Shoulders
9 posts
Jun 08, 2010
10:22 AM
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I'm a tongue block player (can we please keep this civil!) and i'm interested in the technique of switching my airflow from right (my usual side) to the left.
I met with Johnny Mars a few years back and he used the technique, but he was playing 'spiral?' tuned harps. I'm building up a set of custom harps so have no intention of changing to a different tuning.
I'm an advocate of 'all learning is good' but if the general consensus is that the technique doesn't have much use on normal tuned harps i would happily leave it be.
Any views would be welcome
Tunes, licks, reference material - examples of it in use.
All good
x
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mr_so&so
325 posts
Jun 08, 2010
11:06 AM
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Dave Barrett teaches it to beginners on his site. I've been doing it now for a few months and it is feeling comfortable. Saves having to nearly fall off the harp to play the 1 hole, and facilitates an easy octave jump to the 4 on the switch back. I like it.
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528hemi
134 posts
Jun 08, 2010
11:38 AM
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Ditto to mr_so&so,
I like tongue switching.
528hemi
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MP
451 posts
Jun 08, 2010
12:50 PM
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i'm totally in.
you can do a hip licks back and forth between 1 and 4.
i love how imediate the change is when you don't have to leap over the 2 and 3
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XHarp
384 posts
Jun 08, 2010
1:45 PM
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Definitely a good thing to put in your arsenal. I'm working it out myself with limited success but I think the end result will pay off.
Its a good technique.
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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
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Shoulders
10 posts
Jun 08, 2010
3:29 PM
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Thanks for the replies. Can i check with you - did you naturally 'find' the 1 -4 spacing? or is it something you have worked at.
I am only gapping across, for example 5 - 3.
Do you guys use the swap over the one space (for example switching between the 3 and 5).
Regards
James
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captainbliss
128 posts
Jun 08, 2010
5:05 PM
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@Shoulders
/Do you guys use the swap over the one space (for example switching between the 3 and 5)./
Yep. Do it fast from 5D to 3D (or, for that matter, 4D to 2D) and it sounds very cool indeed...
xxx
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Nastyolddog
867 posts
Jun 08, 2010
6:21 PM
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Yo Bro's i TB but you got me confused why are you doing this tongue switching for, is it to play the lower notes,
I TB all notes on the harp holes 1 to 10 ,
but i do,,,,do a warble effects playing an octave then moveing the tongue side to side i think some call it toggling,
i just call it a warble:)
but what is your purpose used for?
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528hemi
135 posts
Jun 08, 2010
7:46 PM
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I only tongue switch on the 1 and 4 for now as taught by David Barrett. I have not needed it on the higher holes although I also practice TB'ing to the right and blowing or drawing the left hole and then moving the tongue to hit the octave and then TB'ing to the left hitting the hole to the right and back to the octave. I do this all the way up the harp. For the 1 and 4 there is zero movment and playing the 1 4 1 4 1 is very easy.
You dont need to tongue switch at all and many players dont but I like it since I am learning TB'ing from the beginning with David and he is teaching this.
528hemi
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XHarp
386 posts
Jun 09, 2010
10:40 AM
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NODog - Tongue switching allows you to jump octaves (or any other combination of holes) without moving to the note. Simply shift the tongue to the other side of the mouth and can you hit the different note. Its a cool tool to set up for playing octaves as well.
I use it for any move that needs this type of transition. I use it mostly in first position for tunes like Over the Rainbow and such but it's simply cool anywhere.
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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
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Shoulders
11 posts
Jun 10, 2010
2:23 AM
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Cheers for the posts. NastyoldDog i tongue block across the instrument as well and so want to use the switching to jump effciently around. I bend and overbend using the right side so guess given time to strengthen the muscle i can overblow from the other side as well.
Captainbliss i've been trying the speedy jumps you mentioned and one side of my tongue feels like its run (?) a marathon. At the moment i can do very very slow or badly controlled fast.
I have taken up Chris's task of Meet The Flintstones starting on Draw 5.
The opening two notes are Draw 5 then semitone bend on 3 draw. This got me thinking about tongue switching from right to left. I'm trying on a Eb harp and getting the bend on draw 3 acurate is really testing.
Practice practice - i know!!!
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Ev630
589 posts
Jun 10, 2010
4:14 AM
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Been doing to for years. Copped a great octave sequence off "Jerry Jumps In" which was on the Ronnie Earl CD "Soul Searchin'". Use it alla time.
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