RE: [Harp-L] Lip block (was "Any Help out there.")

Michelle wrote:
Steve, I've gotta agree with Don. If you really encompass 3-4 holes with your embouchure, yet >play a single note, that points right at the lip block embouchure.

After reading yours and all the other posts today I think you're right.

You might try to analyze just what those magical lips are doing for you.

I just tried asking my wife to do the analysis but she isn't interested *sigh* ;-)

There are further benefits to the lip block embouchure than it sounds like you are extracting at >this point. 8^)...
.....I guess I don't go back so far as that lip blocking discussion Don mentions.
I do, however use lip blocking to good effect, though I know there is more
to the embouchure than I can do with it. I like to use it in bluegrass for
example, where I play a single note following the melody ~on~ the beat,
alternated with a stacatto chord, mandolin style, on the off-beat. I open
the single note embouchure slightly around or underneath the target (melody)
note to encompass 3-4 notes.

I think I do this kind of thing in sessions sometimes, though I need to think about it a bit more. I'm wary of doing too much analysing though!

I do think that my tongue-blocked tone is better, but there are things I do with lip block that I >can't do with tongue block, like applying various lingual articulations while playing the >chords/notes, etc.

I think good tone is all about getting your gob open as wide as possible, big cavern in there, like a great big yawn, as long as your mouth is still relaxed, whatever your embouchure. Once you've got that sorted you're in control and can vary your tone however you like. Good projection is another thing, but intimately linked to good tone. I was waiting for my wife to come out of her school this morning, and, as I had a G Lee Oskar in my pocket, I sat in the empty school assembly hall and played Carolan's Concerto to just myself (okay, wrong key, but what the.....). With good acoustics in there, and with the jaw down and the hand-cup slightly open, I felt I could have filled the Albert Hall...dream on!

.....Maybe there are some surprise "closeted" lip blockers out there?
Michelle

Could be, but be careful about to whom you say: "I'm a lip-blocker and I'm a-comin' out..." ;-)

Cheers Michelle!

Steve



http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/trad_irish_harmonica

Steve's CD of mostly traditional Irish, "Blowing Through The Reeds," is now available! Hear clips at http://www.gjk2.com/steveshaw/cd.htm

_________________________________________________________________
Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now! http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/



This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.