e56505
17 posts
Nov 13, 2009
8:13 AM
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I saw all the posts on tb vs. lp and have since tried TB without any success. My question is are you blowing the notes off the corners of your mouth and tongue or do you roll your tongue into an O to direct the flow through the harp? I can get octaves by TB, but single notes...Im not getting it.
I'll probably get beat up for asking such a stupid question, but Ill take it if I could get the just of this technique
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Oisin
382 posts
Nov 13, 2009
8:43 AM
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Hey there e56505...try this link
http://www.hoerl.com/Music/harmon2.html
It's the first method you describe above. The second method is a very seldom used method.
You should try tongue slapping which is lifting the tongue off and on the comb so you are playing a chord then a single note. This helped me to get tongue blocking.
Hope this is helpful.
Oisin
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Shredder
45 posts
Nov 13, 2009
8:44 AM
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No dumb questions here, if ya done't ask youll never learn.You are blowing out the side of your mouth unless your playing octive splits. Right side for high notes and left for 1 or 2 holes unless you play your harp upside down. I struggel with the left side , right side just comes natural.
Least that's the way I do it.
Mke
Last Edited by on Nov 13, 2009 8:45 AM
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KeithE
55 posts
Nov 13, 2009
8:45 AM
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If you can tongue block octaves, then it would seem that you're close to getting single notes. Typically you would use the following tongue position for anything above the first hole, and the mirror image for the first hole.
Here's are some exercises that David Barrett put together:
Mastering tongue blocking I
Mastering tongue blocking II
Last Edited by on Nov 13, 2009 8:47 AM
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RyanMortos
466 posts
Nov 13, 2009
10:44 AM
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The image Keith put up is spot on. Put the harmonica into your mouth. Dont press your tongue on the tines. Rest your tongue on them. Forget its even on there. When sliding from one hole to the next just slide your mouth up or down & allow your tongue to slide and follow.
Just remember there're benefits to both tongue blocking and lip pursing. Its easy to discover the advantages of either.
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~Ryan
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Last Edited by on Nov 13, 2009 10:53 AM
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e56505
18 posts
Nov 13, 2009
11:34 AM
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Thanks Im sure will be very helpful. Ill be doing good to learn both methods!
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mickil
621 posts
Nov 13, 2009
12:26 PM
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e56505,
If can just add one thing.
Don't beat yourself up if you can't get it since reading that other post, as excellent as its advice was. It takes time for a lot of this stuff to work its way into your muscular memory.
I'm no great tb'er. Still, from time to time I mess about with it, as much out of curiosity as anything, and, sure enough, I'm starting to get the hang of it.
Just do a bit now and then. Don't let it become a 'chore' that's filled with frustration; that'll set it back eons. Good luck with it.
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YouTube SlimHarpMick
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wallyns10
80 posts
Nov 13, 2009
12:41 PM
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I could never get the side of the mouth thing, but then again I never really put in a lot of time trying. I think U-blocking (rolling your tongue into an O to direct the air flow) is much easier but thats just me
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MichaelAndrewLo
45 posts
Nov 13, 2009
12:54 PM
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Damn KeithE, that is really good study material! thanks
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barbequebob
78 posts
Nov 13, 2009
1:04 PM
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Just remember that you must place the tongue VERY LIGHTLY on the harp and NEVER force it or you wind up constantly playing with a wet mouth and using too much breath force. I mentioned this in the Jerry Portnoy topic is that you need to be very physically relaxed and that includes the tongue, lips, body, facial and throat muscles and forcing things works completely against yourself, which makes things needlessly difficult for yourself. You also need to allow more space in your mouth than you did with the puckering method.
Most people have a difficult time with the U-black because its often very unnatural for most people and some people's tongues are flat out not made to do that.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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DesertDog
20 posts
Nov 14, 2009
10:35 AM
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One thing that helped me with tongue blocking was something I saw in a SPAH magazine article written by Joe Filisko. The basic idea is to make a clear plastic harmonica mouth piece out of the handle of an empty 1 gallon milk jug. The mouth piece comes from the inside of the handle. Cut the back off the handle and then lay the handle over a harmonica and mark the center of each hole with a pen. Use a single hole punch to make the holes in this practice mouth piece.
Now you can use a mirror and the mouth piece to see how to block out certain holes with your tongue and leave one hole open on the side or how to do split chords where you block our 2 or 3 holes in the center and play the notes on either side of your tongue. You can also move the mouth piece to see how to move the harmonica left or right and transition from one note to the next. This takes all the mystery out of doing tongue blocking since you can actually see what you are doing! Part of the problem with harmonica is you can never really see what the mouth and tongue are doing, but with clear plastic mouth piece and a mirror everything is a lot easier. Learning time is greatly reduced! It really helped me see how to get those big 37 and 48 split draw chords.
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e56505
19 posts
Nov 14, 2009
10:50 AM
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BRILLIANT! Thats a real good idea, Ive got to try that... as soon as I get the lock on my bathroom door fixed
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