[Harp-L] Re: response to Elizabeth: how to tongue block (long)

["Rick Dempster" <rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Reeders;
                       I thought it might be worth calling attention to the term 'tongue block'. The tongue block (ie
blocking holes with the tongue) is simply a tool; what you do with it comprises a few different things.
                       Here is how I'd break it down:
1.Vamping/Tongue Slaps
Used in traditional old time 1st position playing anywhere the harmonica is played. In its simplest form it consists of
starting each melody note that falls on a downbeat with the tongue off the harp, bringing it down right on the beat and
blocking out the chord so that only the melody note is left sounding.
Off course, you can shift this 'tongue slapping' to the offbeat, or any other beat or beats. Deford Bailey was a master
of this technique in its more sophisticated form. In my own country (Australia) P.C.Spouse was a great 'vamper' (see 
the CD 'Band in a waistcoat pocket')
Tongue slaps are found in various blues styles as well.

2.Lost John/Choke harp/Pull offs
This use of the tongue block consists of bending with the block 'on' and releasing the bend by pulling the block off.
Listen to Wayne Raney, Onie Wheeler,  Palmer McAbee, and Sonny Terry, to name just a few.

3.Octaves & other non-adjacent harmonies
The Chicago & west coast schools (and devotees thereof) are best associated with octaves.Of course you can't get an
octave for draw 2 and the commonest harmony note used is draw 5, giving a b7th interval.
The Cajun players make use of both octaves and other tongue-split harmonies; in particular,draw 4-6.The inherent
chugging of chords in Cajun music is somewhat short-changed on the harp, by the missing 5th or dominant chord (talking
here of 2nd position)  which is sometimes suggested by playing holes 4-6 draw with the tip of the tongue blocking draw
5, which, if left open, would make it a minor chord.
The blocking of one, two, three or even four holes while playing a note on either side of the tongue offers some great
possibilities. My favourite exponent of this practice is Gwen Foster who was also used:

4.Tongue switching
....which he used more for ornamentaion than playing interval-leaping melodies, trilling intervals like 6-9 draw (using
that harmony either for an F chord or an A augmented) 5-7 blow etc. etc.
      I see real tongue switching as playing alternate notes from either side of the mouth over a melodic passage. I
heve never really noticed it in use in any harp playing I have heard, though some of the 'classical' harp players might
have sneaked one past me.
      The difficulty with it is that it is very hard to escape the natural pattern of the tongue sawing from left to
right and back. You have sometimes to move the harp at the same time to keep the rhythm yet end on the right note.
       Richard Hunter in his book 'Jazz Harp' talks about this technique, and suggests the Scottish fiddle tune 
'Devils Dream' (or 'Devil among the Tailors') as a practice piece.
       This tune is certainly a good one for practising tongue-switching, but the B part that requires it is still very
repetitive, and I believe a lot more could be made of tongue-switching, the hardest technique that makes use of that
much-discussed facility, the tongue-block.

Oh, by the way, I use the pucker too, which has a  tone completely different to tongue-blocking, and which I could
never live without.

Cheers,
Rick Dempster