RE: Bending [LONG]

[hippo@xxxxxxxxxx (Hugh Messenger)]

At  9:56 9/15/94 -0400, wlgrogan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>I'm familir with overblowing, as
>in holes 8-10, which is really just bending blow notes, right?

Nope.  Overblowing is when you bend a blow note UP in pitch, not down, and
will work on just about every blow note, one through ten, although only a
few of these are 'necessary' to fill in the blanks (the notes you can't get
by regular draw bending).

I think you are talking about regular blow bending, which as you say works
only on the top holes.  I'll never forget the day I worked out that I could
blow bend by using a whistling movement with the tongue rather than just
blowing *very* hard!

>I've never
>heard of overdrawing though and wonder how this is accomplished?

Overdrawing is when you bend a draw note UP in pitch.  I only use it on one
hole, again to fill in one of the blanks.

>Perhaps I'm
>already doing this and don't realize it since I play strictly by ear and like
>you, pucker block only.

I do use tongue blocking, but usually for octaving or 'flutter' type
effects.  If you haven't tried 'octaving', you should try it - block two
holes with your tongue and play the two holes either side.  Note the
octaves on the blow and the discords on the draw.  The 2-5 draw is
particularly nice for blues.

>However, I'm having a hard time visualizing how to do
>it, soooo.....can you explain it for me.

Errrmmm .... no.  Overblowing and overdrawing are very strange things to
do, and it seems like most folk just kind of stumble on it.  I found myself
overblowing a year or so before I heard anyone else talk about it (ie.
Howard Levy) and did it quite by accident.

The trick for overblowing seems to be in the back of the tongue, top of
throat area.  I kind of 'turbo charge' the airflow by constricting the "say
the letter K" area of the air passage.  Also instead of pulling the tongue
back and down, I push it forward and up, and put a lot of 'tension' in the
tongue.  If you are going to try, use hole five or six as a starter.

See what I mean about I can't explain it!

To do it consistently and in tune usually requires 'fettling' your harps -
gapping of the reeds is critical.  My best overblow machine is a Bb Ultimo
that Joe Felisko (sp?) tweeked for me.  SBS's work pretty good too -
something to do with the size of the reeds, I think.

Overdrawing (as far as I can tell) is only required to get one note, so I
wouldn't worry about it for now!

>I do see that you mention that you arehaving a hard time with this procedure,
>>so maybe you can enlighten us non-music
>readers.  Thanks.
>Bill Grogan
>wlgrogan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

   -- hugh