Re: Learning to Overblow

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxx>]

Steve Shaw (whom I greatly admire) wrote:
> I sometimes wonder what they must be making of all this overblow 
> stuff, put up here by a few alpha-grade players who seem to want to 
> put forth the idea that harp-playing isn't complete without 
> overblowing.  It just ain't true, is it? 

Hmmmm, I must've missed that post.  Seems to me that just about 
everyone who participates in this list talks most about what they 
know best, whether it's how to use overblows to get the missing notes 
not available on the tuning they've chosen, or how to swap preamp 
tubes to get that perfect combination of crunch and smoothness in 
their '65 Fender Twin, or whether to choose just or some type of 
tempered tuning for a particular style of music.  I think it's 
equally true that no one thinks their way is the "one true path" to 
harmonica nirvana.  

I love to hear about how different players solve problems, whether 
they are problems of tuning or tone, of available notes or available 
tonal coloration, whateer.  I don't think anyone is trying 
to "convert" me.  And I've stolen some very good ideas from lots of 
people of lots of different abilities on this list.  

Not knowing how to do something is a limitation, whether it's sight 
reading or overblowing or playing fast enough on an altered tuning to 
pull of a respectable reel.  We all have limitations, and we all 
attempt to make "sweet music" while playing within our "existing 
limits".  

- -tim