Tongue Switching on Low Holes of 270
Hi,
I use Tongue blocking Exclusively on Diatonics and use
tongue switching when I get to the 1 hole.
I Just started with 270 super deluxe (key of C) and find I'm
having difficulties with response on holes 1 and 2.
Should I try and switch embouchures on the 1 draw
so I can still slap on the 2.
Any advice would be good advice here!
Thanks
Greg
I do use corner switching when I want to make a wide leap to a distant hole, especially for a lot of rapid back-and-forth moves.
But I don't need it to play Holes 1 and 2.
Hard breathing can be one problem. Neither chromatic nor diatonic need to be hit hard, but blues styling on diatonic often makes use of it, to the extent that it can become your habitual approach, and that doesn't translate well to chromatic. You can play chromatic loudly and even aggressively, but first you need to learn to modulate your initial note attack.
However, Holes 1 and 2 can be problematic on chromatic just as they are on diatonic for many players. The reaons is usually that the player is unconsciously forming a bend in their oral cavity that causes pitch to drop and reed response to suffer.
Try this.
Play Draw 1 or 2 with a tongue block, and playign through the right corner of your mouth.
Continue to inhale and remove the harmonica from your mouth.
Hear any sound from your breathing?
If you do, that's drag in the air flow caused by either your tongue, your throat, or both. Open your throat and lower the surface of your tongue so that air can flow silently and without any drag. Make this your default and it will let your notes sound more clearly and without pitch drag or squeals.
Hey, It Works! Thanks!!!
Something I notice when I switch to the chromatic is I'm used to drawing really hard because of the diatonic, and that will just choke the reeds in the chromatic. I think Winslow has mentioned this difference a number of times in his replies to others.
I play a 270 too, use tongue blocking and tongue switching on hole 1 both in chromatic and diatonic. Just try drawing more gentle and getting used to the different spacing and wider holes on the 270 (although the mouthpiece in the deluxe, which I also use on my regular 270, are smaller than the regular mouthpiece). If I recall correctly I also had this problem initially with tongue switching when I moved to tongue blocking embouchure (I initially used U-tonguing), it felt like the 1 draw was less responsive and I had air leaking somewhere: I think it was just improper embouchure and I no longer feel it.
If that's indeed your issue, solving it is quite doable, just keep working on the embouchure. Also, getting used to more gentle breathing let's you play better (faster, less running out of air) in the diatonic.