[Harp-L] Re: Harp-L Digest, Vol 132, Issue 19

[Wolf Kristiansen <wolfkristiansen@xxxxxxxx>]

I've not posted on Harp-l for a while. I haven't read all the comments on "The Original Reason for Tongue Blocking". Let me jump in, nevertheless. 

The reason for tongue blocking, be it original or newly understood, is simple. Here is the relevant section from the Wikipedia article about Richter-tuned harmonicas. Wikipedia is not the Bible, but what follows is true:

"Although there are 3 octaves between 1 and 10, there is only one full major scale available on the harmonica, between holes 4 and 7. The lower holes are designed around the tonic (C major) and dominant (G major) chords, allowing a player to play these chords underneath a melody by blocking or unblocking the lower holes with the tongue. The most important notes (the tonic triad CâEâG) are given the blow, and the secondary notes (B-D-FâA), the draw."

Black people in the United States of America, making music with this simple instrument, played the harmonica in a key it was not designed for, and used tongue blocking in a way never contemplated by the harmonica's European inventors. Result: bluesy harp, with a flatted, bluesy seventh. 

The lesson on bent notes shall follow.

Cheers,

wolf kristiansen 


On Thursday, August 14, 2014 10:42:42 AM, "harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
  


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Today's Topics:

  1. Subject: Re: [Harp-L] The Coupled Diatonic Harmonica 
   (EGS1217@xxxxxxx)
  2. Re: This has made my day (robert)
  3. Lone Wolf Question (robert)
  4. Re: This has made my day (Robert Hale)
  5. Re: Re: legato (Richard Hunter)
  6. Re: Harmonica action in Austin (Michael Rubin)
  7. Re: Lone Wolf Question (Mike)
  8. Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking (Harmonicology [Neil Ashby])
  9. Re: Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking (Larry Sandy)
 10. Re: Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking (The Iceman)
 11. Re: Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking (Winslow Yerxa)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 12:14:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: EGS1217@xxxxxxx
Subject: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] The Coupled Diatonic Harmonica 
To: turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <62167.2e9c3acf.411ce906@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Richard:

Last Evening I made the point on the site itself about players using 
stacked harmonicas giving Jia-Yi He as an example...mentioning that IÂ really 
enjoyed Mr. Price's playing and hadn't yet seen anyone bolting two diatonics 
together but disagreed with his idea of diatonics being in dramatic decline 
having just come home from SPAH where so many new models were available 
and being sold by the major manufacturers (bought two myself, in fact).

I also brought up the 'six-sided tremolos' set long since been in use by 
people (someone I currently accompany uses one).

 Reread his claim about diatonics being in a major decline this morning 
and he asks for 'proof' to the contrary, so found a very good Steve Baker 
YouTube about 3 separate diatonic tunings to use as an example (one of them a 
country tuned harp)...clicked on the site to add it and found my original 
post 'disappeared'. ;)

Here's THAT youtube which you might wish to use as an example since I doubt 
I'd get it posted:

 
Steve Baker: 3 special tunings for Diatonic harmonicas


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptkCrQBW7LU&list=UU0Y4nFu7QWUN4yMU4Ay6hzA&ind
ex=51


Unsure whether this gentleman (Bill Price - not the same Bill Price we know 
from working on harps at Garden State/Buckeye, etc.) accepts comments only 
from those who agree with his 'new' method or not? Here's a link to that 
particular claim:


http://harmonicareinvented.com/cpt_news/harmonica-declining-public-interest/


I'd love to read some responses from people here who do know better--and 
can cite facts and stats. He calls the diatonic redundant and 'it is what 
it is'..perhaps never having heard of alternate tunings, Brendan and those 
others who think well outside the box.

While the long bolts do seem to stabilize the 'stacking' of two harps and 
he obviously makes it work for him - playing some really nice tunes;Â as 
you've pointed out the idea isn't at all new.

Elizabeth 

"Message: 2
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:15:14 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
From:Â Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] The Coupled Diatonic Harmonica
To:Â harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx


[snipped]
****************************************************************************
*
This is an interesting technique. I can see it being used with various key 
combinations, e.g. Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" would work 
nicely with a Bb harp or a D natural minor (to play the sections in D minor/F) 
and a Db harp (to play the sections in Db). 

