How to play
Dear Mr.Andy harl.Hello.I'm a Japanese high school student.I dream to be a Great harmonica player like you. I have questions for you. First, I don't know when I use the tongueblocking.How do you do when you play a harmonica?You always do the tongue blocking?Second,I don't know how to bending with the tongue blocking.When I play it without the tongue blocking, I can do it. I don't know….I'm sorry for my English is bad,but I'm studying English hard everyday.Please help me. Sincerely
Dear Mr. Andy Barret.
Thank for giving some great advice. Your advice is very easy to understand.
I really respect you.Anyway,I will try it.I will do my best.
Thank you very much Mr. Andy Barret.
Sincerely
Dear Mr. Andy Barret.
Thank you for giving some great advice. Your advice is very easy to understand.
I really respect you.Anyway,I will try it.I will do my best.
Thank you very much Mr. Andy Barret.
Ganbarimasu.
Sincerely
My pleasure Haruka. Post here if you have any questions.
Hello David.
How are you getting along? At first, I would like to apologies to you for making mistakes about your name for many times. I'm so sorry…
I practice the harmonica everyday, and I have a question about tongue blocking.
When I try it, my sound is noisy.Is it wrong the form my lips or how to use my tongue?I want to play a harmonica with clearly sounds.
Please help me , Mr.David.
(I think there are many grammatical mistakes in my sentence.If you have a time, could you point out my grammatical mistakes for me?)
Sincerely
Hello Haruka, I'm getting along well, thank you.
No worries about my name, it's okay.
Tongue blocking is new to you, so it will take a couple of months before your single notes sound good It's important to...
1) Use a light touch on the face of the harmonica with your tongue and lips
2) Use the top of the tongue, not the tip
3) Aim your tongue at 11 O'clock (in other words, just slightly to the left)
4) Play quietly
5) Review this lesson https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/blues_harmonica_fundamentals where I speak about tongue blocking and also Hob Boslold's lessons https://www.bluesharmonica.com/contributor/hob_bosold where we speak about good technique a lot.
Your English does not need correcting, I can understand you very well.
Thank you very much ,Mr.David.
I will try it soon.
Well…I have a question,Okay?
When did you start to play the harmonica?
And,How did you become like you a great harmonica player?
Would you tell me about it?
Sincerely
I started playing when I was 14 years old. I listened to recording for the first two years and tried to figure it out on my own, but was then lucky to take lessons (7 if memory serves me correctly) from Gary Smith when I was 16. I studied what he taught me very hard and worked the rest of my life figuring out what Gary didn't show me. You have a tremendous amount of information now, so the inner workings of technique we use on the harmonica are no longer a mystery (they very much were when I was learning), so now it just takes desire and the practice time to realize your goals. Have fun, it's a wonderful journey.
I will practice a harmonica very hard!
I will set off on a journey of the harmonica!
Hello Haruka, welcome to the website. Andy does the technical side of things on the website, I (David Barrett) do the teaching. Here are answers for you...
1) You will tongue block all the time. Play with your tongue to the left for holes 2 through 10 and your tongue to the right for hole 1 (or pucker hole 1, it's up to you). My lesson on tongue blocking is here https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/tongue_blocking_1
2) Yes, you will learn how to bend in a tongue block. The idea is to use one embouchure (one way of playing). Since tongue blocking has more options than pucker alone, we are best learning how to tongue block as our primary embouchure (our primary way of playing). The main reason why we tongue block all the time is that it's the embouchure used by the great harmonica players that influence our sound.... Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy I (John Lee Williamson), Sonny Boys II (Rice Miller), George Harmonica Smith, James Cotton, and the list goes on. Here is the lesson on tongue blocking bending https://www.bluesharmonica.com/lessons/bending_study_level_1
Finally, keep the questions coming... your English is just fine. Best wishes on your studies Haruka, I look forward to helping you become a great blues harmonica player. Ganbatte!