Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 09:20:57 -0700 From: b~-2000.com (Robert Bonfiglio) Subject: Bonfiglio on Tongue switching
Since this is a technique I have taught for years and learned to extend by Chamber Huang, I felt I should talk about it and how to perfect it.
All tongue switching, warbles, single note repeating in spit position, etc. are related. Rapid movement of the tongue back and forth can be learned, although for some people it seems they are born with it.
1. Start by blowing out in a whistle position with your mouth (NO HARP) and move your tongue back and forth to cut the air by sticking it in the hole where the whistle is and then moving it left to right to left. As soon as you can do this fast, you can play a fast repeated single note on the harmonica the same way, although draw may be more difficult. By dipping a little deeper you can produce a warble - telephone ring - over about three holes.
2. Now go to the chromatic - because the holes are bigger - and play a D in hole 5 on the right corner. Swish your tongue toward the D the same way as above and the A in hole three will sound. Back and forth rapidly will produce a police car in Europe sound. To move from D down to F in hole two, you need only to turn the harmonica slightly as you swish your tongue toward the D - that is a switch and a hole move down together.
3. Now move the above technique to the diatonic:
a. play the 7th interval (C harp) of 2 draw G and 5 draw F. b. as soon as you hit this interval, go into a sloppy tongue warble by swishing your tongue over the harp - the telephone ringing. c. now start a fast run of single notes by playing the G left and switching to F right in tongue block - these kind of switches can throw notes you normally would have to jump to into runs both above and below the note you are on. Practice 6D-3D -6D, 6B-3B-6B, 5D-3D-5D, 5B-3B-5B, 4D-2D-4D, etc. in triplets. ONCE YOU CAN PLAY SINGLE NOTES OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH, TRY TWO NOTES. There is no end to the variations on this.
