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Date: Sat, 20 May 1995 06:45:53 -0500 (CDT)
From: JJTHAD~ife.uams.edu
Subject: TB

>> . . . . When tongue-blocking, I use the top side. If I was to draw
>> a line across my tongue where the harp touches, I think it would be
>> about a third of the way back.

>Just checked this out - when puckering, my harp is very shallow - just in
>as far as the inside of my lip. When I tongue block, it's in as far as
>it'll go - right to the corners of my mouth.

My harp is really deep when I'm sounding best. Also, I need to edit some earlier comments I made, now that I've had a chance to think about what I really do.

I find I often use the top side too, but really only for the the center-hole U-block. I said the tip of my tongue was just below the hole(s) being played, but I discover that often it is on the bottom cover plate, about where it begins to flatten out, or on the flat part (i.e. of a Golden Mel). So the
"third of the way back" actually is a fit description of what I do too.

For side-hole blocks, I said the tip of my tongue was buried in the soft flesh of my cheek just behind the lip muscles, but that also is no longer true. About the time my bends became strong and controlled, including those octaves I referred to where bends are needed (more about these later), I think my tongue position changed (snuck up on me and I've just realized it). Now, the tip stays on the comb, not particularly in a hole or anything, but on the comb.

Several have asked how a side-hole TB bend is done, and mentioned specifically that blow bends of this type were difficult. Can someone help out here? I'm supposed to be on a plane in an hour and if I try to describe bending now, I'll probably get it wrong.

-John Thaden