I've been looking at stuff to do at the local Folk club and went through my collection looking for something that I could maybe do solo without accompaniment. La Cucharacha was something I learned (or thought I'd learned) early on back before the days of CD's. I hadn't listened to it for a long time and didn't realise just how complex the intro is. Those first 8 bars are just amazing and I really wish I'd started out as tongue blocker!
He's recorded this tune several different times over the years including entirely solo with no backing at all. Just about every different version he's done is on You Tube. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
I'm getting fairly comfortable blocking on the LH side of the mouth, switching from one side to the other is a long long way off! I don't have sideways speed or good control of my tongue going left right! It starts to feel like I've got a log in my mouth. I spoke to Andy Just about it when he was on tour in Australia a couple of years ago, he has an amazing tongue flutter I would love to get close to. Splits no worries and the vamping is improving. I'll try it from the other side but I got to pursing on the upper octave. My bends tongue blocked are useless and I just don't understand how anyone can overblow and how they can overdraw amazes me! I'll put a lot more work in before I post any of my TB'ing here!
Last Edited by John M G on Oct 04, 2018 5:42 AM
The BIG problem most pucker players have when transitioning into TB'ing is that their embouchures are often WAY too closed up, plus there is a tendency to slam the tongue on the harp hard and on top of that, their embouchure seems to always be very physically rigid 24/7 and with TB, the minute you keep doing these things, you absolutely are completely unable to get out of your own way and with TB'ing, you're making constant subtle adjustments all the time. Bends AND overblows CAN be done with a TB, but you need to lose those bad habits/bad playing techniques in a hurry in order to get better at it and these are common rookie mistakes I see so many pucker players in transition do ALL THE TIME. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Tongue should be a relaxed lump - no muscle tension at all. Also, do you realize how little you have to move the tongue off of the harmonica to let your breath through to start those reeds vibrating? Not much...
No reason to SLAM the tongue back down, either...
It's all an exercise in minimalism....do the least and get the most. ---------- The Iceman
Thanks Bob and Iceman. That is a great tip (of the tongue, so to speak). I am working on tongue blocking and starting to use it when I perform (not just for split octaves), but certainly have a long way to go. While I was not consciously playing with my tongue really firm, it sure is easier when I try to relax it. One exercise I've been doing every day for a while, is to play the head of Juke and also Cissy Strut using tongue blocking, and I am at the point now where it's easier to do it that way than puckering. Thanks again for the advice - very helpful.
Since we are on the subject, Tomlin Leckie, an accomplished Scottish player and teacher, recently did a YouTube on tongue blocking and puckering. He said he himself is starting to convert to a hybrid approach (from puckering). One of the points he made that stuck with me is that he found tongue blocking the upper register gave him a fuller sound because the harp sits deeper in the mouth than when one puckers.
Last Edited by Rgsccr on Oct 04, 2018 2:52 PM
Give me a straight 1st position song (like what the harmonica was designed to do) i can play the harp tongue blocked no problem,but when it comes to bending I lose it. But i'm working on it.
I think one of my favorites is the Magic Dick interview where he states he needed to work on his lip pursing more. Not to worry, I wouldn't throw away the lip pursing in favor of the tongue blocking. I would recomend learning both and use them to your hearts content. Good luck..have fun
One of the BIG problems caused by the rigidity is a common problem with pucker players and that's their jaw muscles and facial muscles getting tired and sore and the only TB'ers who have this problem (which is exceedingly rare) tends to come from pucker players transitioning into TB'ing. Another problem with rigidity whenTB'ing is a huge buildup of saliva and slobbering all over their harps from doing that.
@indigo -- if you're having those problems, you need to be 100% physically relaxed 24/7 and avoid forcing things to happen because when you do that, rigidity follows that immediately and you basically can't get out of your own way. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Another question for Barbeque Bob. I am trying to follow your coaching on relaxing and avoiding rigidity, and I think I am making progress overall. In fact, I don't think I have too much of an issue with it up to hole 7. However, when I get up there and beyond and try to bend the blow notes (which I can do pretty accurately and easily by puckering). I run into problems with how to shape my embouchure. In the lower end, this is only really an issue with the whole step and step and half bends on draw three, although even those are easier for me than the top blow bends. Any suggestions on how to think about the embouchure up at the top when TBing? Thanks.
Most of the time I still use pucker for the top register bends but I do use the TB bend as well and it takes some serious woodshedding to get it with the TB and it requires tons of reshaping of the embouchure as well as the inside shape of your mouth to help create more space inside your mouth for it to happen and part of it can even be experimenting with just how deep the harp is in your mouth and NOT trying to force things to happen. Truthfully, don't be surprised if it takes a long time to woodshed to get it because that was the case for me and as someone who started out as a tongue blocker, I learned pucker just to play the high end bends mainly and had to do the exact opposite of what I did with tongue blocking. There are no easy answers to this question. Being very rid also hurts doing top register tongue block bends as well and being rigid also causes a huge saliva build up which translates into slobbering all your harps. There are some things that are easier with the pucker on the top end but there are players who TB on the top end like the late George Harmonica Smith as well as guys like Mitch Kashmar and Dennis Gruenling (who also TB's to do overblows as well, which for those into the overblows, it CAN be done with a TB).
Keep experimenting with the shaping/reshaping of your embouchure as well as the inside shape of your mouth but remember to be 100% physically relaxed 24/7 and tho it will take a lot of work, eventually, it will happen once you find it and develop muscle memory. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
in regards to the difficulty in relaxing when going for the high end exhale bends, I believe some of the problem is slightly psychological.
When one approaches this area of the harmonica, it is called the "high" end. It is up "higher".
When an item on a shelf is up "higher", one has to strain just a bit longer, use a bit more energy to reach it. It's a kind of universal perception/experience which we've all experienced but to which we don't pay much attention.
As I observed students over the years, I noticed that they would also approach this "high" end in a similar fashion. They would play a little harder, push a little more - when in reality, one must fight this subconscious feeling and learn to play a little softer, relax a little more.
After all, the exhale bends are created through a subtle tongue re-positioning and not increased effort.
It's not force - it's finesse.
So, when "reaching" for those "high" end notes and bends, try to retrain yourself to relax even more...you may be surprised at how much unnecessary excess energy you've been wasting all this time! ---------- The Iceman
Thanks Barbeque Bob and Iceman - good suggestions. When I was learning the bends (puckering) in the "higher register" I definitely did what you (Iceman) said and tried to force things. As you said, once I learned to relax things came easier. Of course, I am going through the same issue (forcing things) with trying to TB those bends, and, I assume with time and woodshedding, I will get to the same point. One thing you said Iceman - "the exhale bends are created through a subtle tongue re-positioning" - is kind of what I was asking. I get that with puckering, but don't quite understand what happens when you tongue block as part of your tongue is on the harp. At times when I play songs like "Bright Lights, Big City," I can tongue block the bends reasonably well so I guess I am teaching myself what to do.
The tongue is the miracle muscle - can really move in many different ways at once...
Bends are instigated by controlling that muscle - tip on comb - area behind that tip all the way back free to bend, lump, twist and turn, etc at the same time! ---------- The Iceman
@The Iceman -- Excellent explanation right there!!! ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
