Re: [Harp-L] Blow Bending and Embouchures

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

Eric,
       I use the semi-tone & whole-tone bend on 10 quite a lot (although hole 10 on an 'F' might bring litigation for loosened dental work in public performance)
       I often find myself with my tongue on the mouthpiece for these note; not quite a U-block (not something I use) but as if I'm 'supporting' the note somehow.
       I suggest that the closeness of the tongue, whether free of the instrument or used as any kind of a block, when playing high pitched notes, bent or unbent,
plays a part in creating the right sized resonant chamber for the reed to sound at its optimum.
       For example, the mouth-shape used for a deep bend on a lower reed, when applied to, say, holes 4-6 blow, is more likely to jam the reed or produce an overblow.
       A deep mouth- shape on a top octave reed is more likely to give you trouble than a shallow one.
       I tongue block/switch heaps, but I tend to use a pucker for bending holes 8-10. I can do it with the block, but haven't bothered with it too much as I can switch pretty fast from one technique to the other, and the 'block-bend' is harder than the pucker, for me, anyway.

Cheers,
RD
 

>>> Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak@xxxxxxxxx> 28/04/2009 12:57 >>>
Rick,

I am using tongue block to refer to covering holes with the the front of the
tongue and blowing out either the right or left side of the mouth to sound a
note(s). Just as you described. U block I would use to refer to a technique
involving tongue rolling. I am not using a U block.

With a high F harmonica, I noticed that I could get the 10 hole blow bends
easier using a right side tongue block than using a pucker embouchure.
Actually, with a pucker embouchure I cannot even get that bend reliably.

Thanks for the reply,
Eric


On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Rick Dempster
<rick.dempster@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> What do you mean by a 'tongue block', exactly Eric? Do you mean your tongue
> blocking the left side of your mouth while blowing the single hole on the
> right, or a 'U' block, or....something else?
> RD
>
>