notably Charlie 
Musselwhite. One of my favorite local players, Charlie Sayles, is a 
pucker player as well. Still, most of the greats are tongue blockers.