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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Am I tongue blocking correctly?
Am I tongue blocking correctly?
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Philosofy
298 posts
Dec 16, 2009
8:33 PM
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I'm trying to learn rapid vamping, and I think my tongue might be all wrong. When I tongue block, the tip of my tongue is on the left most hole I'm blocking, and the right side of my tongue covers the holes to the right. I play the note out of the right corner of my mouth. So, if I tongue block while playing hole 2, 3, or 4, the tip of my tongue is on hole 1. I'm finding it difficult to lift my tongue off and on rapidly, like Magic Dick does at the beginning of Whammer Jammer. Do I need to change, to put the tip of my tongue in the middle of the holes I'm blocking?
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barbequebob
232 posts
Dec 17, 2009
1:34 PM
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Have you started out as a tongue blocker or a pucker player, first of all. I think from your post, tho, it sounds like you're a pucker player new to the tongue block.
With a tongue block, you need to create more space inside uyour mouth thanyou did when you were puckering. So far, you're getting a bit of the hang of tongue blocking, but there is one thing you need to remember to do and that is NEVER force your tongue flat on the harp, it HAS to be relaxed and on the harmonica LIGHTLY or you'll never stop having the difficulty you're presently having, plus you will wind up playing with an extremely wet mouth all the time. You need to be 100% physically RELAXED to get the technique down, and too many players who have taught themselves, when they get frustrated (and it happens quite easily) is that they try to force the issue, be it tongue blocking, bending notes, etc., and that is something you CLEARLY want to avoid doing at all costs because forcing things will always work against you. The tongue has to be placed on the harmonica, again, VERY VERY lightly.
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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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Philosofy
299 posts
Dec 17, 2009
4:05 PM
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Bob, I've been doing both puckering and blocking for over twenty years, but I've been pushing the side of my tongue flat on the holes for over twenty years! Old habits can be hard to break!
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barbequebob
236 posts
Dec 17, 2009
6:36 PM
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That most certainly is true! You can change but it will take some very serious woodshedding time as it`s obviously been very heavily ingrained.
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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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