Re: Learning to Overblow

["Steve Shaw" <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

>From: "Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxx>

>Steve Shaw (whom I greatly admire) wrote:
> > I sometimes wonder what they must be making of all this overblow
> > stuff, put up here by a few alpha-grade players who seem to want to
> > put forth the idea that harp-playing isn't complete without
> > overblowing.  It just ain't true, is it?
>
>Hmmmm, I must've missed that post.  Seems to me that just about
>everyone who participates in this list talks most about what they
>know best, whether it's how to use overblows to get the missing notes
>not available on the tuning they've chosen, or how to swap preamp
>tubes to get that perfect combination of crunch and smoothness in
>their '65 Fender Twin, or whether to choose just or some type of
>tempered tuning for a particular style of music.  I think it's
>equally true that no one thinks their way is the "one true path" to
>harmonica nirvana....

>......Not knowing how to do something is a limitation, whether it's sight
>reading or overblowing or playing fast enough on an altered tuning to
>pull of a respectable reel.  We all have limitations, and we all
>attempt to make "sweet music" while playing within our "existing
>limits".
>
>-tim


.......But there have been posts that thunder on about how overblows are so 
essential/necessary/useful/whatever to all genres.  It's just a very 
unbalanced view, and just the sort of thing to put people off and make them 
feel inferior.  Most of the wonderful old stuff done on harmonica that we 
all love and admire was done without so much as a sniff at an overblow.  
Yes, overblowing is a great, new, valuable technique, but the players who 
can really carry it off with aplomb at an expert level are in a small 
minority, so let's not get too carried away with the heady thought that not 
to be able (or willing, for goodness sake) to do it is a "limitation."  
Please accept that some of us would rather switch harps or use a chromatic 
or do like Brendan does in Irish if we can't, or don't want to, get every 
note in the world on one harp, than try to strangle all the notes out of one 
poor little 10-hole (well, it's a point of view....!).  And what about all 
those brilliant players of tremolos or octave harps.  They have positively 
opted for limitations.  All  I ask for is a bit of balance in the 
discussion.  And I CAN overblow!!

 >I love to hear about how different players solve problems, whether
>they are problems of tuning or tone, of available notes or available
>tonal coloration, whateer.  I don't think anyone is trying
>to "convert" me.  And I've stolen some very good ideas from lots of
>people of lots of different abilities on this list.

If you look back over my posts over the last year or more you won't find 
anyone who has expressed their indebtedness on more occasions to the 
brilliant people on this list.  I have learned an enormous amount and I'm 
very grateful (including to you, Tim, right at the top of the list!).

Steve


Want more than the blues?  Try Irish!
http://mysite.freeserve.com/trad_irish_harmonica

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