[Harp-L] Re: TB or pucker - or a bit of both

[Drew W <eviltweed@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well I think it does, and Wilson thinks it does. On the other hand, I just
listened to Rick Estrin on that three-way chat say he thinks there's no
difference, though he also makes subtle adjustments in each technique to
mimic the other.

But he also contradicts that by saying something I totally agree with - that
you get a sweet sound with a pucker and a sound that resonates through your
whole body with a TB. So, he thinks there's a difference, but also thinks
there isn't. What are we to think if he can't decide?

What I think (and what I wrote) is that MOST of the time you can tell when a
guy is puckering or TB-ing, but not 100% of the time. I think you get a
deeper fatter sound when you pucker the 2 draw than if you TB. I've heard
guys do it both ways and I'm yet to change my mind.

As to your own experiments: we'll never know because we weren't there and
frankly I don't know how you play and where your at or anything. What I do
know is my Little Walter, Kim Wilson, Big Walter, Steve Guyger and other CDs
that I have listened to a million times... so I'll just keep working that
groove and trying to figure out why LW sounds like he did it this way one
time and that way another.

Because it's fun. Y'know?

Anyway, this will never be something we can reach consensus on. It's like
overblowers wondering why the legendary blues cats don't overblow. It's
because the overblows are reedy thin in tone and approximate in pitch. But
you'll never convince their advocates that that is true!

(Ducks for cover)


It does? Funny, it doesn't when I play it. I think this gets to my
> point that often people make assumptions from their own playing and
> generalize it for when they listen to old records. Which is a
> natural thing to do.
>