Newbie question

[Brian McCullough]

Hi, all:

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found
I could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)

Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue
blocking, but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved
puckering at first and some lip blocking later.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

-- Brian M.

[Robert Reynolds]

I have the same problem. I have always selected the note I'm playing by
placing my tongue below the desired hole and making a little airway with
my tongue.

I want to tongue block more, but I haven't figured out how to bend notes
while doing it because my normal note bending motion removes my tongue
from the blocked holes. I'll pay attention to any advice that's offered
here.

Post by Brian McCullough
I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found
I could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue
blocking, but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved
puckering at first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.

[Keith Adams]

Dont try to bend notes while TBing. Switch back and forth between TB and
whatever embouchure it is that you use to bend notes. The method that you
use isnt really considered tongue blocking Robbie. I think its called U
channel or something like that?

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found I
could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue blocking,
but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved puckering at
first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.

[T-Bone Bruce]

Post by Keith Adams
Dont try to bend notes while TBing. Switch back and forth between TB and
whatever embouchure it is that you use to bend notes. The method that you
use isnt really considered tongue blocking Robbie. I think its called U
channel or something like that?

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found I
could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue blocking,
but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved puckering at
first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have exactly the same trouble. I'd guess I play about 75-80% of the
time toungeblocked, from being a "pucker" player 100% of the time just
over a year ago. I can just about bend the higher keyed harps (usually
a half step) by pushing the tounge harder into the harp and tightening
up the jaw, and drawing deeper from the abdomen. But generally I do as
Adams says- switch back to puckering for more extensive bending, also
I pucker for blow bends too.

[Robert Reynolds]

Post by T-Bone Bruce

Post by Keith Adams
Dont try to bend notes while TBing. Switch back and forth between TB and
whatever embouchure it is that you use to bend notes. The method that you
use isnt really considered tongue blocking Robbie. I think its called U
channel or something like that?

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found I
could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue blocking,
but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved puckering at
first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I have exactly the same trouble. I'd guess I play about 75-80% of the
time toungeblocked, from being a "pucker" player 100% of the time just
over a year ago. I can just about bend the higher keyed harps (usually
a half step) by pushing the tounge harder into the harp and tightening
up the jaw, and drawing deeper from the abdomen. But generally I do as
Adams says- switch back to puckering for more extensive bending, also
I pucker for blow bends too.

One of my local amplifier customers is a harp teacher, and he advocates
tongue blocking 100% of the time for a thicker sound. When I told him I
didn't know how to bend while tongue blocking he looked at me like a dog
hearing a weird noise for the first time. He just didn't get what I was
trying to tell him, because he always uses the tongue block method, and
it doesn't hamper his bending at all. I'll have to ask him again about
that problem next time I see him.

Now that I think about it, you can hear him tongue blocking and bending
notes like crazy on the sound samples on my website.
(http://www.fatdogamps.com/studio.html)

[Robert Reynolds]

Post by Robert Reynolds
Now that I think about it, you can hear him tongue blocking and bending
notes like crazy on the sound samples on my website.
(http://www.fatdogamps.com/studio.html)

Here's one with a lot of bending in it, and you can tell that he's
tongue blocking the whole time because of the chords in between the
notes. http://www.fatdogamps.com/2are18a.mp3

[Brian McCullough]

Thanks for all of the info. Hopefully it's like riding a bike ... if I
can just get the training wheels into my mouth!

Post by Robert Reynolds

Post by Robert Reynolds
Now that I think about it, you can hear him tongue blocking and
bending notes like crazy on the sound samples on my website.
(http://www.fatdogamps.com/studio.html)

Here's one with a lot of bending in it, and you can tell that he's
tongue blocking the whole time because of the chords in between the
notes. http://www.fatdogamps.com/2are18a.mp3

[Keith Adams]

Hey Robbie. After visiting your site and listening to sound samples I can
honestly say that I liked your playing and tone better than the other guys.
I felt that he sounded fairly shitty actually. I'm not going to argue the
point because I dont know what he's doing inside his mouth (nor do you ) but
playing chords in between notes isnt proof of anything.
How long does it take you to move your tongue a miniscule amount? Also its
not hard to play both chords or notes while puckering. I'm not an advocate
of any one method or embouchure. I say what ever works for you man. What he
calls fattening of tone I interpret as mush.
To me harp loses its appeal once you cant distinguish note seperation. I
have a feeling that if you were to put some of your teachers playing through
a tuner it wouldnt even register as being a note or chord? I've been wrong
before and I imagine I'll be wrong again. ( someday but I doubt it ve ee
eery seriously)

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found I
could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue blocking,
but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved puckering at
first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.

[Robert Reynolds]

I cited the sound clips as an example, not as proof. He says he tongue
blocks 100% of the time, and I don't have any reason not to believe him.
I still don't know how he bends notes while tongue blocking, but maybe
I'll figure it out...

Post by Keith Adams
Hey Robbie. After visiting your site and listening to sound samples I can
honestly say that I liked your playing and tone better than the other guys.
I felt that he sounded fairly shitty actually. I'm not going to argue the
point because I dont know what he's doing inside his mouth (nor do you ) but
playing chords in between notes isnt proof of anything.
How long does it take you to move your tongue a miniscule amount? Also its
not hard to play both chords or notes while puckering. I'm not an advocate
of any one method or embouchure. I say what ever works for you man. What he
calls fattening of tone I interpret as mush.
To me harp loses its appeal once you cant distinguish note seperation. I
have a feeling that if you were to put some of your teachers playing through
a tuner it wouldnt even register as being a note or chord? I've been wrong
before and I imagine I'll be wrong again. ( someday but I doubt it ve ee
eery seriously)

I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found I
could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue blocking,
but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved puckering at
first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.

[Robert Reynolds]

I was experimenting yesterday, and I finally managed a bend while tongue
blocking. I've never been able to do it while sticking the end of my
tongue over the holes, but yesterday I tried blocking the holes with the
bottom of the tip of my tongue. This allowed me to use my usual tongue
motion to bend the note. It sounded very bad, but it worked. This is
the first time I've been able to do it, so I'm happy. I'm sure I'll get
better from here.

Post by Brian McCullough
I started picking up the harp last fall, and was encouraged when I found
I could learn simple tunes and bend notes (no, not by tilting the
instrument. :)
Since then, I've tried to start getting comfortable with tongue
blocking, but when I try it I can't bend. (My earlier efforts involved
puckering at first and some lip blocking later.)
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
-- Brian M.