Re: [Harp-L] Overdraw overbend overblow

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Cool.

I have heard many people who know the difference between an overblow and an
overdraw use the term overblow for holes 7 thru 10.  I agree that it is
incorrect, but I've heard it plenty.
Michael Rubin
michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 12:44 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>wrote:

> Actually, Will Scarlett was using the term "overblow" in 1974, long before
> Howard Levy. I heard him use the term in the spring of that year while
> giving a lecture on acoustics at the Blue Bear School.
>
> It's true that the "over" part of the term seems to imply force, but it
> also indicates a higher ("over") pitch, which is the central feature of the
> phenomenon.
>
> I've started to refer to bending notes down (standard bends) and bending
> notes up (overbends) as a way of describing the phenomena in a
> non-technical way. You could also talk more precisely about closing reed
> bends and opening reed bends, and about isolated and dual reed bends.
>
> Winslow Yerxa
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
>             Harmonica Basics For Dummies, ASIN B005KIYPFS
>             Blues Harmonica For Dummies, ISBN 978-1-1182-5269-7
> Resident Harmonica Expert, bluesharmonica.com
> Instructor, Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
>
>   ------------------------------
>  *From:* Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* Edward Hart <hooligan6a@xxxxxx>
> *Cc:* harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> *Sent:* Monday, February 10, 2014 7:44 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Harp-L] Overdraw overbend overblow
>
> Ed,
> Bends make a note go lower in pitch.  Overblows and overdraws make a note
> go higher in pitch.
>
> On a standard diatonic harp, you can only bend on the draw notes from holes
> 1 thru 6.  You can only bend on the blow notes from holes 7 thru 10.
>
> On a standard diatonic harp, you can only overblow on the blow notes from
> holes 1 thru 6.  You can only overdraw on the draw notes from holes 7 thru
> 10.
>
> Since bends and overblows do opposite things, they needed two different
> terms to describe them.  The term overblow was coined by Howard Levy, who
> had played saxophone in his lifetime and overblow is a saxaphone term.  He
> thought the concept was similiar enough to call them overblows.
>
> Sadly, the term overblow is very confusing.  It suggests you need to blow
> hard.  It suggests you can only do it on blow notes.  Since many harmonica
> players teach themselves, when they discover how to bend on the blow notes
> from holes 7 thru 10 , they know only they are blowing and changing the
> pitch.  They must be overblowing!  But they are wrong, they are bending on
> the blow notes.
>
> Perhaps a better term for bending would be descended bend and a better term
> for overblows  would be ascended bend.  But I guarantee there would be
> problems with that as well.  These are the terms we use, I suggest taking
> the time to make sure you understand and are speaking them correctly and
> move on from there.
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 9:19 AM, Edward Hart <hooligan6a@xxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >  Why not just call them draw bends and blow bends?  Why the over?  Over
> > what?
> >
> >              Ed Hart
> >
>
>
>