Re: [Harp-L] If you're happy and you know it..... :-)

[Mark Crowley <Mark.Crowley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

thanks, mark, that's a great little workout.. :)

resigned to never being able to play obs i like little things like this
to help learn to squeeze whatever juice you can.....  i had been working
on top end 1st pos blues scale so this makes a great change.....god
knows where i could play a top end 1st pos without getting glasses
thrown... - would like to hear any if anybody knows of some (Jimmy
Reed?)

up the top i find a blow bend (mine) will have tendency to jam the reed
in the slot... the draw sticks when yu pull back - or yu get a gob of yr
own spit and start drowning.... this only happens on tb... on the 1st
pos blues scale i get a real bad hiss/squeal of air on that 10 blow bend
- it could be the LO but is more likely air escaping thru a gap between
my tongue and comb.

i think its because at that 10 hole i can feel my mouth going over the
edge of the end of the comb - whereas the 9 hole is fine - my cheek
remians pressed firm and hard against the comb 

i'm keen for any other little tunes that double as workouts.

crowley





>>> "M. N." <mnessmith@xxxxxxxxxxx> 04/15/05 7:02 PM >>>
For a few months now, I've been working to play everything using only TB
or 
U-blocking, no pucker. Trying to expand my TB ability to include ALL
bends 
(no OBs yet) and simultaneously add U-blocking to my arsenal has been
really 
challenging, but since I'm not gigging steadily right now for family 
reasons, I have lots of time to woodshed. ANYWAY, I've come across a
pretty 
good exercise for you folks trying to work on your TB (or UB) bends down
on 
the tricky 2draw and 3draw holes: Try playing the old kids song "If
You're 
Happy And You Know It" in second position. Starts out easily enough on
the 
1draw, then gets rough when you hit the "clap your hands" part on the
2draw 
and 3draw. Can you tell my wife and I have a 2-year-old!? The thing is,
we 
diatonic players have to master all those half-step bend on the 2draw
and 
3draw -- there's just SO much music and expression in those two holes.
And 
plinking out little ditties of any sort in various keys and positions
using 
various embouchures can really build technique. At least I keep hoping
it 
will! ;-)
MN


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