Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and TB

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

The main advantage of using the tongue block method is that it 
facilitates the tongue-slap. The tongue-slap is a grace-note chord 
played before the single note on the right corner of the mouth. This 
technique causes the melody note to ring out -- because it is the 
highest pitched note of all the notes (the crunch of the grace-note 
chord) and the single note at the far right.  This means blow holes 1 2 
3 are hit first as a grace note chord and shut off as soon as they are 
sounded followed by hole 4. To get a sense of this technique, simply 
play the  C scale starting on holes 4 - 7 and slapping the three-note 
chord (to the left) after every note -- blow or draw -- in the scale, 
ascending and descending.

The fake slap uses the pucker shape over three holes. It switches the 
widened pucker for a chord alternating with narrow pucker for center 
note. If the melody note is blow hole 4, the mouth is widened to play 
holes 3 and 5.

The main difference between these two slaps is that with the tongue 
slap  the highest pitched note (and loudest or most prominent) is the 
note at the far right. With the pucker method the highest pitched note 
is NOT the melody note; the melody note is the CENTER and tends to get 
overwhelmed by the notes on either side of it.

One advantage of the pucker slap is that it allows a slap when playing 
hole 2 -- because there is hole 1 to the left and hole 3 to the right 
to provide a chord slap.

This is not as effective playing hole 2 with the tongue block because 
only the 1 hole is available to the left of hole 2 and NOTHING is 
available to the right of hole 2.

The work-around for this lack of notes to the left of hole 4 is double 
Richter layout like Hohner's Steve Baker Special tuning which 
duplicates  the first  three holes that bend so there is a low octave 
and regular octave of draw bending notes. This extra low octave adds a 
bit of spice to the sound, kind of like SB II.

Seydel offers this tuning as well  and  a Sololist Pro 12 Steel Four 
TImes Richter where for sets of holes like 1 2 3 Richter.


PS: The harmonica must be played right side up, low notes to left (NOT 
upside down) or all bets are off.
Hope this helps.

Phil




-----Original Message-----
From: MundHarp <MundHarp@xxxxxxx>
To: tnysteph <tnysteph@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Jun 13, 2015 6:33 am
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and TB

Learn BOTH and interchange them... I do!
John "Whiteboy" Walden
Just now
In bonnie Scotland.


In a message dated 13/06/2015 02:20:30 GMT Daylight Time,
tnysteph@xxxxxxxxx writes:

I guess  some only pucker, others only tongue block. But some mix both 
into
their  playing. I know Ronnie Shellist does both. I am trying to do the 
mix
of the  two also. So my question Does anyone have any good practice 
tips?
Any tips to  jump started this mix?
There is a lot to learn with 10 little holes, lol. I  am trying.
Thanks for any help.
Tony Stephens

Sent from my  iPhone