Tounge Block Bending
Posted Sun, 01/31/2010 - 14:06 by Bender
Hi Aki , thank you for sharing and taking the time to help new players. I have a problem trying to understand the mechanics of tounge block bends. When I bend when lip blocking I can feel all the mechanics at work. Can you explain how you were able to get this feeling and understand the mechanics when you started to tounge block the bends? Please be as graphic as possible so I can visualize what you do. Thank you.
Comments
TB Bending for a puckerer
It is probably not my place to answer, but I noticed you have this question all over the place for different players to answer, so I'll give it a shot anyway.
I puckered the first six months before I discovered Dave Barrett's Tongue Blocking Method Book and I have used it exclusively ever since. Yes, even on the 10 blow bends up to the C harmonica.
Re-learning tongue block bending was exasperating because I felt like I had to backwards for a little while in order to go forward. As boring as it sounds, I just started to incorporate tongue block bending about 20 to 30 minutes a day into my practice. That's about half the time I have available for practice on any given day.
What I did:
Knowing it could be done, I simply started to try. If moved my tongue all over the place and was convinced my tongue was too short to hold on the harmonica and still get a bend. This went on for a week or two with no progress......but I knew it could be done.
Then one day I involuntarily swallowed while in the draw mode on hole 4........and I heard it!
It really was possible and my tongue wasn't too short!
But now how do I repeat it. I could not get it until another 20 tries and then it happened again (about the time I wanted to give up). So I decided it was time to pay close attention to where my tongue was no matter how many times it took. Needless to say I started to be able to get it about every six or seventh try. Now I started to feel the back of my tongue hump down or up (depending if I was in higher or lower octave areas).
Over the next couple of weeks I started to gain more control with daily practice I started (almost naturally) incorporating them into instrumentals I already knew.
The take away is this -
It will take time (unless of course you are a natural)
The pay off is huge since there is no awkward embouchure switching
Do not move the front of your tongue right now, focus on holding it against the harmonica and either swallowing while drawing in air or trying to hump it toward the roof of your mouth.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Mind you this was over a year ago, thus before this website, but the only reason I had the perseverance to do this is because I e-mailed Dave about a different issue (pulls in particular) that I could not seem to get a handle on and he gave me some brief but important advice the ended with the comment to keep "digging in". At first that final comment irritated me because it did not seem to have substance. However I came to realize that the only reason I got better was because I kept trying - even though there would be days with no apparent progress and I wanted to throw the harmonica out the window and get on with other things in life.
So with that in mind - Keep digging in!
RE: Tounge Block Bending
Hi Bender,
I think Bugworks has done a great job of describing his TB bending experience and I can relate to much of what he's written.
I really ought to defer this sort of question to Mr. Barrett because he is a master at explaining how the mechanics work. However, I'll take a stab at explaining what I went through when trying this technique the first time.
Part of the reason why you can't "feel" the mechanics is because it is in fact a new type of muscular movement that your tongue hasn't gotten used to yet. My initial efforts simply involved placing the tongue on the harp to where I was able to draw a single note cleanly, and then slowly manipulating the tongue to move backwards (and upwards) into the mouth in a manner similar to that of puckered bending. Difference being, the front of the tongue needs to remain on the harp at all times to perform the tongue block bend. You can practice this even without drawing air through the harp, just to get a feel for it. I am assuming that you will be tongue blocking to the left like most of us, ie. the tongue block holes 1-3, for example, while draw 4 is being bent. In that case, the tongue moves backwards and slightly towards the right side of the mouth while performing a bend.
Unless you have been blessed with superhuman muscles in your mouth, this can feel quite awkward at first, :) but please don't be disheartened. Persistence will pay off! Once I got a hint of my first TB bend, I quickly tried to "record" the muscle movements in my head and replay them until I got better at it. Half an hour a day is a good start. This probably sounds familiar to a process that you've already gone through while mastering regular, puckered bending.
Also, I had to quit puckered bending cold turkey for a while, even when playing live, so that I could force myself to get used to playing 100% tongue blocked.
Best wishes in your TB bending endeavors. I guarantee you it is absolutely worth the effort!
Regards.
Thank you
Thanks Akarsha Kumar and Bugsworks for your answer and time. The reason I asked all of the players is because I might here something in one of there explanations that hits home and the light switch gets turned on. Don't feel bad I had already asked Mr. Barrett, but I'm believer in the more stones you turn over your are more likely to find what you are looking for. If I don't take advantage of the resources here I'm foolish, and mama didn't raise no fool ........... Akarsha you are an inspiration, I hope I can get close to playing like you in 5 years. Thanks again both of you.
Bender.Try this as well. I
Bender.
Try this as well. I posted this in anotehr thread as well. I hope this might help as well.
I finally am able to control my bend s whileTb'ing .I still need some practive BUT I found out what work for me and will explain it.
I learned to pucker bend and have been working in Tb'ing bending a few weeks and finally tonight I got it. Funny how hard it is until you get the feel just like when first bending with the pucker.
What I found you need to do which is different then pucker bending is this....
With your tongue on the harp using a A harp either try the 3 or 4 hole bends. the tongue has to go forward and hump up much more then when puckering. You actually must consciously feel the tongue going forward and the back of the tongue going down. You dont need to think about the back of the tongue. It feels the same as with puckering and you will adjust automatically. The front of the tongue is the key to get the right shape. You will then be able to control all the bends on the 3hole.
EDIT:
One other thing I just noticed is the top of the front part of my tongue moved close if not touches the roof of my mouth which the air travels around the side which helps me to get the correct shape and I feel the back going down.
EDIT2:
EDIT2: The reason my tongue is closer to the roof of my mouth is because the umberture of the mouth changes when TB bending... after a day of trying to fgiure the difference is this.
Pucking your umberture is more of an oval shaped and the tongue feels more free to help with the bend...
With Tb'ing and THIS IS THE KEY I FOUND... Forget about the pucker Umberture...For TB bending which works for me is you need close up the space more up front while the back of the tongue drops....If you are too opened in front then you WONT be able to pull that bend dowd. This is why I felt my tongue getting closer to the roof of my mouth.
Let me know if this is helpful. Boy this feels good!