blueswannabe
305 posts
Oct 15, 2013
6:57 AM
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I have been tongue blocking a lot more after 4.5 years of playing harp. I noticed trying to accentuate the ta or ka while tongue blocking feels like trying to speak after you just left the dentist still under the effects of novacaine or talking with your mouth closed. I noticed that these consonant sounds come further back in the throat as opposed to the tip of your tongue on your teeth. It takes sometime to get used to in order to make those consonant sounds. Does anybody have any thoughts on this or recommendations on technique?
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The Iceman
1215 posts
Oct 15, 2013
7:05 AM
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Put harmonica to mouth.
Rest tongue on harmonica.
Now, practice "saying" ka or ga.
Eventually you will find it easy and natural.
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The Iceman
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ej
37 posts
Oct 15, 2013
7:12 AM
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I love it Iceman--good advice :-)
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isaacullah
2546 posts
Oct 15, 2013
7:43 AM
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I get the "ka" and "ga" with tongue blocking, but I've been wondering if it's even physically possible do a "ta" or even a "da" while tongue blocking? I've certainly tried, and can't do it. Not without taking my tongue off the harp. I do a lot of double tongue rhythms (i.e., "ta-ka ta ta ta-ga"). It's integral to my sound, and I find I can only do them while lip blocking.
I can do back of the tongue articulations while tongue blocking, but I can at best only do the same type of syncopated rhythms ("ka-ga ka ka ka-ga") at a much slower speed. Even if I went with lip blocking but only stuck with front of the tongue articulations ("ta-ta ta ta ta-da".), I couldn't get fast enough, or syncopated enough for some of the rhythms I play...
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Last Edited by isaacullah on Oct 15, 2013 7:48 AM
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blueswannabe
306 posts
Oct 15, 2013
8:16 AM
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@ Iceman, LOL
@isaacullah, you know what i'm talking about. It's much more challenging.
Last Edited by blueswannabe on Oct 15, 2013 8:18 AM
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mr_so&so
746 posts
Oct 15, 2013
9:19 AM
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When TBing I do articulations with my throat. For example, I don't try to do "ta" sounds, but I get the same effect with rapid throat articulations, which I believe are glottal stops. These are different than "ga" and "ka" sounds. I don't do many vocal articulations except for glottal stops, but I do a lot of slaps and pulls, which I like a lot.
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Last Edited by mr_so&so on Oct 15, 2013 9:24 AM
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WinslowYerxa
410 posts
Oct 15, 2013
9:25 AM
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Time to talk about tongued P.
With the tip of your your tongue on the harp you can't say "T" or "D."
But you can say "P" in a modified way.
Normally you say "P" by closing your lips, then opening the to release back pressure. But with your lips on the harp, you can't do that, either.
What you can do is to close the opening between the edge of your tongue and he corner of your mouth.
Without a harmonica, try inserting the tip of your tongue between your lips and making an air opening between the edge of your tongue and the corner of your mouth (right or left corner, your choice - why not try both?).
Now try saying "Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa" by closing and opening the space between the tongue edge and mouth corner. It sounds similar to the normal "P" sound.
You can use this on the harmonica for single tonguing (Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa), for double tonguing (Pa-Ka-Pa-Ka) and form triple tonguing (Pa-Ka-Pa, Pa-Ka-Pa).
I cover this stuff in the book Blues Harmonica For Dummies.
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Winslow
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isaacullah
2547 posts
Oct 15, 2013
10:48 AM
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Thank you Winslow! Although I have your book, and I've read it through what seems to be 100 times, there's so much in there that I seem to have missed that useful bit of info! :)
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Buzadero
1153 posts
Oct 15, 2013
2:00 PM
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That Winslow is No Dummy book is regularly what I idly leaf through when I'm sitting as hostage on a conference call. Lots of good nuggets. It's just a shame my short-term memory fails me the next time I have a harp in my hand. It's like a never ending world of wonderment and discovery. I'm really looking forward to Alzheimer's....
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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Milsson
80 posts
Oct 16, 2013
12:50 AM
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Ha! Winslow you probably covered the only hole in the TB style. Didn't realize you could double-tongue like that. But you have to be extremely fast with the side to side motion with your tongue. P... i will remember that!
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