How to combine tongue blocking and slapping with bending notes?
Sat, 02/16/2019 - 03:47
Hello David, My name is Ed de Groot and I live in Holland (The Netherlands) I am studying for 1,5 year now and Thomas Toussaint advised me to join your study program. Thomas is my very example because he has a great band in Holland and playes terrific Mondharmonica.
https://www.thomastoussaint.com/
I'm studying the tongue blockings, slaps and so on, but with this technique I do not manage to bend the notes anymore because I have my mouth on a different way on the Harmonica, and my tongue is (partially) out of my mouth.
Do you have a lesson where you show how to combine this?
Thanks for now!
Ed de Groot
Hello Ed de Groot, good to have you on the site (and hello to Thomas, he's a great player). There's a lesson focused on this, and it is here https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/bending_study_level_1
The focus for you is the humping of the tongue. Focus on which part of the tongue humps up. The higher the bend (like a 6 draw), the more of the front of the tongue will hump, forward in the mouth. Mid bends (like the 4 draw) are more of the middle of the tongue in the middle of the mouth. Deep bends are more in the back of the mouth, using the back of the tongue. Pay particular attention to the "wave," as I teach it in the lesson.
Best of luck with it. It will take time and experimenting, but you WILL get it.