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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Chromatic lip blocking problem
Chromatic lip blocking problem
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boris_plotnikov
902 posts
Nov 26, 2013
1:38 PM
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As I mentioned before in a topic about tilting harmonica I started diatonic with U-blocking (first year or so, about 12 years ago), then after being unsatisfied with my lip blocking I went to almost 100% tongue blocking for 5 years or so. Then I discovered overbends and needed a lip block and found tilted harmonica position for diatonic which gave me 100% relaxed lip position. Now I play diatonic 80% lip blocking, 20% tongue blocking. For lip blocking my upper lip covers about 2/3 of 1847 coverplate, my bottom lip covers only 1/4 or even less of bottom coverplate, so back part of my harp is tilted up about 30-40 degrees. I think for diatonic it's a perfect relaxed position and it works for me and for 90% of my students better than other ways, I had one student which could block single hole only with harmonica tilted down (opposite) and 2 or 3 students from another teacher who are used to hold harmonica straight.
Also while playing 100% tongue blocked I learned a chromatic and played it a lot for some years. After I discovered overbends I almost gave up playing chromatic (also I wasn't happy with instruments, no spare reeds etc). Now I get two perfect Saxonies (Orchestra and regular C) and set of spare reeds and I found that I like to play some tunes on chromatic just for different tone, phrasing and expression. But I have the problem.
I'm absolutely happy with playing chromatic tongue blocking (except I need to practice more scales, tunes and other layout excercises). As you possible notice I'm a big fan of double ("taka") and tripple staccatto ("tkta") and it's important part of my style and I wish to use it on chromatic too, but it doesn't work good with tongue blocking. I definetely need a lip blocking on a chromatic. Than ooops. It doesn't work to tilt chromatic, because of mouthpiece, I have leakage between lips and coverplate. Keeping harmonica straight don't allow me to relax lips, I feel some unpleasant tension, I hear it affects my tone and my lips get tired.
Any ideas how to hold chromatic in a mouth with 100% relaxed lips?
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HarpNinja
3619 posts
Nov 26, 2013
1:43 PM
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Can you just switch embochures as you go? That way, you are mostly relaxed via tongue blocking and only occasionally pursing.
I tend to not tilt the harp when puckering and to get tired lips some times. I find I tb way more than I had thought, and as someone who noodles on chromatic, I pretty much only tb. I articulate a lot on diatonica, but not the same way.
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boris_plotnikov
903 posts
Nov 26, 2013
1:54 PM
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Yes, Mike, I can switch and I do this now, 90% on chromatic is tongue blocking, 10% is lip blocking for specific articulation, but I'm looking for more lip blocking and want to avoid tension.
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isaacullah
2578 posts
Nov 27, 2013
9:10 AM
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I just asked a similar question (not for chromatic, but about tongue articulations while tongue blocking), and Winslow answered with a discussion about using what he calls a "tongued P" articulation. It's in his "for dummies" book, and if you search the archives, I bet you can find his answer there...
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boris_plotnikov
905 posts
Nov 27, 2013
10:05 AM
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I can articulate single while TB ("ta" or "ka"), I can articulate double (some sort of "ta-ka") while TB, but not as bright as with lip block, but I can't articulate tripple ("tkta") while tongue block.
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isaacullah
2579 posts
Nov 27, 2013
10:17 AM
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Yeah, that's what my problem is too. Winslow suggested you can use the tongued "p" to replace the "ta" of a double tongued articulation. He says doing "p-ka" is easier than doing "ta-ka" while tongue blocking. I've tried it, and I still find it quite difficult. But it is doable, at least.
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