solo question & tongue vibrato question
Hi David,
Where in Ryan Walker's study lessons was solo 2 in 12 bar? I am unable to find it now. It was the
toe-tappin solo. solo study #2...
my other question is that I don't understand how to do tremolo on holes 1 & 4 with tongue vibrato?
If I use my tongue to block holes 2 & 3, then I'd have to move my tongue to be able to do the
tongue vibrato.
Also, I'm just starting my journey on learning to tongue block bend. Is there a book on just this subject?
I'm grateful for your help.
Patricia Frizzell
p.s. have a wonderful trip to Germany...
Hello Patricia. Thank you for your well wishes on my trip to Germany, I always look forward to working with my students in Europe. Answers below...
1) I cover the Solo Harmonica Study 2 material with Ryan in his 4th lesson. Is that what you were looking for?
2) Understanding the mechanics of the vibrato, and even more so to how to create it, is one of the most challenging things to study. First off, the vibrato does not use the front of the tongue, so the fact that you're tongue blocking is not an issue.
Secondly, before you try vibrato, you want to make sure your tremolo is good... you're using it all the time... because the vibrato requires the tremolo to be happening.
Thirdly, your mouth needs to be tuned to the note you're playing (4 draw D for example).
Lastly, your tongue and embouchure need to be relaxed enough so that the throat tremolo moves the tongue and throat sympathetically in for the pitch to change.
One way to practice this... assuming your tremolo is good... is to play a 4 draw and then slowly bend it and unbend it. At the moment the 4 draw is unbent your mouth is now tuned to that 4 draw D and if you start your tremolo... and your tongue, mouth and throat are relaxed enough... the vibrato will sound.
That took me many years of research to dial in, but it's the science of it. Watch the lesson on Vibrato when you get a moment to work it out.
3) All of the bending lessons on this website are from the perspective of the tongue blocker, so you're covered here. There is no difference in how bending works between pucker and tongue blocking, the tongue blocker just needs to focus more on the wave-like action I speak of in the lessons.