RE: [Harp-L] Valving vs. Overblowing/Overdrawing

[JersiMuse <jersimuse@xxxxxxxxx>]

I don't know if I can answer your question as I've never really played with
valved harps.
The only thing I can tell you is whatever option you chose, you'll spend
more time in learning how to use these notes correctly than in acquiring the
technique.
Overblows and overdraws don't seem more difficult than usual bends once you
are used to them. Really.
In fact, in my advice, they even seem easier (I think it is easier to play a
nice and precise +6° than a nice and precise -3''' for example).
A beginner trying to bend a note has much more hard time than a good player
trying to play his first overnote.
If I remember well my short experience with valved harmonicas, the sound is
slightly different, which is one thing to be considered also.
So I would say : go for the option you prefer (that may not be the advice
you were waiting for ... :-)).
It doesn't really matter.
If you want to work out the use of these "missing notes", and especially if
you want to be able to play in different keys, your challenge is elsewhere,
and I think in that case the most important is not the technique you've
chosen, but to stick on it, to be able to go farer with it every day.

Not sure that helps :-)

Best regards,

Jerome
www.youtube.com/JersiMuse


-----Message d'origine-----
De : harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] De la part
de Elizabeth Hess
Envoyé : lundi 18 avril 2011 15:32
À : harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Objet : [Harp-L] Valving vs. Overblowing/Overdrawing

So, when I was making my Smo' Joe tuned harps, I learned how to valve
draw-5 so that you can blow-bend 5 to get Eb (on a C harp).  It's pretty
easy.  And I got a PowerBender, and valved draw 2, 7, 9,and 10 to get the
"in-between" notes on that harp.

Does it work to valve the blow reeds at the top end of a Richter-tuned harp
to get Db and Ab (on a C harp)?

Blow bending with valves seems easier to execute than overblowing and
overdrawing.  Why does overblowing/overdrawing seem so much more prevalent?
Are there cons to valving that I don't know about?  Is it  
"cheating" to use the easier technique for getting those notes?   
Supposing I wanted to use valves *until* I got good enough to overblow/
overdraw as if it were "just another bend", can you overblow a chamber that
has a valve on it?  Is there any reason not to just valve everything
relevant on all my harps?

I found a hammer.  Everything looks like a nail at the moment.    
Except I have this nagging feeling that I  *ought*  to know better.   
What am I missing?

Elizabeth