blocking

Beginning student Hob Bosold's latest lesson is now up. In this lesson we cover: Tongue Block Study 1: Walk With Me, Page 1 Review; Page 2 Review; Solo Harmonica Study 1: Examples 1.2 to 1.7 Review; Major Scale and Finding where you are on the Harmonica; Solo Harmonica Study 2: Example 1.6 and Music Theory Study 1: Section 2 Review (Bending Focus)

Use a lighter touch. The gasket seal of your lips and tongue on the face of the harmonica work best when they're soft and supple. This is especially important when you perform tongue block techniques like the pull... with the slightest amount of pressure you should be able to close all of the holes in your embouchure for the start of the pull. This also helps when sliding on the harmonica... you're quicker and will have less abrasion due to the tongue and lips gliding across the face of the harmonica, not getting stuck in the holes as you move.

The top of your tongue is wider. If you find yourself pushing your tongue on the face of the harmonica to cover enough holes for a tongue block technique, use more of the top of the tongue (tip under the harmonica) and go back to using a light touch on the face of the harmonica.

Start with a slap and continue to make the slapping motion with a fully supported airstream (not individual pumps of air like that of individual slaps).

TIPS:

Most importantly...
1) Keep your tongue to the left. The most common error is to allow the tongue to drift to the center, essentially causing the technique to turn into multiple pulls. continue reading...

Here are some key benefits of using a light touch with your tongue on the face of the harmonica...

1) Holes to the right or left (depending on which tongue block technique you're performing) will not unintentionally be blocked by your tongue squishing into the holes. continue reading...

Yesterday I stated that your lips should be surrounding four holes. The purpose of this is as follows, with the more important reasons listed first...

1) You can play an octave very quickly with slight adjustment of the tongue (to the center, blocking two holes).

2) Your slaps, pulls, flutters and other techniques where the tongue is off of the harmonica have a much bigger sound, due to there being four holes sounding when the tongue is off instead of three. continue reading...

We need to take a quick break from the transcription series today for a fellow student in need of help with octaves. continue reading...

It's common for players to use the tip of their tongue to block the two middles holes when performing an octave. Another option, one that I personally use, is to use the top of the tongue, just like you do for your other tongue blocking techniques (single notes, slaps, pulls, etc.) but just using an ultra-light touch so that the top convex shape of the tongue blocks the two middle holes, allowing air to flow on the left and right-hand side of the tongue. Tone is the same, but I'm able to be more relaxed an efficient in regards to moving from technique to technique. continue reading...

I mention this often, because I mention this often in my private teaching and in your submissions on the site in regards to your tone. Let's focus on your mouth cavity... your tone chamber. If your tongue PUSHES on the face of the harmonica, not only does the tongue encroach into the hole(s) you're intending to play (narrowing it's passage and creating poor/bent tone) but the body of your tongue commonly comes with it, moving forward and commonly upwards in the mouth, robbing your tone chamber of volume... low/small volume equals thin, wimpy tone... high/large volume equals big tone. continue reading...

Every now and again I'll have a poor student come in and their face is all contorted to the side when playing. I ask them to stick their tongue out with the harmonica still attached and I'll see that they're using the side of their tongue for the tongue block. They hear "block the holes to the left" and away their tongue goes, pointing far left in the mouth. The angle of the tongue on the harmonica should only be one click of the clock to the left... 11 o'clock. continue reading...