The Big Walter video above is a good example of why you might want to get good at tongue blocking…….
If you struggle with mastering the art of playing the harmonica with tongue blocking, I have good news for you. There is now a tool you can use to make it easy to see what is going on when you try to train your tongue to make those cool, massive tone bombs that can only happen when you slam back and forth between playing a chord and single notes on a harmonica.
It is called the Filisko Tongue Block Trainer, or TBT, and it looks a bit like the quickie fold up boxes that they have a McDonalds that the Apple McPie modules (or whatever they are called) come in. It is basically a 7 hole hollow harmonica with a mirror. You put the TBT to your mouth and watch your tongue as it closes and opens the little holes in the mouthpiece. It is a strange and fascinating sight.
I had one harmonica student who described her tongue as “this little sea creature inside my mouth”. It is the only muscle you have that is attached on one end and free on the other. Free reeds, free tongue. Poetic justice, I suppose.
Training this “little sea creature” is a lot easier if you can keep an eye on it at least part of the time while you form the first habits, or correct old ones. That is the main idea of the TBT.
I’ll be posting photos and more info soon.
Happy almost New Year!
Richard
12 Comments
Ivan Saric
January 9, 2013 - 7:19 pmThe Big Walter video “Shakeys Blues” is an amazing example of using the tongue as a very important tool to add percussive & tonal effects.
I have played along to this amazing tune at least a couple of thousand times if not more since I discovered it on Youtube 9 months ago. I love the so called “tone bombs” that’s what makes it so special.
I haven’t read the book you mentioned Richard & I’m not much of a reader, but I will try to get around to it. Unfortunately I’m off to work as I write..
Best regards to all the other Harmonica hermits.
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