Hi everyone, New member here. It is my understanding that James Cotton was primarily a tongue block player. But did he really tongue block the high end of the harp, more specifically the blow bends? Based on what I hear on records and see on YouTube, I’d guess that he’s puckering. I’m just curious. Thanks!
I think James Cotton had more than 1 technique to choose from depending on his mood at the time. Tongue blocking would have surely been one and I bet he had this at his disposal also...,
After starting out tongue blocking, I then learned puckering mainly to get the high note bends, but I can do those bends either way now without thinking about it. Bottom line is that it absolutely CAN be done but it does take some serious woodshedding and working to make often very subtle adjustments to the embouchure as well as well as to the inside shape of your mouth to do it and avoid forcing things to happen. George Smith tongue blocked everything. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
First, thanks everyone for your insight and for reminding me that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Since Michael Rubin’s new video series has been brought up, I should disclose that I’m a student of his, and that he taught me how to bend using the pucker, tongue-block and U-block embouchure. I’m still working on all three techniques. Although Barbeque Bob has convinced me that it is possible to achieve the same sound regardless of the embouchure, at my level I am unable to imitate Cotton’s sharp attack, tongue articulation and ‘dwas’ (for instance on How Long Can a Fool Go Wrong) with my tongue on the harp. I am, however, able to get closer to what I’m hearing using the pucker technique. Watching live performances of Cotton (https://youtu.be/E6WixDDYByo?t=178; https://youtu.be/0WUE1Bwhj1k?t=690), it was also my impression that his embouchure was quite shallow on the high end of the harp, much shallower than my own if I tongue block the blow bends, even with a two-hole spread. Not sure this is really relevant, but that’s what I noted. Now back to the woodshed :)
I watched that 1st clip and I couldn’t say. I know if it was me I’d be tongue blocking it and I didn’t hear anything there which I thought I wouldn’t be able to do down to my embouchure.
I came to blow bending relatively late thanks to taking something to heart which I read in an instructional book, about how blow bending was very difficult and could take years of work and even then many would never master it. By the time I decided to get over that discouraging nonsense I had become a full time tongue blocker and I followed david Barrett’s advice to tongue block the blow bends. I knew that if I practiced playing them non-blocking I would likely never learn to play them blocked so I just persevered and refused to take the ‘easy’ option (I don’t see puckering as ‘easy’ anymore but I did at the time) Now I just can’t really imagine why I thought it was difficult to tongue block the blow bends. I do find the pucker embouchure a bit awkward though, because I never use it except on occasions to remind myself how it’s done. I saw James Cotton in 2014. I don’t know anything about his embouchure but I know his blow bends took the sound engineer by surprise. I learned quickly to protect my ears when I saw James lift the mic. Wow, that was sharp!
Thanks SuperBee. Interesting to read your comment since I also got my first blow bends puckered and later decided that I should keep working to get them with the tongue on the harp. Still some way to go before I can tongue articulate them properly and make them sound sharper, but hey, I've learned by now that it's a matter of work and patience.
Well, I’m not a full time tongue blocker but I find it relatively easy to play TB’d blow bends. Simply narrow/squeeze the air aperture as you blow. It helps if you press your tongue a little harder against the comb as you do this. The pitch will drop. It’s also pretty easy to control. FWIW.
Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 23, 2018 8:38 PM
Part of the tongue block bending techniques requires you to have more open inside shape of the mouth and make sure all your facial and throat muscles are 100% FULLY PHYSICALLY RELAXED 24/7/365 and that's one THE biggest mistakes I see with pucker player quite often, especially when transitioning to the tongue block. You may be able to have those muscles rigid with the pucker (but that's bad technique because you will eventually get those muscles tired and sore) but with the tongue block, you're CONSTANTLY having to make very subtle adjustments to your embouchure as well as the inside shape of your mouth. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I have been using both styles from the get go, and I also use this,i block the bottom half of a hole with my tongue and blow on notes above 6.this gives a different tone.Also I think that blowing light gives you more control,plus when you want to honk, coming from light to heavy attack, is the blues in action.
