[Harp-L] Valving vs. overblowing

[PT Gazell <pt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Elizabeth wrote:

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?


Elizabeth,

I play valved diatonic exclusively and can tell you that I find it more like
an extension of what we already do on the diatonic: bending or flatting
notes to obtain the missing ones from the scale. I will not say it¹s easier
or better. Both techniques require work and practice and both result in a
different sound and different patterns. My opinion of why overblowing is
more popular is that until Seydel started using the material I showed them
for valves, the plastic ones turned off players that wanted to pursue that
route. The plastic ones rattle and pop as well as react badly to moisture
and temperature.  The valve material and reed setup that you can get by
ordering a Gazell Method diatonic from Seydel may be of interest to you and
anyone else interested in half valved diatonic playing. More info is
available at this link:
http://www.ptgazell.com/Seydel_Harmonica_Shop.html

Examples of how I use this technique can be heard at:
http://www.ptgazell.com/Recordings.html & http://www.youtube.com/gazell

PT Gazell