tonguing the harmonica: a guide

For players willing to use their tongues in unfamiliar ways, the harmonica offers a range of bluesy sounds. With Adam Gussow of Modern Blues Harmonica.

If you'd like to learn how to play blues harmonica, visit Modern Blues Harmonica:

©Adam Gussow 2015. All rights reserved

[MeetPragneshShah]

"Oh honey! -- that stuff" -- your ever charming way of getting the point across is brilliant.

[Learntheharmonica]

Brilliant, "I've heard about you guys". Once at a show I had a woman ask if all this tonguing means "transferrable skills". Yep.

[seanstephens]

Brilliant as ever maestro Adam. Love your style, Sean Belfast.

[patricktherrien]

Like your block lesson gussow your a good teacher been following you for years it's just a hobby but I love doing it thanks buddy

[sunjamrblues]

Well I, for one, am now enlightened. And I'm dizzy from copying what you were doing. But it's a good kind of dizzy.

[lmclrain]

Quality content, just subbed. And also, got a tunned in C harmonica which I love. This was an instrument so underrated by me. Not anymore.

[peymannzn]

Hi Adam, I would gratefully thank you if you share a video on "single note warm up practice" on a blues scale although I know you don't share videos for "beginners". I already know there are a lot of this kind on youtube, but it would be nice to try what you'd been doing as a warm-up riff/practice before becoming a master.

[fabygama]

you're very sympathetic thx for the lessons

[gabrielvolpe]

after some practicing my harp got wet.. is that normal? haha

[Raglafart]

Hi Adam
First thanks so much for sharing all of this information. Just wish the internet had been around when I first started playing some 40 years ago!
I've been a purser for most of my playing life with tongue block splits as needed.
Andy Just has just done a tour here in Australia and I managed to get a few minutes with him after a couple of his gigs and I just have to perfect that tongue side swipe sound. Until I spoke to Andy I had no idea how it was done.
Anyway I've been working much harder on the tongue blocking and vamping with some early success, but the side to side split is proving a problem with my tongue.
Is the tongue thing able to be learned by anyone or is it like rolling your tongue, some can, some can't? I mean I can swipe the tongue from side to side, it's just the speed everyone else seems to have. I can get close wobbling the head but it's not quite the same
Are there any exercises (that you can openly talk about) to get the action going faster?
Cheers John

[KulinerYK]

please make video with g diatonic harmonica :))

[philasselstine]

Love ur video, s I'm just learn at 50 years old I have the marine band 1896 I'm learning on its what my uncles always played on I don't no if u did video on it or not but I'm having trouble getting clear note on draw hole one sounds like its being choked out have no problem with draw hole 2 to 10 get them clear notes no problem its just draw one I do have no bottom teeth in front don't no if that makes diferance or not any help would be very presrated

[stuartracing]

Wow, I was trying to put the tip of my tongue and it just wasn`t working right....This technique is way better....

[justincheney]

🤩🙏👍 classic, we talkin bout cunnilingus boy, I say cunnilingus 🤪

[paulmazurek]

I didn't know I was doing Tongue blocking and bending Filisco designed a low G sounds like a pipe organ I can bend noted on it that he says he can't again I didn't know I was bending Notes in the late 1800's my Grand Father that I never met worked Fro Hohner
Maybe it's in my DNA lol

[macgyver]

9:41 took your "advice" fooling around with the side to side ETC, I'll let you know when she finally stops screamin...🤷‍♂

[gabrielvolpe]

lots of learning from a tiny little instrument

[faethe]

Gee, thanks, Adam. Now I feel like a lesbian when I play my harmonica :p