Re: overblows, was Same Old Thing

["Mike Curtis" <ironmancurtis@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't think it's my perfect pitch that makes me so fussy about tone (it
would seem that this would affect only pitch, and not timbre), but I
honestly can't categorically rule it out, either.

In any case, yes even Howard Levy's overblows are pretty obvious to me, and
I know he works VERY hard at minimizing differences.  But I think I could
show you what I'm listening for (in person), and I bet you'd hear it, too.

Lest someone think I'm knocking my hero, I'm not.  They call Howard "The man
with two brains", and it's hard to argue with this.  His knowledge,
intelligence, passion, and grasp of music are nothing short of astounding.
And what he's been able to do with overblows is amazing.

But MY overblows are a different story.  I sound like a sick gander doing
OBs (and I'm being entirely too kind to myself).  Of course, I don't work on
them (having what I need in valved bends), but my negligence and laziness is
no excuse, nor am I making any excuses.

Perhaps "jump out" is too strong.  It's not like Curly Joe nailed me with a
cream pie and seltzer.  I just notice them as sounding different,
inconsistent.  One of the things I really like about chromatic is its
consistency (at least in the hands of a master).  My goal is to make my
diatonic sound *that* consistent and toneful.

From: <Gatorharp@xxxxxxx>

> ironmancurtis@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> << I've tried overblows, and likewise don't care much for them.  I find
them
>  "cardboardey" in sound (even the best I've heard thuis far - not counting
>  the special "overblow" harmonicas like the Bahnson that require the use
of
>  hands and consequently of no practical use to me in a rack), and they
"jump
>  out" at me. >>
> that's amazing, 'cause the thing about howard levy and carlos del junco to
me
> is that they ~don't~ jump out at you.  and certainly not anymore than most
> people's regular bends.  and that, i think, is why i think it's funny when
> people complain about the sound of overblows.  with even the best players,
you can
> tell when they are playing "normal" bent notes...excepting those like
levy,
> del junco, iceman, etc who have worked at minimizing the differences in
bent vs
> non-bent notes.
> i'm sure mike has a better ear than the rest of us, what with his perfect
> pitch and all (that's meant to be friendly and funny, but i hate drawing
little
> smiley faces)
>
> steven j gatorman
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