OVERBLOWING-"the 8-track of techniques"-NOT!!!!!!

["George Brooks" <gbrooks1@xxxxxxxxx>]

I don't think that overblowing is going to go the way of the 8-track.  It's
just too cool to take a Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica, with its quirky
and familiar mix of natural advantages and difficulties, and play it as a
chromatic instrument.  And, erudite and closely-reasoned arguments like
"give me a frickin break" notwithstanding, I think that a diatonic harmonica
played in this way can be uniquely expressive.  This is just my opinion, of
course.  I won't insult you or your intelligence if you disagree.

But if overblowing is to die, I do not believe that the forthcoming XB-40
will be so much as a single nail in its coffin.

As an aside, let me say that I think the XB-40 is brilliant.  Rick Epping
has pulled off something significant and wonderful, not only in developing
the instrument but in seeing it through production and bringing it to
market.  I am certainly going to buy one, or more.

As another aside, I would like to say that overblowing is an unfortunate
term.  As others have noted, it seems to imply that you have to blow hard to
get certain notes, while this is definitely not the case.  More importantly,
it also seems to imply that if you master the technique, you will be able to
play chromatically on the diatonic while, again, this is definitely not the
case.  You still have to master the bends.

A Richter-tuned ten-hole harmonica is capable of producing 38 distinct
semitones if one counts the high C# obtained by overdrawing hole 10 (on a C
harp).  Of these, 19 are straight notes (simply blow or draw).  (There would
be 20 --10 blow and 10 draw-- but the Gs repeat at 2 draw and 3 blow.)

There are 4 overblows and 3 overdraws (well, there are more, but the others
duplicate notes that can be gotten in other ways).  The remaining 12
semitones, almost one-third of the available pitches, are bends, blow or
draw, obtainable by ordinary and well-understood techniques.  And if you
hope to play chromatically in a convincing way, you have to play these bends
in tune.

Who among us claims to have full control over the three distinct semitones
obtainable as draw bends in hole 3 of a Richter-tuned harmonica?  Or to
consistently play the 2 draw half-step bend with a clean attack, accurate
intonation, and a full tone?  Or the hole 10 half-step blow bend?

Well, if you want to play chromatically on a Richter-tuned harmonica in a
way that is pleasing to others, I think you have to (before flaming, please
see the p.s. below).  And here's the rub with the XB-40.  I think that if
you are going to play chromatically on that instrument and have it accepted
as musical, you are going to have to achieve very good control of your
bends.  And I believe that this is as hard or harder than "overblowing."
Indeed, overblows and overdraws are just varieties of bends, and they are
not that hard to do, honestly.  What **is** hard is playing them in tune and
with good tone.  But my firm belief is that this difficulty is not confined
to the overbends and that it applies with equal force to many of the
"ordinary" bends.

Perhaps I am wrong and the XB-40 will deliver chromatic facility to the
masses.  I suspect, though, that a percentage of the players who pick it up
will get very good on it and that the others, perhaps the majority, will be
daunted by the intonation issues.

Brave men and women of Harp-L, prove me wrong!

George

p.s.  While I think it is important to play all of the bends with accurate
intonation and good tone, especially if one is going to play in many
positions, I do not claim to do so.  But I am working on it.