Michael Rubin
1004 posts
Jan 14, 2015
1:33 PM
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orphan
396 posts
Jan 14, 2015
3:37 PM
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Michael, your vids keep getting better and better. Thanks for the honesty and plainspeaking!
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dougharps
815 posts
Jan 14, 2015
3:46 PM
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Good video, Michael!
I have played octaves a long time, added single notes TB a couple years ago, but still need work on tongue blocked bending and slaps. I also want to learn to play TB on the left side so I can corner switch.
I have tended to just shift from TB to my default: pursing with the harp deep when I want to bend. Your video has motivated me to spend some more time on my TB bending.
I like the beard, too!
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Doug S.
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MindTheGap
484 posts
Jan 15, 2015
6:26 AM
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Michael - thank you what a great video. Especially the bit about relaxing.
When I was looking round for a teacher, one of my concerns was that they would insist that everything had to be tongue blocked. I'd got the idea that that's what real harmonica players did. Fortunately that turned out not be the case. It's good to hear the pros and cons discussed.
One of the pros of puckering seems to me to be that your tongue is free to do articulations. Is that right or can you do something TB'd other than slaps and pulls?
And...do we really have to wait 6 months for the bit about the lower three holes? :)
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Michael Rubin
1005 posts
Jan 15, 2015
7:15 AM
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Everyone, thanks!
MindtheGap, the very next things I plan to discuss is articulations and the lower three holes.
To get a preview, put the tip of your tongue on the bottom gumline. Now say ta ta ta. You can still tongue articulate tongue blocked. It is not as crisp as puckering and I personally cannot do triple tonguing nor do I know anyone who can. Therefore to me, puckering has an advantage over TB for articulations, but if I am TBing and I am not needing a super crisp articulation or triple tonguing, I will remain TBing and articulate softer.
As to the lower three holes, there is playing out of the left side of your mouth, but if you slap your chord is a treble chord (higher than the single note). I will play out of the left if I know my next note is much higher. For example if I want to play 1 blow then 4 blow, I will most certainly play 1 blow out of the left of my mouth.
Similarly if I want a fast repeated tongue switch, or tongue wag, I will do the left side of the mouth. I dislike the term warble because it has multiple meanings within the harp community. I prefer terms that only have one meaning. Of course,I use terms with 2 meanings that have become accepted vernacular such as the term octave.
If not anticipating a tongue switch, I will TB holes 1,2 and 3 but continue to play as IF my mouth was wide enough for four holes and as IF the tongue was blocking 3 holes. So if I am playing hole number 1, I will imagine 3 phantom holes to the left of hole one and TB in the standard position, as if I were on hole 4 blow. My hand blocks the view of my tongue hanging off the side of the harp.
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Michael Rubin
1006 posts
Jan 15, 2015
7:15 AM
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Last Edited by Michael Rubin on Jan 15, 2015 7:31 AM
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Frank101
56 posts
Jan 15, 2015
8:12 AM
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Why is blocking the holes to the left of the note being played considered "standard position"?
I would have thought most blues players spend a lot more time on holes 1-5 than on 6-10. Seems like blocking holes to the right of the note being played would be more useful.
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MindTheGap
485 posts
Jan 15, 2015
8:30 AM
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Re articulated TB - thanks Michael. Actually I just tried that and although it feels very different than puckered, the recorded sound isn't much different. I think I've always just done slaps by default for articulating TBs. Good to have other things in the arsenal.
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Todd Parrott
1289 posts
Jan 15, 2015
8:38 AM
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I'm diggin' the beard! I bet that helps with the tone. :)
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2chops
325 posts
Jan 15, 2015
9:16 AM
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I'm with Frank101 on the holes to the left/tongue to the right thing. It always made sense to me to tb with the tongue to the right for the very reason he mentioned. But that's just the way I prefer. Different strokes for different folks.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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Harmlessonica
2 posts
Jan 15, 2015
9:24 AM
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Thanks for sharing this video Michael. I started experimenting with tongue blocking over recent weeks, partly from the advice I got from the free trial at bluesharmonica.com, but also because I find puckering (which I thought I could do quite well) more difficult on my newer harmonicas with tighter hole spacing.
Also, I have yet to learn bending so I thought I'd start afresh whilst tongue blocking, which I understand is a somewhat different technique. I spend a few minutes each day literally gagging myself with my own tongue...
This is why I believe those superfluous things you mention are actually good to hear about - they are the things which might not produce the sound, but might assist indirectly with getting the tongue in the correct shape (in this case, providing some leverage perhaps?).
I'll be sure to check out more of your videos in future.
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2chops
326 posts
Jan 15, 2015
9:28 AM
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Harmlessonica...go to Michael's web site and work your way through his catalog of yt "Meat & Potatoes" vids. He is very good at teaching theory.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
Edited for spelling error.
Last Edited by 2chops on Jan 15, 2015 9:29 AM
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Harmlessonica
3 posts
Jan 15, 2015
9:30 AM
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@Frank101 / @2chops
I thought the very same thing when I began to practice. After some sloppy (in both senses of the word) slapping practice, it occurred to me that when playing chordal vamping it was like providing yourself accompaniment. In that sense, your playing a bassline - which should be lower in pitch than the main tune.
That's my best guess anyhow.
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Michael Rubin
1007 posts
Jan 15, 2015
9:49 AM
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Frank101/@2 chops, Harmlessonica is correct. One of the main things in TBing is lifting the tongue on and off the harp while continuing to blow or draw a steady airstream, thereby alternating between single notes and chords. Most prefer a bass chord.
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Frank101
57 posts
Jan 15, 2015
10:01 AM
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OK, I get the low chord idea. But when you get down to the bottom end of the harp, why not switch sides? You'll get a high chord, but wouldn't that be better than no chord at all?
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Michael Rubin
1008 posts
Jan 15, 2015
10:11 AM
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There are definitely people who switch. But even on hole two, you can get the more bassy double stop of 1 and 2. Personally, I prefer the consistency of not switching. I was teaching at a seminar and all 3 instructors said the same thing.
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Frank101
58 posts
Jan 15, 2015
10:40 AM
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Thank you for the explanations! I guess I'll just try & get the left block solid, and experiment after that.
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slaphappy
61 posts
Jan 15, 2015
12:55 PM
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Blocking the holes to the left is the standard for slaps and pulls..
I'm pretty convinced Rice Miller often slapped hole 1 in a switch though FWIW and it sounds cool to my ears..
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4' 4+ 3' 2~~~
-Mike Ziemba
Harmonica is Life!
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