[Harp-L] Tilted embouchure / Lip block, pucker, etc

["Daniel Perrone" <dany_perrone@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The post " It's a lip block (not lip purse)  is right on when describing the difference between the "Lip purse" and "Lip block" or " Tilted embouchure" as David Barret calls it . I like the "Tilted embouchure" definition better .
>From Harmonica Sessions by David Barret :

"The Lips
Many blues players (including myself) use what's called the tilted embouchure. By tilting the face of the harmonica downward (up to forty-five degrees) the single hole is created from the curvature of the lower lip. This frees the upper lip to ride up on the top cover plate as high as the player wants. When tongue blocking, this embouchure is also desirable because the tilt of the harmonica allows you to use the broad top of the tongue instead of the tip. This makes general tongue blocking techniques like pulls and five-hole octaves much easier to achieve and in general sound better due to achieving more even coverage over the holes. "

See the "Harmonica Sessions" website for pics illustrating this:


http://www.harmonicasessions.com/feb04/tone.html


When first learning harmonica I had a book that teached the "lip pursing" or "whistling type embouchure". I was learning it all wrong. Until I got books by David Barret and John Gindick. I'll be forever grateful to them for showing me the proper way before I developed some bad, hard to overcome habits.

I checked the depth of the harp in my mouth with the " Tilted embouchure" and " Tongue blocked " embouchure and in my case there is absolutely NO difference. Both go just as deep in the mouth. I am extremely eskeptical about any claims of deeper, fatter tone when played in the manner described above.

Daniel