However, it wouldn't be my preferred approach to most material. The video 
example is "Over the Rainbow." This piece can be played very easily without 
overblowing using a single diatonic harp with a Country tuning (draw 5 
reed raised 1/2 step) in 2nd position (cross harp), using bending to fill in 
the few notes that are otherwise unavailable. Most players find it pretty 
easy to bend after a little practice. In other words, if you only need one or 
two notes outside the built-in scale on a diatonic, there are easier ways 
to get them in most cases. On the other hand, if a piece modulates from E 
to Ab, two harps might be an easy way to make it happen. And it might be 
very useful when chording in multiple keys is desired; in fact, although there 
are a number of single-harp techniques for getting all 12Â chromatic scale 
tones, there aren't many alternatives to using multiple diatonics for 
chording if the chord changes move around a lot.

Another issue: the size of the double harp stack would require a change in 
microphone technique, since very few people have hands big enough to hold 
a mic plus the two harps in a tight cup. 

Finally, with practice it's usually possible to use two harps without 
bolting them together. On Norton Buffalo's classic "Runaway" solo, he uses 4 
harps, one after the other, and he simply drops one to pick up the next. 

By the way, the two-diatonic approach has been widely used by Asian 
harmonica players for decades, although I haven't seen anyone bolt them together 
before this. Cham-ber Huang used to demonstrate amazing virtuosity with two 
diatonics tuned 1/2 step apart. 
****************************************************************

IÂ should note that I made a mistake in this post; "Over the Rainbow" works 
well on a Country tuned harp in 1st position, not 2nd, although you need 
to be careful about the exposed long bent note on the (sharped) draw 5 reed 
that's part of the melody. I spent a little time today working on this 
melody in 2nd position on a Melody maker harp, and it lays out very nicely, 
with only one bend on the draw 2Â reed needed, and that not a very exposed one.

In other words, a lot of the problems that this double-harp setup is 
supposed to solve can be solved very easily with altered tunings and traditional 
bending techniques.

Regards, Richard Hunter 


------------------------------


------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 17:38:17 -0400
From: robert <harpbob@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] This has made my day
To: Gary Lehmann <gnarlyheman@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>,ÂÂÂ Eliza Doolittle
ÂÂÂ <eliza.doolittle@xxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <BLU406-EAS676305D380A3C82DA8E5DCABEB0@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

What Gary said...way to go Eliza!!!
WVa Bob

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 13, 2014, at 5:19 PM, "Gary Lehmann" <gnarlyheman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Good for you! Bends happen when you believe you can play them--keep up the
> good work!
> 
> 
> On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 11:22 AM, Eliza Doolittle <eliza.doolittle@xxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> 
>> I just wanted to tell you that I've felt SO proud this morning. I have not
>> been
>> able to practice much with the harp for the last weeks, and it is only a
>> couple of days ago that I got back into trying to learn to play bendings
>> all right. I was talking harps with a pianist friend, and he was telling me
>> he wouldn't believe that notes other than those produced by normal
>> blowing and drawing could be played with a diatonic harp. So I took my
>> harp out of my pocket, and demonstrated by playing something resembling
>> a C sharp in the first hole. My friend said 'OK, let's call that almost a C
>> sharp'. I moved then on to the second hole, played a rather good F (friend'
>> eyebrows raised), and then an F sharp (friend's eyes open wide while
>> eyebrows still raised). Then I said I was still working on the third hole's
>> bendings. Although I'm still far from being able to play all the bendings,
>> and
>> from playing them well in a 'music' context (not only playing them as
>> isolated notes), I think this has boosted my confidence. Small as this step
>> forward may look, it is the kind of thing that keeps you going when you
>> start to feel you're stuck. Once again, I'm SO proud!
>> 
>> Eliza Doolittle
> 
> 
> -- 
> Gary



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:34:36 -0400
From: robert <harpbob@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Lone Wolf Question
To: harp-l harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <BLU180-W74A7A07B98CF89DFF263AEABEB0@xxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I have a Fender Acoustisonic Junior amp I sometimes use on gigs. If I was going to add a Lone Wolf pedal for an overdriven, Chicago sound, would you guys/gals recommend the Harp Break or the Harp Attack pedal? Also, in regard to the bass boost function on the Harp Break...this kind of intrigues me...how good does this sound?
WVa Bob
ÂÂÂ ÂÂÂ  ÂÂÂ Â  ÂÂÂ ÂÂÂ Â 

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 13:52:54 -0700
From: Robert Hale <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] This has made my day
To: Eliza Doolittle <eliza.doolittle@xxxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
ÂÂÂ <CAMLFfH43BZwd6EGxSzx3a8ajTVo53RyFDQGyO41EaHBCqOqavw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 11:22 AM, Eliza Doolittle <eliza.doolittle@xxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> notes other than those produced by normal blowing and drawing could be
> played with a diatonic harp.
>

Eliza,

that's a great story. I'm so glad you decided to post it! And good for you!

