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Forums :: Ask Instructor David Barrett

Tongue blocking during movement exercises

1 reply [Last post]
Tue, 01/31/2023 - 08:19
m.marco
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Level 4
Joined: 01/08/2023

Hello mr Barrett,

new student here. I'm Marco, from Italy. 

First of all, let me tell you how well designed your course is. I'm really enjoying it.

Btw, I started playing harmonica when I joined here but as a guitarist I've always liked technical works and I think that doing that kind exercises always pays off. That's why i'm doing a lot of work on movement exercises pattern ex 1, 2 and i'm going to do the diatonic exs starting from the 4th hole (still figuring out how to bend obviously).

I'm doing all the exs in tongue blocking and here Is my question: 

1) Is It usefull doing this exercises with both tongue on the right and on the left?

should It be like tongue on the right during ascent and tongue on the left on descent? I think you don't talk about It (at least at the beginning)

 

2) slapping: should the note you slap be on top of the muted chord? It sound weird to me when I play a melody and I slap a note with the tongue on the right. Maybe it's Just me, because this sound remembers it's like a rake on a guitar, or the typical SRV's "chunking" sound.

 

3) When you play the lower octave or just 2-4 if you play crossharp, with also slapping single notes and grooving with chords, would you move the harp or you would just move your tongue with ease? I'm still trying to understand what Is doable and what not.

 

Thanks you for your answers and sorry of some question may look trivial. I dont understand 100% as a non native speaker so maybe I miss something important here and there

 

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Tue, 01/31/2023 - 09:56
#1
David Barrett
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ExpertHead InstructorTeacher 10Level 10
Joined: 12/20/2009
Hello Marco, welcome to the

Hello Marco, welcome to the site. I'm glad that you're enjoying your studies. Answers below...

1) Keep your tongue to the left for all playing, except for hole 1.

2) Exactly... the tongue should be to the left for slaps. Sometimes players slap hole 1 (with the tongue to the right), but it's not used often.

3) If you're speaking of moving left and right to play, generally the harmonica moves. If we move one hole to either direction, we can move our head and then come back. Often, the head and the hands move a little bit (apposing directions) so we're able to play with less movement and greater speed, but this is not something you need to concern yourself with, this will happen naturally as you begin to play faster. So, as a general answer, move the harmonica.

Keep the questions coming.

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  • Tongue Blocking Study 2 – This study is for the newer player or the player new to tongue blocking
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