Overblow v XB40

[jazmaan <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>]

Being one of the few people who has actually played an XB-40 for an hour or more, let
me jump into this debate.   In my opinion the strength of the XB-40 doesn't lie in its
theoretical ability to be played chromatically.  No, the forte of the XB-40 lies in the
added expressivness it gives to diatonic notes which had previously lacked much
personality due to their unbendability.   Also, the numerous enharmonic equivalents
available on the XB-40 will give players greater flexibility in their phrasing.

I'm sure that many players will also attempt to play the beast as a chromatic
instrument.   Some will succeed through stubborn perserverance and dedication, most
will give up when they discover that blow bending the low holes or draw bending the
high holes with precision takes more skill than they anticipated.

That said, I will give the edge to the XB-40 vs overblowing.  Mastering those XB-40
bends may not be easy, but at least they won't have a slight delay before they "pop
out", they won't require re-gapping your harp, and they won't require altering your
playing style to a more delicate attack.