blocking and bending

[<Randy.Lilleston@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

 > From: Winslow Yerxa <uunet!CompuServe.COM!76450.3230>
 > Randy:

 > Closing the pucker to bend is the worst possibelway to
 > bend, for two
 > reasons: It gives you the least amount of control, and
 > has the
 > worst tone. Throat bending is the most powerful,
 > although hard to
 > master. If tongue blockingforces you to learn this, it
 > will
 > help you a lot.

...I don't entirely agree with this, because I've always had great control with
bends, but I really only semi-pucker-bend, using a jaw drop and a throat closure
a bit too. What it really comes down to is that I'm playing out a lot these
days, and I'm unlearning some bad habits I've picked up over the years. I notice
no tone difference between bends and straight notes, but the whole reason for
learning tongue blocking in the first place is that it has a superior amplified
blues tone, I believe.