[Harp-L] SPAH '08/Spasmatic Tongue Wagging(STW)

[James Conway <harp3333@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello!

Thank you, fellas, for all the kind words about my playing at SPAH '08. I had a great time and was inspired by many of the fine musicians there. I really enjoyed...trying the new harps from the dealers and customizers, hearing the jazzmen improvise, jamming with other fiddle-tune players, teaching, learning, sampling the local wines and steaks, learning novelty tricks at Bud's seminar, blowin' at the blues jam, catching the harp trios in the lobby, shooting musical YouTubes with Richard Sleigh, learning horn lines from Michael Peloquin, the Power/PT/Jellyroll project, meeting for the first time Steve Baker, David Barrett, and Dale Spaulding.....so much more!  I'm trying to prolong the post-SPAH buzz for as long as I can and establish some goals and practice habits before it wears off. 

As far as the tongue wagging thing...

I got the idea from Gwen Foster's, "Bay Rum Blues". Like others explained earlier...it's basically holding an octave(or larger), keeping the tip of the tongue in the center, and applying the right amount of pressure which makes muscles behind the tip of the tongue move quickly in a horizontal motion. At least I think that's what's going on! It's difficult to explain what's going on in my mouth when I'm not even sure what's going on in there! The word, spasm, came up at the Teach-In to describe this, but it very well may not be a legal spasm by medical definition. My best advice is to listen to a Gwen Foster or Joe Filisko recording on which this technique is used, have the right key harp in hand, assume the octave position in the upper register, and try to imitate what you hear.

I can't wait for SPAH '09! Never been to Sacramento...I hear it's beautiful and the folks are real friendly out there.
cheers,
Jim
www.jamesconway.net

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