I’m trying this out and struggling. So far, I feel I can get better tone using the underside of my tongue. However, if I stick with it and want to learn to bend while tongue blocking, will this cause a problem? Thanks
@wannago I have never heard of anybody using the underside of the tongue. Seems so hard?
when I was learning to play single notes, I thought tongue blocking literally meant you had to block the unused holes with your tongue. This “kinda” worked but led to the harmonica quickly filling up with spit. Only later did I realize tongue blocking was more of “directing the air” as opposed to actually touching the holes. I wish this was explained more explicitly in videos since I think it’s one of those things everyone “assumes” is obvious.
Tongue blocking is covering the holes. Not sure if it’s a language thing. I think you would greatly benefit from doing Lukes BTB course. It has a very clear section on tongue blocking where you can see Lukes tongue pushing against the replica holes. Other sections on rhythm would be invaluable to you. You have come so far its time to become a BOSS!
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right but, if you actually push your tongue against the holes that leads to a lot of saliva and the harp clogging up, at least it does for me. All I know is my tongue somehow “directs” the air by blocking the other holes but not touching them. Initially, because of this I thought I was puckering but no, puckering means making a super-tiny hole with your mouth and that’s not what I’m doing - the harp is inside my mouth.
Also, I’m specifically playing from the left side of my mouth, which also leads me to think I’m in the tongue-blocking camp (or at least, somewhere near it)
Hi Wannago. That’s crazy, but works. Now I’m checked and confirm: it is possible to do bend while underside-tongue blocking. Even I think that this make sense to practice throat vibrato.
Thanks everyone. What I find is if I use the top of the tip of my tongue I choke of too much air. If I use the underside, I can drop my tongue and get a good, resonant tone.
@yuriythebest tongue-blocking IS literally touching your tongue to block holes, but normally you play out of the right side of the mouth (though ocassionaly on left side - hole 1, and whe doing splits.) Check this out:
@jandomanski @wannago yes better not to use the tip of the tongue. Better to use the top of it with tip pointed down. I CAN’T for the life of me think of ANY advantage to using the UNDERSIDE of the tongue instead of the TOP?
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Thanks Luke! I think I now don’t know which technique I’m using, I guess we can exclude tongue blocking and puckering though
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@yuriythebest Are you perhaps U-blocking?
Since this thread, over the last day I attempted to play more consciously and so as to understand what I was doing.
My tongue seems to take on this arc shape, with a slight u-shape at the tip of the tongue, however it doesn’t touch the holes and rather “guides” the air I think, and I’m playing from the side of my mouth - usually from the left.
Yep, that’s “U-blocking.” Norton Buffalo used it. @KeroroRinChou did you say Terry McMillan was a u-blocker?
Anyways, Norton alone is proof enough that it can be done. I use to discourage people from doing it because I’ve had students who struggled SO MUCH ever getting a bend using that technique. But once I found out Norton did it, I couldn’t in good conscience tell people not to do it, lol.
Terry didn’t U-block. He was a lip purser/pucker player. Come to think of it, it was actually T.J. Klay who told me that about Terry.
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OK cool thanks for getting that clarified for me. He held the harmonica upside down, I think that’s the weird thing I’m remembering.