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

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

Tony;
          I tongue block at least half the time I'm playing, maybe more. I can get as strong a sound on the draw bends while tongue blocking (it's a different tone though) but I pucker when blow bending.
          Check Palmer McAbee's 'Lost Boy Blues' for a masterful example of  tongue-block/draw bending. It's on a few compilations, the Yazoo release 'Harmonica Blues' being probably the most commonly available.
         Also, the related 'hillbilly' stylings of Wayne Raney, Lonnie Glosson, Onie Wheeler and Red Parham, who all do that 'Lost John'/Fox chase thing which involves bending combined with tongue blocking.
Cheers,
RD

>>> "Tony Renshaw" <tonyrenshaw268@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 29/10/2007 9:01 >>>
I am a recent convert to tongue blocking after realizing all the teachers at
Jon Gindicks Jam Camp in Portland I attended in May all did so, but I have a
question I am hoping others can answer. I am comfortable tongue blocking,
and bending holes 1-4, but I find my sound is a bit thin. It seems a lot
easier to lip pucker bends down there for ultimate control, and volume. It
is as if the passage of air does not suffer from redirection, as it passes
straight through the harp and down into my lungs, whereas with tongue
blocking it goes through the chicanes around my tongue. 
I also find the reeds need an incremental increase in power to "introduce
the bend" than lip puckering. That is OK, but all in all I am after some
words of encouragement to persist I suppose. I am keen to have a few lessons
on this, but living downunder is one problem, and my harp teacher is a lip
purser extraordinaire. So, any advice, tips, encouragement would be
appreciated. Oh, that reminds me, the top end. Am I man or mouse in that I
cannot get bends out of the top end with tongue blocking. Do tongue blockers
lip purse up there???
Reg
Tony Renshaw
Sydney Australia




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