Re: [Harp-L] tongue blocking holes 1 2 3

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Part of the reason to use tongue blocking is for chord vamp == either on old fashioned folk and Americana songs as an accompaniment or to slap (hammer-on) chords Chicago blues style like a grace note to add to the percussive sound.


You can tongue block all night "on the wood" but you won't get a chord sound. With the 12 hole Seydel or SBS Hohner you get the chord sound while playing notes/bending in the "standard" octave.


Also, with the 12 hole double richter harp you get an active with bends AND chord vamps. With the single richter, the second octave lacks the standard bends needed to play a simple walking bass line (Bb on C harp) so what you get is a C major 7th run instead of C7 (with the Bb). (Of course, overblowers need not worry


I maintain that not only is " tongue blocking down to Hole 1 is problematic just because there are no holes to block" there is no sound. Now if the purpose is to maintain the rhythm of tongue block from the mute/nonchords* up through the point where the chords are available (hole 4) that is a perfectly valid. 


This logic is why when I teach my beginning students (Harmonica 101) to play the G boogie run on a C harp to use the 2 Draw for the first note instead of the 3 Blow: it makes all the starting notes draw notes


This is like the guitar player who maintains the same down stroke and upstrokes while (missing the strings on some beats) which keeps his strum pattern going while limiting the sound.


But if you are after the sound of the chord -- whether briefly like a grace note or solid chord -- you are out of luck.


Lots of things are possible on the harp -- but they just are not feasible.


If you like the sound of wood -- go for it.


This is just an easier way to work around the "problematic" or "nonproblematic) issue.








-----Original Message-----
From: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; philharpn <philharpn@xxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Jan 24, 2015 11:54 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] tongue blocking holes 1 2 3


It's a common mistake to assume that tongue blocking down to Hole 1 is problematic just because there are no holes to block.

Two points to assist in tongue blocking down to Hole 1 with your tongue to the left and the hole played to the right:

-- You have the equivalent of about two holes' worth of comb to the left of Hole 1, and your tongue can rest on that.

-- You can treat your lips like a zip-loc bag that closes and seals around the tip of your tongue for the part of your mouth that doesn't have the harmonica in it. This prevents air from leaking. The seal closes behind the left end of the harp as it exits to the right and opens in response to the harp re-entering as you move up to the higher holes.

I do this all the time, and I teach it in Harmonica For Dummies and Blues harmonica For Dummies along with several other tongue blocking techniques.

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


________________________________
From: Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "philharpn@xxxxxxx" <philharpn@xxxxxxx> 
Cc: "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] tongue blocking holes 1 2 3


Thanks Phil...interesting

Mike Wilbur

> On Jan 23, 2015, at 9:30 PM, philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> Some have complained that it is not practical to tongue block holes 1 2 3 on a 10 hole diatonic because there is no chord to block. On the 10-hole diatonic there is no hole to block to the left of hole 1, only one hole to block to the left of hole 2 and two holes to block to the left of hole 3. 
> 
> 
> The simple, easy solution is the Solist Pro 12 Steel low C by Seydel. This is a 12 hole diatonic with a double richter layout for holes 1 2 3 and 4 5 6 . This is like the Steve Baker Special built on the 14-hole Hohner.
> 
> 
> The Seydel is built on a 12 hole diatonic that has the thickness, depth and feel os the standard 10 hole diatonic.
> 
> 
> It has a low C richter for the first three blow=draw notes and then starts the standard richter starting on hole 4.
> 
> 
> So the harp is played starting on hole 4, tongue blocking and instead of blocking  wood, or a few holes, there is a full chord to block to the left of the 4 hole.
> 
> 
> This give the player the option of lip pursing the bends on holes starting with 4 5 6 etc. or tongue blocking the bends while vamping or slapping a chord behind.
> 
> 
> This same double richter has be special ordered on a 10 hole, too.
> 
> 
> Looking over the Seydel site I noticed Sonny Boy II harps in C and D were available, which were reportedly the keys SBII used. But if other choices are wanted, other keys could be ordered under the configurator -- regardless of whether  SBII ever used them.
> 
> 
> hope this helps
> 
> 
> Phil
> 
> 
> 
>