I started out lip pursing, but have started working on tongue-blocking. I have already come to the realization, that tongue-blocking is absolutely essential.
Basically, I lip purse for holes 1-3 and tongue-block for holes 4-10.
I've got a friend who gave me the handle "Leon Stagg" because he thought it had a blusey sound to it. I couldn't agree with you more about the mind and imagination for musicians. My son plays percussion, and one of his band directors at school noticed that his physical skills and timing were way ahead of his overall musical vision. He could play any of the pieces that were put in front of him, but when it came to improvisation, he needed more insight. Since then, he has started enjoying more diverse styles like jazz, swing, bop, etc. It was a big step for him. Being able to create is what it's all about.
Keep up the tounge-blocked bending, you'll have it mastered in no time. One more thing that really helps me is to practice holding my bent notes for several seconds. I think that when players are learning to bend, they hurry past the notes impatiently. (I know that is what I did, that way if I missed it, it was not quit so obvious)
Thanks for the input...(shall I call you Leon? Or Kevin?)
I keep practicing the bends, and there's improvement. Funny - that's just how I figured out bends with a pucker.
My playing quality definitely has taken a temporary step back - which I expected and am OK with. I know in the long run I'll be better for it. I like to think I have two primary limiting factors to my playing (and thus am always trying to improve both) - my mouth and my mind. Since I started playing it seemed my mouth was better than my mind. Now that I'm changing technique it's the other way around, even if only temporarily.
I started out like everyone else basically, when they first pick up the harp, as a puckerer. As I progressed from chords to single notes, I tounge-blocked. (After some initial frustration with the low draw notes, I adjusted to it quickly.) After playing some straight harp, I wanted to move to cross harp, which is the reason I took up the harmonica. I to, was concerned with trying tounge-blocked bends, it seemed to me that everyone was puckering. I took up puckering exclusively for a while, hoping to move smoothly into bending. My playing and enjoyment suffered a little, then I finally talked to Gindick on the phone. He told me to stick with tounge-blocking and taught me to bend (not perfectly, but fundamentally) in about ten minutes. He sent me his bending and tone workshop on C.D. and I used (and still use) it along with a chromatic tuner to practice. Brian Purdy of Harpgear told me to stay on holes 1,2, and 3 for three weeks, then add the 4 hole for the fourth week. The idea is to really shape and memorize the feel of hitting each bend. I still spend some time each day on these exercises.
I think that the more you tounge-block, the drier the process will become for you and the wooden comb won't be much of an issue. Try a Special 20 or a Bushman Delta Frost, they both have plastic combs and sound great.
I've toyed with it a few times, and even made a serious effort once, but I could never get into tongue-blocking. Well, the right song and the right effects in that song, and I'm a convert. I've done nothing but block for the last few weeks, and now I'm finding it more comfortable than puckering.
I've got two questions, though...
One. I have not figured out bending yet. Is there a special technique, different from the pucker? Or do I just need to keep at it, like I did with puckering, until I finally get it?
Two. I like the tone of a wooden comb. I'm stocked full of Marine Bands and Blues Harps. Obviously I'm getting them much wetter now. Should I expect much quicker turn-around on harps now?
