Re: [Harp-L] teaching question

["Ryan Hartt" <rhartt1234@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree with everything Dennis said.
I played pucker style for a long time. I was a pretty good player with a 
decent tone, used my tongue for octaves but did not do the 3 hole left side 
of the mouth tongue slap pucker. For years I saw the tongue block on the 
little sheet that came with harps and in books but it just seemed to hard 
and kind of silly. I didn't have the ear to hear it on record so I didn't 
bother.

My senior year of college I went to the National Guitar Summer Workshop and 
studied with Annie Raines for a week. She played a simple boogie woogie 
bassline puckered and then TBed and the difference was HUGE. I finally heard 
it and finally got it. It still took me a couple of years of watching TV 
with a harp in my mouth to get the hang of it and since I don't do too much 
bending Tbed some might say I still don't have it. But I am comfortable 
playing both embouchures and will use what ever fits a particular phrase 
best.

The few people I've taught I have told them to start TBing immediately so 
they don't have to relearn everything like I did. I play the same boogie 
woogie bassline that annie played for me puckered and then TBed and they get 
it too.

The same thing happened with my chromatic playing. I thought I was a bad ass 
chromatic player until I realized I was playing Little Walter 4 hole style 
not the George Smith 5 hole octave style. I pretty much had to relearn 
everything on that too. I even taped over the 3 middle holes just to make 
sure I could get my mouth over the damn thing.
Ryan


> From: backbender1 <backbender1@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] teaching question
> Date: Wed, 9 Nov 2005 08:33:39 -0800 (PST)
>
> Hi -
>
> I have been teaching for over 12 years, and while I
> didn't start off with TB, I wish I had, since the TB
> sounds are the sounds I really wanted to make (all the
> TB effects like syncopated rhythm, tongue trills,
> octaves, bigger resonance for your tone,
> etc...)...besides the fact that just about evry player
> I know that can play both ways finds it a lot easier
> to navigate on the harp while TB since you can use
> your tongue as your guide.
>
> Everyone does learn differently, but I have found over
> these years that the earlier I start with the TB, the
> easier it is for the student. I have had students that
> never played a harp before coming to a lesson, and in
> the first lesson they are TB & bending. I also have
> students that have not TB for many years, and need to
> work out old habits and break in new TB habits for a
> long time before they can get the TB down, and that
> can also be frustrating for them. I also find that a
> fair amount of teachers I know either don't TB well,
> or don't give the students enough credit that they
> will put in the effort.
>
> Having said all that, some students that are not very
> serious will not want to put in the effort right away
> to TB, but I have found in most cases, it is best for
> the student - if they ultimately want to play in that
> style.
>
> Thanks for listening!
>
> -Dennis Gruenling
> www.dennisgruenling.com
>
>
>
>
>
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