Robert Hale
Spiral Advocate (Fanatic!)
Learn Harmonica by Webcam
http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL
http://www.dukeofwail.com/






-- 

Robert Hale is the DUKE of WAIL
*________________________*

*Music Lessons for Adults and Children *
Harmonica, Steel Guitar, Dobro, Piano Tuner
*Distance Learning via Webcam*
DUKEofWAIL.com <http://www.dukeofwail.com/>
*480-720-8897*

<http://www.youtube.com/dukeofwail#p/u/12/jfCJCe_hUMY> Take a Free Lesson
<http://www.youtube.com/dukeofwail#p/u/12/jfCJCe_hUMY>Â  *
<http://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL> *Follow me
<http://www.facebook.com/DUKEofWAIL>


------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:43:38 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
From: Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Re: legato
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID:
ÂÂÂ <27358108.1407980619173.JavaMail.root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
ÂÂÂ 
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Music Cal wrote:
<So with Legato 93% of all transitions require a choice to be made between
<the two ways in which the transition can be played. It would be interesting
<to measure/estimate the time spent making this choice (including context
<switching) so that the fraction of time spent making this choice (say for
<eighth note phrases) at varying tempos could be estimated. At what tempo
<is 50% of one's time spent making such choices during improvisation?

May I suggest that the time spent making that calculation would be far better spent learning to improvise?

Regards, Richard Hunter


------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 00:46:35 -0500
From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Harmonica action in Austin
To: dfw hoot <dfwhoot@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
ÂÂÂ <CACQv+tzyaFbG5i_i91yKHGcOBfOdwN+RrqkaFnPTrq+eSpXELA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I will play with The McMercy Family Band from 1 to 4pm Saturday at The
Jester King Brewery. I will have a reunion show with Sick's Pack that
evening, I am not sure the venue or the club, but it's booked. Sunday at
7pm I will be with Jimmie Dreams and the Crescent Soul Revue at 7pm at The
Original Poboy and Gumbo Shop. Text me to make sure that one is still
happening, it's very off and on.
Michael Rubin
512 619 0761


On Wed, Aug 13, 2014 at 1:30 PM, <dfwhoot@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Will be in Austin,Tx. August 23-25 ! Any harmonica activity going on
> anywhere???
> Jerl Welch
>


------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:10:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mike <mikefugazzi@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Lone Wolf Question
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <102379ba-5c63-47de-aafe-bdd34a7e2b91@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

HarpBreak. It sounds great with a wide range of mics and you can turn it 
off and on on the fly with no issues. The HA will make a popping noise, 
and, IMHO, has less flexibility.

On Wednesday, August 13, 2014 8:04:40 PM UTC-5, robert wrote:
>
> I have a Fender Acoustisonic Junior amp I sometimes use on gigs. If I was 
> going to add a Lone Wolf pedal for an overdriven, Chicago sound, would you 
> guys/gals recommend the Harp Break or the Harp Attack pedal? Also, in 
> regard to the bass boost function on the Harp Break...this kind of 
> intrigues me...how good does this sound? 
> WVa Bob 
>Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 


------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 12:42:50 -0400
From: "Harmonicology [Neil Ashby]" <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking 
To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <20140814164250.90DC62038D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

There has been much long discussion pertaining to Tongue-Blocking versus Lip-Blocking (and Puckering) for the diatonic harmonica.

Tongue-Blocking on the diatonic harmonica is quite useful for Octaves and a few other combinations of separated notes BUT the original reason for Tongue-Blocking seems to be that the old Chromatic harmonica was too _thick_ for Lip-Blocking (or Puckering); that large block of wood simply inhibited any other method of operation.

Comments?

/Neil (" http://thebuskingproject.com/busker/2025/";)



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:56:50 -0700
From: Larry Sandy <slyou65@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>,ÂÂÂ "Harmonicology \[Neil Ashby\]"
ÂÂÂ <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
ÂÂÂ <1408035410.57386.YahooMailBasic@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Neil,

Was the large block of wood any thicker than, say, a 364? I use both methods on all my harmonicas, including several 364's and the narrower 365's. They work slightly different than thinner combs/covers but once one gets used to them there isn't much noticable difference. I don't have a bass nor two foot long axe so I am not including them in this discussion. Perhaps someone who uses them can chime in?

