Polyrhythmic tongue blocking

Polyrhythm: simultaneous use of different rhythms – which are not forms of the same metre and do not derive from each other – between the voices of a composition, which produces a rhythmic variety. In a previous article I focused on the rhythmic potential of tongue blocking using the famous Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star as a basic melody, and I was inspired by the 12 variations of that melody (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyhxeo6zLAM) that Mozart had elaborated in 1781 (those were not just rhythmic variations). All the variations I proposed were based on a different subdivision of the basic time: the melody is simple and POLYRHYTHMIC helps to define the main beat in 2/4 (each bar is composed of two beats), while the TONGUE BLOCKING percussion of the tongue was used to create a rhythm, which in that case was Matteo Pulin Profetto linked to the basic time: it was a different subdivision of the main beat. What would happen if this subdivision no longer followed the basic one? I think we could lay the groundwork for a polyrhythmic harmonica! Using the same melody, I've tried to elaborate a series of 12 variations in which the two rhythms are not derived from each other. There are a few definitions of polyrhythm and they're not always consistent with each other, so maybe not all the variations I propose could be defined as strictly polyrhythmic, but here I want to explore and make the best to emphasising the illusion that tongue blocking gives that two instruments are playing at the same time. A standard 10-hole Richter diatonic harmonica has few chords available, so we have to be careful to avoid harmony problems (i.e. the chord that is inevitably produced by the vibrating reeds) and instead emphasise the rhythm making each slap (i.e. the moment in which the tongue beats on the harmonica, blocking the holes that must not play) the fastest and most decisive possible. Two movements are involved (I’m using here the same nomenclature as Joe Filisko, one who knows something about tongue blocking ...): • clean single note produced by leaving the tongue on the harmonica and letting the air escape into the single hole we need on the right side of the mouth • vamping the note is played by making the tongue lash – quoting David Barrrett: "by breathing a fraction of a second in advance (allowing the four reeds to vibrate), then blocking the

three holes [left] with the tongue, leaving the hole right open”. WARNING! This technique, which is used in Chicago style to give push and aggression to the note or split, in this case, which we can refer to as Old Time style, serves much more to mark the time, and is executed with more subtlety!

If the rhythm and melody play at the same time, the tongue will beat on the harmonica, leaving just the correct hole open and blocking the other holes on the left. If, on the other hand, a melody note is already playing, the tongue will rise and fall back on the harmonica, leaving the correct hole open and blocking the other holes on the left, without interrupting the air flow that is passing and, therefore, allowing the hole on the right to continue playing.

I've tried to get to the rhythm gradually in the cases I found most difficult, removing or adding a beat from time to time until I reached the result. Keeping the focus especially on the melody always helps a lot, letting the rhythm, which is better to play lightly and in the background, proceed spontaneously. I've often been inspired by ‘famous’ rhythms for these exercises: you can hear references to the clave de son, to the habanera, to some of the typical tango rhythms, to the 3: 2 polyrhythm ... As already said, the melody is quite simple and defines a very evident basic pulse, so it is good for this application: this is just an exercise to practise the tongue blocking's great rhythmic attitude, but I find that it can be very useful not just for training, but maybe to be included in certain passages of our songs. Through recording our progress often and perhaps through more listening, focusing on both parts to verify that each is proceeding correctly and independently is a good idea. The tune structure is ABA, but in the music scores above, just part A is included for reasons of space (part B is just as easy to play by ear). The rhythm part scores are written below the tune and the basic beat imposed on the tune by the tongue percussion is represented. The exercise is played with an A harp and the tempo is 75 bpm. I hope this can be of help and, as always, have fun! Facebook page: Matteo Pulin Profetto – Irish & Celtic Harmonica YouTube channel: Pulin Harmonica pulinharmonica@gmail.com

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