I know that some of you guys have mastered the blow bends and even overdraws with a tongue blocked embochure. How do you get started with the transition from lip block to tongue block on the blow bends? Thanks in advance, Jay ---------- Music speaks where words fail.
I'm not a full time TBer, but I can play TB blow bends and it's easy. Just pinch down the right corner of your mouth narrowing the air aperture and the tone will drop. You will want to tighten or firm up your embouchure as you do this and keep a very firm airflow. When you first try to do this, it may help to press your tongue hard on the harp. That's really not necessary, but it does seem to help getting you started doing everything else.
Oh, and make sure the harp is gapped properly or you will find it difficult to blow bend with any type of technique.
Right now, off the top, I don't have any technique specific advice like that...but I play that way all the time now and I can tell you what I did... For a start I did the Iceman '5 minute a day' idea...every morning when I went to the shower, before I turned on the water I would spend 5 minutes working on being able to make blow bends. Once I had the 8 fairly reliable...I forget how long that took, but not too long...maybe more than 5 days, but less than a month...there came a point when I could do it but it was not really getting better in terms of fluency, and the 9 was still dodgy... But that's when I decided I needed a song. I chose bright lights big city. And that was a good exercise. Definitely got the 8' working and the 9' was coming along. Pretty quickly. I added 'cocaine habit' and 'honest I do' and 'boogie on reggae woman'. the 8' and 9' became easy quite quickly, but the 10 took longer. I think though, it just takes a while to develop the control. I started with an A harp by then I heard Cotton playing a C and so I tried and could play the 8 and 9 but it was a bit touch and go, so I tried Bb which was better and then the C was easier and out of curiosity tried D...and after a few sessions I found my 10" on the A harp was getting better... Maybe I should've begun with G.. But anyway, for me the principle of progression from easier/least demanding to trickier seemed to work, and definitely finding a song or riff to practice is what kicked things along.
Start by practicing on the lowest key harp you have, and on the lowest number hole that will blow bend - Hole 7.
The point of this is to get the pitch in a low enough range to help make it manageable.
It helps if you've already got a handle on draw bends with a tongue block and, if you're mostly a non-tongue blocker, on high blow bends without tongue blocking.
I find that when I'm bending high blow notes with a tongue block that a good deal of the front of my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth behind the upper front teeth. This helps to make the oral cavity smaller, thereby tuning it to a note high enough to affect the high blow reeds. I'm still using the K-spot to activate the bend. =========== Winslow
I just kept trying every which way until I got it. But Winslow's advice is excellent. I would add that as you practice, try to relax all unnecessary muscles. No need to jam your tongue against the comb. Also practice slowly bending down to the correct pitch(es) and back up again. ----------
Thanks Hvji and Winslow I just got my first tongue block blow bends! Not very nice but first ever and Ive been at for years! THANKS guys!-J ---------- www.mooncat.org
@Gray Owl, If you can do TB blow bends, then overblows are similar. I can do the overblows (except +1*) if my harp is gapped correctly. I find it helpful to concentrate on breath support from the diaphragm, like a singer does, to maintain the back pressure. I do not have a problem with losing my seal, however. Practice .... then you too can do the coveted +6* to +[3,6] octave split. ----------
This is not TBing specific. But, in order to use blow bent pitches as functional notes a player has to be able to hit the blow bend note already bent to pitch without sliding into the bend to get there. This doesn't get discussed very much, but it is important. For example, playing harmonic minor in 5th position you need to play the 8 hole blow bend for major 7 and when you do, you need to hit that note dead on pitch and not slide down to it.
Last Edited by hvyj on Mar 20, 2016 11:49 PM
Gruenling advised me to at least begin by narrowing your width. Instead of blocking 3 holes on the left and blowing one on the right, block only one hole on the left and blow one out of the right. After that is mastered, extend to two holes. For me, I haven't gotten to a 3 hole block, but I can play a two hole block at a pro level. To me however, there is no comparison to the excellent tone, ease and fluidity of U blocking the high notes.
This may or may not help to put one on the path to overblows. Or it just might. Whatever it is its fun. I call it the harmonica bullfrog mating call imitation.
You know, I'm sure, that you can produce blow and draw notes by just "puffing" the air inside your mouth. In fact Richard Sleigh recommends using this technique to test the gapping on upper end reeds.
Take a low keyed harp, say a G or an A. Draw gently on hole one and then abruptly stop inhaling and expel just the air inside your mouth (with no breath from your lungs). If you maintain good dropped-jaw position when you play harmonica you have enough air inside your mouth to produce a short, passing overblow note.
I'm not an overblower so I am taking the word of the fantastic harmonica player and great friend Warren "Bee" Bachman, who taught me how to do this. He claims that it may help as a gateway to overblowing hole 6 because it is similar in the way you reverse your breath to produce an OB.
Y'all should give it a try if you haven't already. I'll let you decide about the gateway part.
Michelle
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