Thank you, Lee. These videos make the "tongue blocking experience" a lot easier. I am trying bending(tongue blocked) for a week and I already can bend the 4 perfectly, the 6 is not bad but still, and I can also bend the 3. That's great progress
@bluesnobrasil Fine praise indeed! Great to hear you are applying the information in my videos and that it is directly helping you improve and discover new things. Marvellous. Tell me, do you find you get a bigger tone using tongue blocking? Warm regards, Lee
@GOLONDRINAS18 O.k, I understand now. Well the higher the note, the smaller the reed. If you look at them they are very short and delicate. Try to make sure you are relaxed when you play but this is especially important on the higher notea. If you are tensing the mouth/tongue then your technique will choke the reed and not let it vibrate naturally. You do not have to draw hard to get good volume from these reeds. Try to draw the air across the reed with no interference. A very light touch.
@hohner2010 Hi, what you describe is normally. All musicians go through these periods. I have many times. I can suggest a couple of things. You can keep playing and after a while something will click naturally and you will move onto the next lesson. However, an opposite approach is to take a complete break & not play for a while ( say 2 weeks- month).
I solved the problem. I needed some practice with the 6, but now I'm really confident with both 4 and 6, I will do the 6 for a few days, though. And then I will move forward to the 3
@leesankeygroup During the break try listening to different music or find new inspiration. The key is to get away from the harmonica for a bit. Meanwhile your brain will continue 'working' on the harmonica in the background. When you return to the harmonica something new will be waiting and you will have new energy, perspective and vigor. Try it and let me know what happens.
@veliliukas Cheers, 3rd position is an excellent way of learning to play with tongue blocking. The bending exercises in this video also apply if you lip purse as well.
Whoa Nelly. I was putting too much pressure with my tongue on the comb. I backed off with less pressure and it sounds much better today. Practice makes perfect. Cheers1
@bluesnobrasil Ok so you do notice the difference in tone. Cool. Bending very high notes tongue blocked, say the 10, 9, 8 in 1st position, is tough. If you can bend draw 4, draw 6 should be achievable as well. Once you get to the draw 3 and draw 2 it gets hard again to hit bends accurately tongue blocked. If you can hit all 3 bends on draw 3 precisely lip pursed or tongue blocked you're doing well. Lee
Sounds like you're well on your way. Keep going. May be don't try tackling holes 3, 2 and 1 until you're really confident on 4 and above. I mean really confident. I played that way for 10 years before starting to TB hole 3. This means you can continue to work on getting the bends and control on those lower holes using LP. Lee
Thanks a lot, Lee. Keep'em coming (all the way down to the overblow technique). About "Brainstrumts", I intend to read it eventually, but based on your brief statement in this video, I think you would find the "Rafael Mendez - Flight of the Bumble Bee & Mexican Hat Dance" (posted by Zooter1940s) clip very interesting. Listen to his words beginning at 0:42. (I tried to paste the link here but recieved an error alert).
It's me again. I am doing the 6 at the moment. I can bend it good but I have a problem. I can do -6 -6' 6 or -6 -6' -7 easily but I can't begin playing from the bend
@bluesnobrasil That does sound strange, there aren't any fundamental differences between those harps that should mean you can bend on one but not the other. Weird. You can reach me via a direct message on TH-cam, Kind regards, Lee
After two weeks (or so) of working on TB bends, I sound as though the airflow on my bends is pinched or reduced compared to when I purse these bends. I hope continued practice produces a better sound for myself. Any thoughts?
Thank you, Lee. These videos make the "tongue blocking experience" a lot easier. I am trying bending(tongue blocked) for a week and I already can bend the 4 perfectly, the 6 is not bad but still, and I can also bend the 3. That's great progress
@bluesnobrasil Fine praise indeed! Great to hear you are applying the information in my videos and that it is directly helping you improve and discover new things. Marvellous. Tell me, do you find you get a bigger tone using tongue blocking? Warm regards, Lee
@GOLONDRINAS18 O.k, I understand now. Well the higher the note, the smaller the reed. If you look at them they are very short and delicate. Try to make sure you are relaxed when you play but this is especially important on the higher notea. If you are tensing the mouth/tongue then your technique will choke the reed and not let it vibrate naturally. You do not have to draw hard to get good volume from these reeds. Try to draw the air across the reed with no interference. A very light touch.