Lockjaw Larry
Breathing Music daily


--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 8/14/14, Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Subject: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking
To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2014, 12:42 PM

There has been much long discussion
pertaining to Tongue-Blocking versus Lip-Blocking (and
Puckering) for the diatonic harmonica.

Tongue-Blocking on the diatonic harmonica is quite useful
for Octaves and a few other combinations of separated notes
BUT the original reason for Tongue-Blocking seems to be that
the old Chromatic harmonica was too _thick_ for Lip-Blocking
(or Puckering); that large block of wood simply inhibited
any other method of operation.

Comments?

/Neil (" http://thebuskingproject.com/busker/2025/
")




------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 13:06:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Message-ID: <8D185F93A2ADBFF-2360-AB96@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

perhaps TB was in the mind of the creator of diatonic harmonicas in Germany...made to play melody and accompaniment for pop tunes of this era.


my thoughts are that chromatics came later.



-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Sandy <slyou65@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>; Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thu, Aug 14, 2014 12:57 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking


Neil,

Was the large block of wood any thicker than, say, a 364? I use both methods on 
all my harmonicas, including several 364's and the narrower 365's. They work 
slightly different than thinner combs/covers but once one gets used to them 
there isn't much noticable difference. I don't have a bass nor two foot long 
axe so I am not including them in this discussion. Perhaps someone who uses 
them can chime in?

Lockjaw Larry
Breathing Music daily


--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 8/14/14, Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Subject: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking
To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thursday, August 14, 2014, 12:42 PM

There has been much long discussion
pertaining to Tongue-Blocking versus Lip-Blocking (and
Puckering) for the diatonic harmonica.

Tongue-Blocking on the diatonic harmonica is quite useful
for Octaves and a few other combinations of separated notes
BUT the original reason for Tongue-Blocking seems to be that
the old Chromatic harmonica was too _thick_ for Lip-Blocking
(or Puckering); that large block of wood simply inhibited
any other method of operation.

Comments?

/Neil (" http://thebuskingproject.com/busker/2025/
")






------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 10:39:53 -0700
From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking 
To: "Harmonicology \[Neil Ashby\]" <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
ÂÂÂ harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID:
ÂÂÂ <1408037993.19453.YahooMailNeo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Tongue blocking is what the diatonic harmonica was designed for, long before the chromatic harmonica appeared.

Splits (notes separated by one or more intervening holes, played by blocking those holes with the tongue) are far from the only reason to tongue block.

The original reason for tongue blocking was to make it easy to isolate the small holes on diatonic and tremolo harmonicas. However, the technique has proved versatile, allowing for several enhancement to playing:

RHYTHMIC CHORDING

The chordal design of the note layout facilitates alternating between a single melody note with the tongue on the harp and a chord with the tongue removed. Rhythmic accompaniment of melody using chords allows the harmonica to self-accompany in solo performance.

ARTICULATION

Tongue slaps used as a chordal way to attack single notes is widely used to enlarge the perceived sound of the harmonica and add texture to note attacks. Its opposite, pull-offs, allow for a strong attack on inhaled chords by temporarily blocking all the holes, creating suction that is released with a strong attack to the following chord when the tongue is lifted.

TEXTURES

By moving the tongue from side to side or on and off the holes while playing a chord, a player can produce several chordal effects, variously known as rakes, shimmers, hammers, flutters, etc.

WIDE LEAPS

By rapidly moving between notes played in the right corner of the mouth and the left corner by shifting the tongue slightly, a cplayer can make wide leaps cleanly and accurately.

WInslow

Winslow Yerxa
President, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica
Producer, theÂHarmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.com
Instructor, JazzschoolÂCommunity Music School


________________________________
From: Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 9:42 AM
Subject: [Harp-L] Original Reason for Tongue-Blocking 


There has been much long discussion pertaining to Tongue-Blocking versus Lip-Blocking (and Puckering) for the diatonic harmonica.

Tongue-Blocking on the diatonic harmonica is quite useful for Octaves and a few other combinations of separated notes BUT the original reason for Tongue-Blocking seems to be that the old Chromatic harmonica was too _thick_ for Lip-Blocking (or Puckering); that large block of wood simply inhibited any other method of operation.

Comments?

/Neil (" http://thebuskingproject.com/busker/2025/";)Â 



End of Harp-L Digest, Vol 132, Issue 19
***************************************