Playing single notes and articulation
Basic question...
LOA 1 - Getting started - Blues harmonica Fundamentals,.....
In this lesson you advised to play other single notes using the tongue blockong method.
Sooo, If I had been playing with the song ' Oh Susanna'....instead of puckering this tune...
I should tongue block it instead ? You mean...having the mouth open for 4 holes,
and blocking the 3 holes to the left (lower notes) and then moving about hte harp to
play that song ? ( I know you do not mention that song...but the impression I got was
that I should tongue blocking everything ? If not...how do I know when to tongue
block and when to pucker ?
Therefore in the 'Tremolo ' lesson that is next....I should be tongue blockng ?
Sorry for the confusion...just want avoid any 'training scars' and get off to a solid base.
Thank you for your time
Steve
When your tongue blocking...are you articulating the note you playing by placing the rest of your tongue over that hole ? or just using you breath to sound that note ?
Regrding the technique:
"Play holes 2 through 10 with your tongue to the left. Playing holes 4 and above, your lips will commonly be over four holes, blocking the three to the left. "...so if I want to play the 5 hole......then my mouth is open around holes..2,3,4,5 - with the tongue actually covering holes 2,3,4 - leaving the 5 hole open?...For playing the 6 hole... mouth open around holes 3,4,5,6 - with the tongue covering holes 3,4,5 - leaving the 6 hole open ?...and so on for holes up to the 10 hole ?
Commonly just the breath, but for draw notes "KA" is common if you do wish to articulate. For blow notes, use a slight cough, the same as what you use for the tremolo.
"..so if I want to play the 5 hole......then my mouth is open around holes..2,3,4,5 - with the tongue actually covering holes 2,3,4 - leaving the 5 hole open?...For playing the 6 hole... mouth open around holes 3,4,5,6 - with the tongue covering holes 3,4,5 - leaving the 6 hole open ?...and so on for holes up to the 10 hole ?" This is correct.
Why do you encourage the tongue block method over the pucker method....pros/cons ?
Thank you for your time
Steve
The simple answer is that tongue blocking (TB) is what the great masters use(d)... Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, John Lee Williamson, Rice Miller, George Smith, James Cotton, etc., and our modern masters like Kim Wilson, William Clarke, Rod Piazza, Mark Hummel, Gary Smith, Rick Estrin, etc., etc. The two main technical reasons is that it gives you more chordal elements, which gives you a bigger sound (slaps, pulls, flutters, octaves, etc.) and more rhythmic drive (pulls = upbeat syncopation). Also, all of the techniques that can be done in a pucker (minus one of the articulations specific to pucker) can be done in a TB, where techniques that are used all the time by harp players, like slaps, pulls, octaves, flutters, etc. cannot be done in a pucker.
Good morning Steve. No problem, feel free to ask questions as you need anything clarified, that's what I'm here for. Yes, I recommend you tongue block everything, in the manner that you mentioned. For hole 1 you'll move your tongue to the right, blocking commonly holes 2 and 3 (so your lips are commonly over three holes... sometimes four if you're doing a lick that goes from 4 draw to 1 draw and back to 4 draw for example, which is very common in Bars 9 and 10 in the 12 Bar Blues... so it is context-driven... you'll learn this in your upcoming lessons). Play holes 2 through 10 with your tongue to the left. Playing holes 4 and above, your lips will commonly be over four holes, blocking the three to the left. When playing hole 3, you're blocking holes 2, 1 and a little bit of the comb to the left. Playing hole 2 your tongue will cover hole 1 and a the comb to the left.