[Harp-L] Percussive tongue blocking

[Winslow Yerxa]

I use all the techniques mentioned, but with care. Slaps, hammers, rakes, and all the associated techniques only work if the chord sounds right. If the chord doesn't match the backing chord, or if the harmonica produces a chord that doesn't sound harmonically right even when unaccompanied (such as the augmented chord produced on an augmented-tuned chromatic), then the technique isn't helpful.
If you want to get harmonically clean octaves that are well articulated, you need to look at articulating the notes themselves. Winslow Yerxa
Producer, the Harmonica Collective
Author, Harmonica For Dummies, Second Edition: ISBN 978-1-118-88076-0
            Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
            Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
Resident Expert, bluesharmonica.comInstructor, Jazzschool Community Music SchoolPresident emeritus, SPAH, the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica

      From: Sheltraw <macaroni9999 at xxxxx>
 To: robert mcgraw <harpbob at xxxxx>; harp-l at xxxxx 
 Sent: Friday, May 5, 2017 12:19 PM
 Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Percussive tongue blocking
   
Thanks Robert

Tongue slap. That sounds about right. Can you describe that a bit more. I'm not sure that I understand the technique.

Daniel

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 5, 2017, at 11:47 AM, robert mcgraw <harpbob at xxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Use a tongue slap. It's a blues harp technique that the Chicago-style players use. You sort of smack your tongue onto the harmonica right before you move it in position to block the octave. Then you can also do lifts, where you lift it off the harmonica as you remove the tongue. Takes some practice but it's a cool effect. Listen to the blues guys do it, like Big Walter. Works on chromatic as well. Haven't listened to Bill Barrett in a while, but I'd be surprised if he doesn't do this. Winslow probably does too.
> WVa Bob
> 
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> 
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> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On May 5, 2017, at 2:29 PM, Sheltraw <macaroni9999 at xxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> This is probably a well worn topic here but it's new to me. So here goes.
>> 
>> I have recently been using octaves in my chromatic playing. To play an octave one, of course, has to tongue-block so I can't use any of the tongue-related percussive effects that I know. Throat-based percussive attack just doesn't seem to sound near as good as the tongue stuff. 
>> 
>> Anybody have some tricks to share that give good percussive attack while tongue blocking an octave?
>> 
>> Daniel
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone