Was: Same Old Thing- Using Overblows Seamlessly

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 6/28/03 1:00:14 PM Eastern Daylight Time, AV1901@xxxxxxx 
writes:


> Are there lots of Harp-L posters who regularly use overblows in 
> performance? 

I use them seamlessly. In other words, they do not sound like an 
overblow/draw, but rather like additional notes in a linear idea. Much time has been spent 
on the technique in order to play them at pitch and with the same 
timbre/quality as those notes created by simply inhaling/exhaling.

If this is your goal, begin by learning to play notes created by the basic 
bending techniques at pitch and with a consistantly blending timbre to the 
"given" notes.

Try playing a dominant seventh scale to the 9th degree, ascending/descending, 
beginning on 2 hole draw up to 6 hole draw and back (without stopping on the 
top note and repeating it).

You will need to hit the 3 hole draw second bend with a good attack and at 
perfect pitch. The listener should not be able to detect the fact that a 
different technique was used to create this note.

Follow this with a 3 hole draw, but without sliding from the bend up. In 
other words, make them two distinct separate notes. The same approach is used in 
descending, i.e., don't slide from 3 hole draw down to 3 hole second bend.

Once you begin to understand this concept with all your notes created through 
basic bending techniques, move on to the overblows/draws.

I agree with your comment that a large percentage of those that have achieved 
an overblow/draw skill use it more or less to show that they can do it rather 
than incorporating it into solid musical lines.

The Iceman