I've been playing for a few years and I never could get tongue blocking octaves down. It just sounds strangled most of the time. All I needed to hear was "play out the sides of your mouth." Sounds obvious, but somehow I had to hear it. Now I can just relax and focus on that part and it works. Thank you!
Man you sound awesome on that thing, really good, I am not a harp player but a guitarist and very few harp players I know personally can tongue block and have chucked the technique in the too hard basket but for the music I play, blues I feel it is a must, as far as I know all the great blues players were masters at it. I have a couple of harmonicas but when I try to tongue block, LOL, no sound at all comes out. Lucky I am a decent picker.