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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Learning Tongue Blocking
Learning Tongue Blocking
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Seven.Oh.Three.
104 posts
Jul 09, 2011
1:24 PM
I've been learning from Adams videos for 6 months now. I'm extremely satisfied with my progression and each day brings new challenges and triumphs. Up to this point I'm LP 100% of the time. Ive been practicing doing tounge blocked octives but that's about the full extent. In order to get the sound and style I want I'm going to have to learn to tounge block. So I figured I'd start to learn this technique now instead of later down the road.

My question: Does anybody have a recommendations for material to cover this. I'm looking for study books/ DVDs or down loaded lessions (similar to what Adam offers). I know the best way to learn would be with face to face lessons or skype but I can't find a local instructor and am not currently set up for skype lessons.

Thanks in advance,

7.o.3.
tmf714
718 posts
Jul 09, 2011
1:30 PM
Purchase Jerry Portnoy's Harmonica Masterclass 3 CD
instructional set.

www.harpmaster.com
Joe_L
1338 posts
Jul 09, 2011
1:52 PM
It's not that hard. If you can tongue block octaves, you are halfway there. Close up the hole on the left side. Practice it a lot. It'll take a while, but keep at it. You'll notice that it becomes a little easier to move around on the harp to.

If you want to spend money, try David Barrett's material.

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The Blues Photo Gallery
KeithE
170 posts
Jul 09, 2011
2:00 PM
If you have access to a computer with high-speed internet that can run Flash, then you might want to give David Barrett's site a try. (bluesharmonica.com) You can try the free samples, and sign up if you like them. Last I checked it was month-by-month, so you can check it out for a month and see if you like it. He has pdfs and mp3s that you can download along with videos that you can watch online.

The material on the website is what you would get it you took private lessons from him. Also there are tons of interviews there.
Jaybird
254 posts
Jul 09, 2011
3:12 PM
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Different people learn in different ways.

For some, private or Skype lessons are best. Other people learn better with videos, like Gussow's Youtube stuff.

I personally learn best with a printed book and an accompanying CD. With a book you proceed at your own pace without the pressure of continuing on as with face to face lessons, or continuously pausing and rewinding a video DVD.

If you really want to learn tongue blocking, I very highly recommend David Barrett's books/CD. In particular, Barrett's book called "Classic Chicago Blues Harp #2" is an invaluable tool for learning tongue blocking. It's the best $20 you'll ever spend on harp learning techniques.

Chapter 11 is a masterpiece of learning skills for the tongue blocking technique. Here Barrett provides a written description and numerous tabbed out practice excercises, and with the accompanying CD you can hear exactly what each exercise should sound like. He then provides play-along back-up tracks with tabbed out little tunes designed to re-inforce these tongue blocking skills.

The rest of the book deals with other intermediate/advanced techniques you will want to learn such as blow bends and first and third position playing.

More info here...
Classic Chicago Blues Harp#2

I can also highly recommend Barrett's book "Building Harmonica Technique" which covers tongue blocking as well as vibratto, scales, position playing, soloing techniques, and use of mic and amp.

I also have Portnoy's 3 CD set which IMHO didn't really cover tongue blocking very well. It's also a bit pricey at $60.

I am a learning materials junkie with more than a dozen books, CD's and videos. The stuff by David Barrett is by far the best out there.

I consider myself a hobbyist with intermediate skills. Most of what I learned was from David Barrett's books/CD's.




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Watch Jaybird play harp!

Last Edited by on Jul 09, 2011 3:21 PM
Bill D
1 post
Jul 09, 2011
3:30 PM
I am a beginner. I just went through the opposite of what you are doing now, 7.o.3. I started by learning to tongue block. A week ago I learned lip pursing. I can now play both ways, but I am much more proficient at tongue blocking. My lip pursing will improve with practice. I found I could learn the most by watching many different Youtube lessons, from multiple harmonica teachers. I learned by putting together different aspects of the same technique and was able to figure it out. I found 12gagedan's videos quite helpful as well as Adam Gussow's. But, I viewed videos from probably 6 different teachers and used small parts from each.
JTThirty
132 posts
Jul 09, 2011
4:57 PM
Just keep at it! Fellow forum member HTown Fess convinced me to get into tongue blocking, but said give it a year and half to really get a handle on it. He was just about right, so be patient. Key is to TB EVERY time you pick up the harp and it will come
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Ricky B
www.bushdogblues.blogspot.com
RIVER BOTTOM BLUES--a crime novel for blues fans due out 2012
Stevelegh
245 posts
Jul 09, 2011
5:57 PM
Hey Seven,