@hohner2010 Hi, what you describe is normally. All musicians go through these periods. I have many times. I can suggest a couple of things. You can keep playing and after a while something will click naturally and you will move onto the next lesson. However, an opposite approach is to take a complete break & not play for a while ( say 2 weeks- month).
Nice lesson again Lee!! Good tip on 3rd position playing. Useful stuff!!!
I solved the problem. I needed some practice with the 6, but now I'm really confident with both 4 and 6, I will do the 6 for a few days, though. And then I will move forward to the 3
@leesankeygroup During the break try listening to different music or find new inspiration. The key is to get away from the harmonica for a bit. Meanwhile your brain will continue 'working' on the harmonica in the background. When you return to the harmonica something new will be waiting and you will have new energy, perspective and vigor. Try it and let me know what happens.
@HarpoonTA Thanks for the tip and please let me know what you think of the paper when you've read it.
@veliliukas Cheers, 3rd position is an excellent way of learning to play with tongue blocking. The bending exercises in this video also apply if you lip purse as well.
@GOLONDRINAS18 Thanks! Sorry I don't understand your question. Do you mean is it better to tongue block or lip purse 7, 8, 9, 10 draw? Lee
Another great lesson Lee cheers!
Thanks for watching - are you working your way through the whole 25 lesson course?
@@leesankeygroup Yes giving it a crack!
Whoa Nelly. I was putting too much pressure with my tongue on the comb. I backed off with less pressure and it sounds much better today. Practice makes perfect. Cheers1
Yep, a lot players play too hard before their technique can support it. Sounds like you are making progress.
@bluesnobrasil Ok so you do notice the difference in tone. Cool. Bending very high notes tongue blocked, say the 10, 9, 8 in 1st position, is tough. If you can bend draw 4, draw 6 should be achievable as well. Once you get to the draw 3 and draw 2 it gets hard again to hit bends accurately tongue blocked. If you can hit all 3 bends on draw 3 precisely lip pursed or tongue blocked you're doing well. Lee
Sounds like you're well on your way. Keep going. May be don't try tackling holes 3, 2 and 1 until you're really confident on 4 and above. I mean really confident. I played that way for 10 years before starting to TB hole 3. This means you can continue to work on getting the bends and control on those lower holes using LP. Lee
Thanks a lot, Lee. Keep'em coming (all the way down to the overblow technique).
About "Brainstrumts", I intend to read it eventually, but based on your brief statement in this video, I think you would find the "Rafael Mendez - Flight of the Bumble Bee & Mexican Hat Dance" (posted by Zooter1940s) clip very interesting. Listen to his words beginning at 0:42.
(I tried to paste the link here but recieved an error alert).
@Tsutsomu Thanks for checking out brainstruments!
@g0moz A pleasure, spread the word!
@HarpoonTA Hey man no worries!
It's me again. I am doing the 6 at the moment. I can bend it good but I have a problem. I can do -6 -6' 6 or -6 -6' -7 easily but I can't begin playing from the bend
thank you again lee
@bluesnobrasil That does sound strange, there aren't any fundamental differences between those harps that should mean you can bend on one but not the other. Weird. You can reach me via a direct message on TH-cam, Kind regards, Lee
@peduarte54 Cheers Pedro, there's some useful tips in here if I do say so myself :-)
It will come, takes time...
Hi Lee,
Thanks a lot for the new lesson. Good luch for your project, I sub your mailing list on Brainstruments.
See you my friend
Steph.
After two weeks (or so) of working on TB bends, I sound as though the airflow on my bends is pinched or reduced compared to when I purse these bends. I hope continued practice produces a better sound for myself. Any thoughts?
From the sound of your latest comment, you seemed to have unlocked some more progress. Don't forget, doing 'this' well will take time.
Please forgive my misspelling of brainstruments on the previous comment.
Days? Ha ha....