[Harp-L] Subject: Re: Three Standard Embouchure

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

I believe SPAH's role within the overall harmonica world is being  
considerably misunderstood. SPAH can't 'decide on any standard' about what to  call 
embouchures. Individual harmonica players -experts who write books, players  
who live everywhere across the Globe and who all have their own opinions 
are not  going to fall in line IF one harmonica organization in North America 
decided  (which they wouldn't do) what has been suggested here.
 
 
 SPAH's stated goal is 'the advancement and preservation of' the  
harmonica--not to impose their ideas of standardization upon the entire World's  
harmonica community. I wouldn't personally belong to SPAH if it devolved into  
such an organization and I LOVE SPAH as it is.
 
 


As to 'three' embouchures, no. I've just written on Slidemeister about my  
purely personal belief that lip blocking is different from pucker--PURELY 
due to  the extreme 'maiden aunt kiss' embouchure I've seen some long-term 
pucker  players use--many of them Asian players whom I believe were likely 
taught  it as youngsters. And that more often than not many of those who 
self-describe  as 'pucker players' are actually lip blocking without thinking about 
it, merely  using a name someone else originally assigned to their style. 
 
 
But again, I think there's some misunderstanding of what it is. Lip block  
is merely a more relaxed embouchure than extreme pucker where the harp (in 
my  case a chromatic) is placed on the lower lip and one gently draws in a 
minimal  amount of the insides of BOTH lips to get the note, not merely the 
lower.  It doesn't require anything more. Has nothing to do with the way one 
holds or  tilts the harmonica and it works for all kinds of harmonicas. Some 
people  learned (were taught?) a very distinct tight-lipped pucker to get 
clean notes.  In MY case I couldn't possibly play their way because it would 
cause a lot of  strain (and pain) to my face and jaw--so lip 'blocking' as I 
call it is my easy  solution and in fact how I taught myself to play as a 
child..but called it  'pucker' because everyone else did (and I didn't know 
any better).
 
 

After listening to Jason Ricci describe in detail just what lip blocking  
entails to him several years ago, I realized it's what I've always done. I 
wish  I could tb--some of the best tb'ers have tried to teach me but because 
of a  severe TMJ problem I simply cannot. So lip blocking it is. 
 
 

Then there's U-blocking as Michael pointed out--something NOT everyone is  
able to do. This gives u-blockers an advantage (at least to my mind). They  
seem to be genetically different--even superior (akin to people with 
extremely  flexible joints)- able to do different things with their tongues: some 
can roll  them into what they've described as a 'straw' and others can create 
more of a  'trough' to funnel the air to the correct note. I can do a 
slight modification  of the latter, but nothing more.

But, it's all good since we each play what works for us. I also think that  
even with TB'ers there're likely many different variations since we're 
simply  not all made alike, so people use whatever restrictions OR enhancements 
they  have within their own physiology to accomplish their goals.
 
 

Since there are likely far more Asian players currently playing than ever  
will be in the Western World--harmonica is taught in schools and is 
respected as  a bonafide musical instrument with harmonica orchestras being fairly 
commonplace  there, wouldn't it be more logical to leave it up to those at 
the Asia Pacific  Harmonica Conferences (as the majority of players who take 
harmonica seriously)  to decide on 'the standard' if there ever would be such 
a thing? Or how about  Trossingen and the World Harmonica 
Competition/gathering as the center since  Germany is where instruments were first made? 
 
Why would anyone imagine America and SPAH to be 'the place to set  
standards'? This seems most illogical.
 

Elizabeth