I'm on the other side of the fence. A lifelong tongue blocker who'd love to have the speed and finesse of a lip purser. Since learning overblows, I've found a middle ground of tongue 'poking'. I have a tendency to open up to a two hole embrochure and poke my tongue in the left hole. The thing I find with pursing is that I don't have my tongue to use as a guide. I'm not saying it isn't tongue blocking, it is and it still gives the tone of tongue blocking, but it's a little closer to lip pursing for me.

Just a suggestion.
Seven.Oh.Three.
105 posts
Jul 09, 2011
7:45 PM
Thanks for all the recommendations guys!

I've been working on making intentional single notes. It's very very different from LP and twice and frustrating. But with time, patience and practice all get it.

7.o.3.
Blocker
96 posts
Jul 09, 2011
11:34 PM
Seven Oh Three, I am with you brother, I have made my mission a couple of week ago to learn to TB. I am firmly in the camp of learning both techniques and using whichever I find better at the time.

I have so far found it fairly simple at first to play short riffs that I play all the time LP however I have a bit of trouble moving around the harp as I loose my place, On the positive side I find I occasionally will bend a note by accident, so I think with practice I'll get more control over that.

I would also recommend Davis Barretts material as I have found it very helpful in explaining the basics.
Ant138
1010 posts
Jul 10, 2011
1:24 AM
I second Dave Baretts bluesharmonica.com

Its what got me going with TBing. He has some excellent TBing study material and the artist interviews on there all stress the importance of TBing which kinda kept me going when i was learning the teqnique especially as i had been a puckerer for the last 4 years.

the month by month subscription is great, so you can use what you want and if need be cancel for a few months and go back.

There really is a wealth if info on the site all geared to TBing:o)

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Photobucket


http://www.youtube.com/user/fiendant?feature=mhum
apskarp
498 posts
Jul 10, 2011
1:41 AM
I started learning TB a bout year ago, but ended up having my jaws hurt really bad - couldn't play a harp at all. Night guard fixed that problem but I haven't been learning TB ever since. I might try it again now..

Anyway, I found David Barrett's materials really good for that. There was some free Mel Bay internet lesson series too which was excellent! Google it, it had one song that was developed towards more and more advanced TB in the series.

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Youtube
Hoodoo Sauna
12gagedan
95 posts
Jul 10, 2011
7:43 AM
I learned tongue blocking from Barrett's "Building Harmonica Technique" It's worth getting that book.
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12gagedan's YouTube Channel
Jaybird
256 posts
Jul 10, 2011
8:14 AM
One nice part of Barrett's "Building Harmonica Technique" is the tongue blocking section has exercises for switching between Lip pursing and Tongue Blocking. Very useful!
sergiojl
15 posts
Jul 12, 2011
3:48 AM
I am learning harmonica using both lip blocking and tongue blocking, like something natural.
The only difficulty I've found is the weak draw notes from 7d to 10d.
When i try to play this notes the hole between the side of my tongue and the inner part of the lip corner collapses.
Any solution?
Old-dog
7 posts
Dec 22, 2013
6:32 AM
Trying to pick up on Tongue Blocking. I know what it is, octaves, slaps, etc. Now to learn what makes these things work with music.
MagicPauley57
153 posts
Dec 22, 2013
11:56 AM
I learnt about tongue blocking in a weird way, when I started I bought a cassette ( am I old? ) of learn blues harp with Don Baker, it taught me about triple tongueing, lip purse, etc, but at the time I picked bits up here and there.
I've never had formal lessons but as I've played guitar for about. 20 odd years, I think I've got a good idea of the feel and structure of blues, especially that laid back Chicago backbeat swing that it has, best advice is listen and learn, muddy waters is the best place to start, there's all you need to know, all the best players have been part of his sound. if you know where the song is going and likely to go, then it's like follow the signs and you Will find your way, after that, take it your own way. Basically you gotta know the rules before you break em!
TBird
42 posts
Dec 22, 2013
7:10 PM
Awesome 7.o.3! I think you are going to love playing tongue blocked. I'm guessing it will soon have you making some fun sounds that will make you very happy!

