Tongue switching
Hello David, This is a great site. I've played for 5 years now but with very little tongue blocking as i learned as a puckerer. Thanks to the structure of this site i now feel like there is some direction on where and what to start with. Do you personally tongue switch and do you recomend students to tongue switch on the study songs whenever we are at 1 or 2 hole blow or draw? thanks!
I am in a bit of the same boat as gasaro. I have played for year without tongue blocking the first three holes, but since I have joined the site, I am trying to make a concerted effort to break this habit. I have the mechanics for the 1 hole draw and blow down, but it is the 2 hole that is giving me trouble. I actually came across this post, as I was trying to figure out what side of the mouth I should be using for this hole.
Now that I know the answer to the question, I would like to ask another, but I am keeping it in this thread as it might be helpful to gasaro. My question is this: Do you have a simple one chord lick that would be a good exercise to develop the muscle memory for us that habitually tongue block? I was trying to come up with a one this morning that would incorporate a run from the four hole to the one. Maybe a turn-around. I apologize in advance if you have a lesson or a video on this specifically; I have started my study on the chromatic section, and I have not gone through all the beginning videos.
Yes, hole 2 will take a while to get used to... but keep at it, you'll get it. There is no specific exercise for this due to the fact that everything on bh.com is written with 100% tongue blocking in mind... so if you just play the studies I've written then you're getting reps with this. As a place to start, try "Temperature" in Tongue Blocking Study 2 and Solo Harmonica Study 1.
Just an update on this for the benefit of everyone. Been working a bit on Temperature, as suggested and consistently working on my tongue switching. It will come with practice. Not having to switch to a pucker embouchure really makes moving around much smoother.
For me, it is definitely all about the "GA." The sound was thin until I opened up for the GA, and that 2 hole "honk" was back!
Hi David,
I have been tongue switching for about a year and have been trying to play TB all the time having come from puckered.
When I play a fast lick that jumps between the 1 and 2 holes my tongue tends to sometimes get lost in all the movement.
I take it the speed aspect is just practice or do you recommend playing some speed passages puckered??
Thanks,
Great question. Experiment on what works best for you. I commonly pucker the 1 and TB the 2 for fast passages. Do keep in mind that players that have learned TB from the beginning can do it just as fast. So, in the end, it's what you use the most. Play what works for you... the 1 is not a huge priority in regards to which embouchure you use. I do like the tone of the tongue switch when it's slow enough to appreciate the big tone it offers.
Good question. Most players that first learn in a pucker and add tongue blocking later will tend to pucker their 1 and their blow bends on the high end. See what's comfortable for you. I pucker hole 1 most of the time, but am using tongue switching for the 1 more and more these days... I like the way it sounds. Only tongue switch for the first hole... the second hole should played with the tongue to the left (we need it that way for slaps and pulls).