Re: [Harp-L] Tongue Blocking and Articulation

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

If you can bend while puckering, you can bend with TB. The technique is the same as used in whistling on the inhale. If you can "draw" a whistle or a whistle-like sound on the inhale from a high note to a low note, you can do it. (Most whistling in exhale.)


Sit down to a keyboard, whistle a G and then a C. Pay attention to what you tongue is doing at the back of your throat. For a pure note -- no bends -- think eeee. For the bend, of course, think eeeoww when inhaling.


Changing the tongue in the back of the throat is arguably more important than an airtight seal. It is not the vacuum seal that draws down the note but the position of the tongue where it anchors at the back of the throat.


I'm no hardcore tongue blocker. I finally figured out how to tongue block once I realized that tongue blocking is really a matter of corner playing. Playing out of the corner of the right or left side of the mouth. Adjusting the aperture -- mouth size-- so it doesn't take in but one channel. This does take practice and is a bit trickier than pucker bending. But it is not impossible, otherwise so many people would not be able to do itl


Hope this helps,


Phil




-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Fri, Aug 15, 2014 8:28 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Tongue Blocking and Articulation


Someone else mentioned this and I share their difficulties. I have a hard
time bending notes while TBing. I can do it a little bit... using the back
of my tongue/throat to articulate, but generally I switch to puckering when
I need to bend or otherwise articulate... Maybe some of you hardcore TBing
guys have some tips for different articulating techniques...