I second all the good things that people have said about Barrett's teaching, but it was Lee Sankey and his Youtube lesson series on the topic that taught me to TB. I STRONGLY recommend it.

Here is the 3rd video in the series. The first two are certainly worth watching, but I think this is really where he gets into it. The good news for you is that he starts here with moving from an octave to a single note.

Good luck!

Last Edited by TBird on Dec 22, 2013 7:12 PM
The Iceman
1350 posts
Dec 23, 2013
4:34 AM
Keep the tongue relaxed. Do not impart muscular impulses to tighten it up.

Most try too hard, which tenses the muscles.
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The Iceman
Martin
567 posts
Dec 23, 2013
6:02 AM
Don´t underplay the -- for some -- considerable difficulties w/ TB.

I know. I´ve tried -- but given up. Could very well be some genetic shit in the machinery there: octaving came rapidly, many years ago, but I have yet to produce one decent tone w/ TB.
Bending, OB´s -- forget it. Blocking out one hole? Nope. Just don´t happen.
Seven.Oh.Three.
253 posts
Dec 23, 2013
5:14 PM
Funny this thread came up two years later..... I actually gave up trying to learn tongue blocking when first posted this. Trying to learn it was keeping me from playing at the level I was at then and felt like taking a step too far back. Now, two years later, I've approached tongue blocking again. I'm currently working through Lee Sankeys videos. I can't recommend his series enough. It's been the best approach I've found (and I've tried many of them). Still a far ways away from where's I'd like to be with TBing (and playing for that matter) but if I've learned one thing from this instrument is to enjoy the journey, be content with what you're currently playing and always know where you want to be eventually.
blueswannabe
391 posts
Dec 24, 2013
1:56 PM
I think tongue blocking is a natural progression for most people. I started lip pursing and incorporated the tongue blocks. THe tongue blocking continues to increase in frequency after 5 years. A lot of times, I don't even notice..It has become natural without any thought.. It's just faster....I still lip purse holes 1 and 2..and 9 and 10. But the middle of the harp from 3-9 is tongue blocked. The key is to stay relaxed.....relaxed.....relaxed.And have patience!!!Just try to get the right tone.. Breathing from the gut, and enlarging the mouth cavity. Try to hit those bends as accurately as you can. use the Ta and Ka sounds. You will get to the point where it is second nature and you don't even know what you're doing..you're just looking for the right note and the right tone.
timeistight
1466 posts
Dec 24, 2013
3:20 PM
Maybe it's all down to how you start. When I started fooling around with harmonica as an adolescent, I tongue-blocked single notes, I guess because that how the instruction sheet that come in the box said to do it.

Forty years later, when I picked up the harmonica again, I read that lipping was easier so I tried to learn that. I finally managed to get clear single notes without my tongue on the harp, but I never really got comfortable with it and eventually switched back. It feels more natural to me.
jpmcbride
22 posts
Dec 24, 2013
6:32 PM
703,

If you can play a single note with good tone using LP, and you can TB an octave, then you have everything you need. Just keep working on those single notes with TB and don't get frustrated and give up. Just add 5 minutes or so of TB practice to your daily routine and eventually it will come.

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Jim McBride
www.bottleoblues.com
colman
289 posts
Dec 28, 2013
2:51 PM
If i remember right all marine band harps used to have a instruction paper that came with the harp that described and did show pictures of tongue block...
I started harp in 1968 and the first style of blowing was tongue block,because of the paper.i didn`t mess with other styles for at least a year.after 45 yrs. I say for my self use all styles you come across.


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