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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Left and Right ...Tongue Blocking
Left and Right ...Tongue Blocking
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Frank
3118 posts
Oct 26, 2013
8:23 AM
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I do enjoy using both Left and Right Tongue Blocking as well as octaves often too... But -
I must digress on my assessment that I am tongue blocking 100% of the time...I do take my tongue off the harp when accessing hole 1...and to different degrees for pulls, slaps and some chords, but again - I digress...
I will play a left TB, my tongue covering hole 1- and the remainder of the tongue is resting on the comb to the left of hole 1...
I prefer this because it gives me quick and perfect access to the 1 hole, which when it's needed, I will play without my tongue on the harp and can easily resume TBing instantly ...
So, that is how I choose to play tunes like Juke, Off The Wall, Rocker, Back track, fast Boogie, Roller Coaster etc...
Also when I'm playing bends on high end octave of the harp...I will use either TB, LB or both according to how I feel they will best serve the tune.
And of course it is off if I need to do some diddley daddely stuff :)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 26, 2013 9:05 AM
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Sherwin
96 posts
Oct 27, 2013
8:45 AM
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All my practice time lately is devoted to TBing, I am not at the point yet where I find it comfortable. My tongue on harp, left of hole one, right side of mouth one hole bend is not there at all (how on earth with an M.B. Can it be done anyhow?) nothing but sucking air, left side of mouth, tongue on right, one hole bend.....reasonable. I find I've got some relaxing to do, everything so far is so deliberate feeling, and feels 'unnatural'.
Fun to hit those three hole bends on target though, and switching is fun for moving around the harp without really moving all that much.
Well.....practice practice practice
And thanks Frank for mentioning TBing in the high end lately on another thread saying it can add a different flavour (think you said flavor), that pushed me to achieve my first tb blow bends, they feel SUPER awkward....for now
Sherwin
Edited to add 'left of hole one', then 'tongue on right'
Last Edited by Sherwin on Oct 27, 2013 2:55 PM
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nacoran
7263 posts
Oct 27, 2013
12:00 PM
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Left or right, all politicians tongue block out of both sides of their mouth? :)
Sorry, back to topic. I only play out the left on splits. I don't know why. Probably as simple as muscle memory.
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Nate
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KingoBad
1405 posts
Oct 27, 2013
12:13 PM
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I can tongue block to the left extremely well. I cannot for the life of me tongue block to the right. It is like my tongue is retarded. I always end up letting in air at the octave. It is very frustrating...
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Danny
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SuperBee
1500 posts
Oct 27, 2013
1:49 PM
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Frank, do you think that learning to play clean splits is also helpful in learning to play tongue blocked both sides? I'm thinking about this practice exercise technique which involves playing say 4 draw and then moving the tongue a little to get 1 involved, then just carrying that move a little more to block the 4 so only the 1 sounds. And then moving back to the 4 draw, again via the octave. Then moving that exercise up to 5 and 2 and 6/3 will start to teach you about where the sides of the mouth are in relation to the tongue.
To me it seems that exercise should not only teach clean splits but should also assist with tongue blocking to obtain single notes to the left.
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Last Edited by SuperBee on Oct 27, 2013 1:49 PM
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tmf714
2136 posts
Oct 27, 2013
2:53 PM
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SuperBee nailed it-with a little practice moving the tongue only,you can get the one and one draw bend clean blocked.
ALL the tunes Frank mentioned are usually played with the one and one draw blocked.
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Frank
3125 posts
Oct 27, 2013
3:34 PM
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Yes...I am a big proponent of learning to become a very strong "octave Player" first >>
>>The process of mastering the usage of octaves up and down the harmonica will progress into becoming equally skillful with using the notes on either side of the tongue at the players volition.
So, once the muscles are sufficiently strengthened by mastering octaves...Then accurate and proficient left/right TBing abilities should be a natural offshoot.
(I'm talking about pure octaves...though add the 2-5 and 3-6 draw spits too)
Last Edited by Frank on Oct 27, 2013 5:39 PM
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