Re: [Harp-L] U blocking / Puckering

[Joseph Leone <3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well, like Buck was saying that he doesn't have a point in the center of his lips. I DO have one. And when playing trumpet, it was almost like a small hemorhoid. Sooo, I started playing out of the right side of my mouth. Problem was that when I had my plastic surgery I no longer had natural teeth, couldn't get a lock down plate because I couldn't get posts put in as there wasn't enough bone. With nothing to brace against, there went trumpet. Out the proverbial window. 

So you say that you always thought of pucker was a beginner method. Har har hardy har har. No, I don't think so. I think it's an advanced method. Here's why. When I bought my first harp (1951), it had a waxed paper wrapper which had a diagram of how you were supposed to play. It was a picture of LIP blocking. So following a pattern of ascertainment, I would say that since it was there staring me in the face..ON paper, that tongue blocking is THE beginner method. And pucker had to be DERIVED by the player (whom...chuckle...may have tossed the little waxed paper, their mom threw the garbage out..and now they are STUCK).

 

smo-j

On Mar 14, 2012, at 3:15 PM, Scott Hicks wrote:

> 
> Puckering was entirely natural to me when I started playing, which led me to believe it was a "beginner" method. I never considered that anyone might have trouble with it. Meanwhile, I can't roll my tongue at all so I have no aspirations in the U-blocking direction. 
> 
> Scott
> 
>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] U blocking
>> From: 3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx
>> Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:05:49 -0400
>> To: boogalloo@xxxxxxx
>> CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> 
>> On Mar 13, 2012, at 9:47 PM, Buck Worley wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> SJ-
>>> I do not know if it makes a difference but I can pucker easily and it always came easy maybe because my top lip does not have a pointed down in the center shape. My upper lip has a pointed upward center so I have a natural pucker shape to work with. I have no trouble blocking and can roll my tongue and I am double jointed too. :D
>>> BW
>>> 
>>>> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] U blocking
>>>> From: 3n037@xxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:13:27 -0400
>>>> To: tnysteph@xxxxxxxxx
>>>> CC: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>> 
>> I got a phone call from Carl (Larry Adler) Beitler last night. He walked me through it. Elizabeth GS also is showing me how. So now I have to work on it. So I may be busy for a while.
>> (As everyone puts their heads together and says 'good..maybe he'll shut up')  lolol
>> 
>> s-j
>> 
>