RE: [Harp-L] Tongue blocking and tone

["Glenn Labbie" <glenlabb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Richard:

I love your new harp website.

Easy to navigate, excellent content, and clean, attractive eye appeal.

Glenn

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Richard Hunter
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 12:14 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Tongue blocking and tone

"John Dekker" wrote:
<As a beginner, I pucker for everything, and find tongue blocking to be very
<difficult. Is it true that the great Chicago blues tone can only come from
tongue <blocking? I think I read that Little Walter and others tongue
blocked most of the <time. Is anyone getting "that" tone while puckering?

Butterfield was a pucker player, and another poster noted that Musselwhite
is a self-identified pucker player too.  I think both these guys sound
great.  That's not a direct answer to your question, but it's a big hint as
to what the real question is.

As a beginner, I think you're better off working on getting a big sound with
whatever embouchure comes most easily to you.  If you stick with the harp,
sooner or later you'll learn additional embouchures.  In the meantime,
making notes sound loud and clear is more important than playing a
particular embouchure.  

Getting a big sound is more about breathing from the gut and relaxing your
throat than it is about your embouchure.  See
http://www.hunterharp.com/breathex1/ for more info.

Regards, Richard Hunter


  

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