[Harp-L] re: Tongue Blocking_Volume and Bend Control

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think that most of your problems with control and volume of bends  
while tongue-blocking are simply an issue of familiarity with the  
technique.  If you are more familiar puckering for bends, it's only  
natural that you will need a good amount of time to develop the same  
degree of ease with tongue-blocked bends.  I cannot say what amount  
of time, as that's variable for each person, but it's just an issue  
of practicing and getting familiar (both consciously and in terms of  
muscle memory) with the different nuances of TB bending as opposed to  
the pucker bends you are used to.  The basics are the same, but there  
are minute differences of how you shape your oral cavity and these  
can only really be learned by doing.

I would suggest just practicing various bends, such as moving between  
the three bends on the 3hole draw (as Iceman once mentioned, the  
classic "How Low I Am" riff uses these three bends) and also going  
from unbent to bent both staccato and slured.  If you continue with  
it, time will simply end up eliminating the small issues you mention.

As for high-end bends, many people who mostly TB use pucker for these  
bends (and overblows as well).  It is again a question of familiarity  
and what works best for you.  If you work at it you can TB these as  
easily as you now pucker them, but there is no shame in puckering  
them as part of your personal style (I believe even Jerry Portnoy  
does this).  I myself TB everything, but that's because I started out  
on TB not pucker and learned to bend in that embouchure, so it's what  
I'm familiar with.  When I switch to pucker or U-block my bending  
skills are not as refined as with TB, again this is simply a matter  
of familiarity and practice.

In the end it's whatever works for you.  Most people probably use a  
mixed embouchure to varying degrees, switching from TB to pucker or  
UB as the situation merits.  For example, while I say that I am  
mostly a TB player, I do tend to pucker the lowest two holes for the  
most part.  That's what feels best for me, and it works with what I  
want to do.  I can TB those as well as UB them, and do when I feel  
that's best (I can also TB everything from the left side, because I  
first learned backwards--blocking the higher notes and not the lower  
ones--must have misread the Hohner booklet:).  I don't believe there  
is any difference in the levels of control, volume or bendability you  
can get in one embouchure than in another, it's whatever you want to  
devote the time to and become familiar with that makes the difference.




 ()()    JR "Bulldogge" Ross
()  ()   & Snuffy, too:)
`----'