I downloaded the two cuts Adam gave us free a few weeks/months back and I listened to the first one(Good Morning Little School Girl) while I was filing them away and something came up...probably my son or maybe I needed to go off to work. i wasnt able to listen to the second one: House Rockin' Blues until i was sorting through my harp folder tonight.
I tried like hell, with my limited knowledge, to cop his licks, which arent terribly original, but bangin' just the same. I went thru the motions (un-amped) and i just couldn't get it. Not even close...UNTIL... i stuck my tongue on the harp and pulled it off again!!! You know the ditty: 2,3,4draw 5,6blow and back down again. I had been opening up and hitting the chord in between single notes but it lost its flavor on the 5 and 6, and i certainly couldnt get that speed and achieve the same results as he was getting.
Its a revelation, and something Ive been ignoring far too long. from my humble beginnings and through the journey thus far, ive been content with my lip pursing. tonight, the light hath shined on marble head, and i feel like a semi-educated newbie. I cant say that id jump the fence and make tongue blocking my primary, but i see now that I MUST incorporate it into my playing, or be content with mediocrity.
For all you seasoned vets here on the MBH forum, youve certainly been where i am now, and must remember, fondly, when you realized it is a critical part of the game. well, kyzer just plateau'd again. And I feel like im starting all over, nearly from scratch. Play it again, Nat...play it again...
yea im on the tongue blocking lessons at harmonica academy,Its very hard, for me at least, ill problelly be on those lessons,until its time to renew or longer,Im a lip purser and toungue blocking is so hard but i can see where it gives more attack,if a person can learn it.
Last Edited by on Apr 22, 2010 12:06 AM
While Adam has worked out pretty good LP'd approximations of many TB techniques (e.g. slaps), I find that it is just easier and more natural to get those sounds TB'd and not change embouchure so much.
Like MichaelAndrewLo on here, I've essentially started over, now playing strictly tongue blocked. I've been doing that since about December of last year. Had to learn to bend over again, etc. This month I joined Dave Barrett's site, since he teaches everything tongue blocked.
I'm liking it a lot. Lots of good interviews with top players, discussing what they TB and what they LP. I've decided to give all the TB techniques a real effort, and not LP for now. Currently, I'm working on tongue switching to play the 1 hole. It's weird at first, but now I can bend the 1d that way and it's really useful for making the big jump from the 1 to the 4 and for throwing in the octave.
To me, it's all part of the journey to explore every avenue of playing. I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere. However, all that time spent LPing has not been wasted. I find that I'm picking things up pretty quickly. What I hope to achieve, in a year or so, or more perhaps, is enough competence in both embouchures to be able to choose the best technique for the tune without thinking about it.
I started out as TB'er and then learned to LP mainly for the high end bends, but for the past 20 years, I use both, and often switch methods in mid-phrase and that's something that I know for a fact Kim Wilson does as well.
If you master the reverse TB, you can do some really insane interval leaps. If you TB, many classical harp teachers tell you to move the harp around in a small arc rather than move your head and you can actually play much faster phrases this way. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
The 7thDave, that`s kinda the idea where you`d normally block holes to the right, you`re doing the exact opposite. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
bbq: no one told me the traditional way to tongue block, ive been blocking the holes on the left all the while....thats reverse? lol... see? imma semi-educated newbie! ---------- Kyzer's Travels Kyzer's Artwork
Ya just go crazy and ONLY tongue block. Become a fanatic. Screw lip pursing! Tongue block all the way! 100% it's more efficient, why ever take your tongue off the harp when you don't have to?? Then back off and you have both to use! voila... And remember, as BBQ bob always says, LIGHTLY put the tongue on the harp. LIGHTLY slap the tongue on the harp, LIGHTLY change the position from left to right (or in your case, right to left). For tongue switches: Start with a octave on 1-4 then slowly shift your tongue left to play the 4, then play the octave, slowly shift right to play the 1. Take is slow and LIGHT.
Nice Kyzer, As you stay with it, your chops will get better quickly.
(I learned to play single notes tounge-blocked from an old Mel Bay booklet that I found in my brother's closet, it had a little hand drawn picture that showed the details)
I didn't know that there was any other way to play, so I just stuck with it. Helped me a lot when I started learning octaves, slaps, and other effects.
