RE: Blow Bending

[Richard Owen <richardo@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

If you can do a blow-bend you can do an overblow, setting the reed offsets is
the secret.  For practicing you can close the gap down so that the reed won't
even sound on drawing, this makes the overblow easier.

Last weekend, I saw a test model that Filisko sent to Will Scarlett.  Will was
saying that the improved over-playing capabilities were due to the fine
adjustment of the offsets.  I wonder if the double reed plates have any effect?
I think there are several factors:  Setting the offset of the reed that will be
overplayed so that it sounds when played with the air flowing in the opposite
direction.  Setting the offset of the opposing reed so that it easily stops
vibrating and seals the reed hole allowing the other reed to sound (problems
if the reed is too short or too narrow for the hole leaving surrounding leakage
space).  Embouchure (resonant chamber size).  Reed quality (thin, wispy reeds
that are heavy at the end are much harder to work with than reeds that have a
consistent depth along their length).

Since the harmonica was never originally designed to bend or overplay, it
would seem amazing if there were not a better way of designing it so that
these techniques were easier (chromatic harps apart).

+Richard

P.S. Norton Buffalo and Little Charlie and the Nightcats are playing
(separately) in San Francisco this weekend and the Blues Festival is next
weekend.

| From owner-harp-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Thu Sep 15 21:25 PDT 1994
| X-ListName: Harmonica Discussion List <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
| Warnings-To: <>
| Date: Thu, 15 Sep 1994 22:17:30 -0500
| MIME-Version: 1.0
| To: Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| From: rocket@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Rick Barker)
| Subject: RE: Blow Bending
| 
| I have found that adjusting the reed gap on all six reeds in holes 8-10
| makes for significantly easier bending up there. I adjust the gap to the
| point where the reeds just clear the reed plate. That is, to where if the
| gap were closed any further, the reeds won't play at all. This allows for
| high bends with a minimum of air pressure. It also makes the sound coming
| from these holes, bent or not, much warmer and mellower.
| 
| I'd like to know if that's what Filisko does to allow these same reeds to
| be overdrawn. Anybody know?
| 
|