[Harp-L] chromatic lip blocking tension problem

[Boris Plotnikov <ploboris@xxxxxxxxx>]

I started diatonic with U-blocking (first year or so, about 12 years ago),
then after being unsatisfied with my lip blocking I went to almost 100%
tongue blocking for 5 years or so. Then I discovered overbends and needed a
lip block and found tilted harmonica position for diatonic which gave me
100% relaxed lip position. Now I play diatonic 80% lip blocking, 20% tongue
blocking. For lip blocking my upper lip covers about 2/3 of 1847
coverplate, my bottom lip covers only 1/4 or even less of bottom
coverplate, so back part of my harp is tilted up about 30-40 degrees. I
think for diatonic it's a perfect relaxed position and it works for me and
for 90% of my students better than other ways, I had one student which
could block single hole only with harmonica tilted down (opposite) and 2 or
3 students from another teacher who are used to hold harmonica straight.

Also while playing 100% tongue blocked I learned a chromatic and played it
a lot for some years. After I discovered overbends I almost gave up playing
chromatic (also I wasn't happy with instruments, no spare reeds etc). Now I
get two perfect Saxonies (Orchestra and regular C) and set of spare reeds
and I found that I like to play some tunes on chromatic just for different
tone, phrasing and expression. But I have the problem.

I'm absolutely happy with playing chromatic tongue blocking (except I need
to practice more scales, tunes and other layout excercises).  As you
possible notice I'm a big fan of double ("taka") and tripple staccatto
("tkta") and it's important part of my style and I wish to use it on
chromatic too, but it doesn't work good with tongue blocking. I definetely
need a lip blocking on a chromatic. Than ooops. It doesn't work to tilt
chromatic, because of mouthpiece, I have leakage between lips and
coverplate. Keeping harmonica straight don't allow me to relax lips, I feel
some unpleasant tension, I hear it affects my tone and my lips get tired.

Any ideas how to hold chromatic in a mouth with 100% relaxed lips?

-- 
Thanks, Boris Plotnikov
http://borisplotnikov.ru