Re: [Harp-L] Pucker and TB

[Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think of  us as , tongue blocking - Puckerist's
Or puckering- Tongue Blockers.

No one is exclusively doing one or the other.

Mike Wilbur


> On Jun 14, 2015, at 8:45 AM, Rick Dempster <rickdempster33@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> I think
> of the tongue block as "key board" and the "pucker" as "horn". in terms of
> both
> effective technique, and tone.
> RD
> 
> 
> 
>> On 14 June 2015 at 22:29, Mike Wilbur <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> That was a great explanation Phil
>> 
>> Mike Wilbur
>> 
>> 
>>> On Jun 13, 2015, at 11:58 PM, philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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
>> 
>>