[Harp-L] Switching Corners on The A-Train

[Eric Nielsen <ericbarnak@xxxxxxxxx>]

I, too, have attempted to "Take the A-Train" on diatonic, and corner
switching seemed the way to go-if there is any route at all. I didn't have
much luck, but then I'm not very good at corner switching.

I've had better luck at using corner switching in some fiddle tunes and
would like to continue to improve. What I'd like to ask some of the more
skillful users of this technique is do they use a "mixed embrouchure"
(alternating tongue-block and lip-pursing), or do they pretty much play with
tongue-block only throughout the tunes they use corner switching on?

My approach so far, because I am mainly a lip purser on the diatonic, is to
switch from lip pursing to tongue-block when I get to the part where I need
to corner switch. For instance, if I'm playing a rather fast tune, and I
need to play 5Blow 6Blow 4Blow, I will lip-purse the 5Blow, tongue-block the
6Blow, and then corner switch to the 4Blow with a tongue-block on the left
side. The rest of the tune I revert to lip-pursing-unless further corner
switching is needed. I like the fact that the 5Blow is blocked out during
this maneuver and doesn't have a chance to sound by mistake.

What advice?

P.S. I know it's probably not in his repertoire, but I'd like to hear Franz
Chmel tackle "Take the A-Train". He seems to have the chops.

Eric