Re: [Harp-L] Overblowing Hoopla


On Nov 24, 2004, at 9:10 AM, Vince Curcuru wrote:

Hi All,

I know I am going to get trod upon for saying this but truthfully, I don't
know what all the hoopla is about with overblowing??

(personally) I think it is used as a bench-mark. IF one can do it, this means they are farther up the food chain. IF they can do it well/smoothly, then they have "arrived". I see this in almost every hobby or sport I have tried. As you get more involved, you notice some people are working on ( I hate to call it advanced) stuff that is "avant-garde". Eventually, we start to see more and more special, custom or expensive gear being used. We reach a point where the hobby has been priced beyond our means.

This is one of the reasons why I don't understand those who "blow-up" harps left and right. I think I still have every tool I have ever owned. How DOES one break a harp? I can understand wearing one out from age, but blowing out reeds seems extreme. I wouldn't want someone to operate on me with those kinds of work habits. As far as the over-blowing thingie, it's like an eye surgeon comes up with a different method for doing cataracts. Everyone jumps on the bandwagon, and before long everyone is doing it. Why? because it's the NEW thing and everyone wants to be a part of it. BUT, does it have "staying" power &/or IS it an improvement?

There's an old axiom in the music business that goes something like this: "YEAH, BUT WILL IT SELL SHEETS"?
What they're referring to here is the ability of a tune/musician/method/singer to be of lasting quality as the sale of music was what kept the business going. Fads came & went, but SHEETS were the important thing. I think over-blowing WILL last and prosper, and I see it being used more and more as time goes on. It will always have a following.

To me it has always been a matter to time. And since time IS money, it's also a matter of money. I recall when Jimmy Smith came on the scene and was universally acclaimed the best B3 player yet. This is because he spent a year practicing JUST the pedals. People don't realize there's a whole n'other organ down there. He rented a warehouse, and moved in there for a year. Obviously he was able to SUPPORT himself for that year. Most people don't have that luxury.
If you're lucky enough to live in a location where you can walk a bridge at night and practice your scales without bothering your neighbors enough to shoot you out of your apartment window, then THIS is a plus. If you happen to have a dentist father who supports your trumpet playing so you don't have to go get a REAL job, THIS is a plus.

What I'm saying is that many talented people didn't make it because the cards were stacked against them. If a person is going to college and doesn't have to spend every spare minute at a part time job, this frees up some time to play harp. Some students live on macaroni & cheese, Ramen soup, and spaghetti-ohs. Some don't.

Yeah it may be possible to get all the notes in the chromatic scale from a
diatonic harp using this technique, but do we need this?

No, but some people just HAVE to have it. It's like rock climbing. Some people LOVE it, Me? I think it sucks. Some folks like to ride over waterfalls in a kayak, ME? I'll pass. Bungee jumping? Get serious. Sky diving? Naah, not THIS year. Some people don't want to miss anything. We have had it drummed into our heads "Life's too Short", and so some like to live it to the fullest. I never gave it much thought and just live day to day. Risking my life every day never occurred to me, as I was already doing it.

Isn't this why
there are chromatic harps?? Is it worth all the harp customizing and work
involved in perfecting this technique??

Can't speak for others, but many yrs ago I wanted to play a particular kind of music, couldn't do it on a diatonic, and so ADDED chromatic. It's not that you can't do a lot of amazing stuff on diatonic, it just take a LOT more time/expertise.

I am not criticizing people that do this and I am sure Howard Levy and
company are geniuses and like Benjamin Franklin's of the harp but IMO the
beauty of the diatonic is the diversification obtained by switching harps
and getting the tonal changes and playing nuances associated with the
different keys.

Yes, some of these guys are amazing, tis' a pity some of their MATERIAL is lame. Nothing worse that listening to a fantastic player, trying to appreciate what he is doing, with a (basically) crappy tune. Being a great player isn't everything, sometimes the material matters.

  Of course I am primarily a blues player not a jazz player
so that is where I am coming from.

I play all sorts of stuff, some is diatonic friendly, some isn't. Some is chromatic friendly, some isn't. Hell, some music is down right HOSTILE to harmonica. Some shouldn't be attempted...and THAT's why some one WILL do it.

Anyway, should make for an interesting thread. LOL

I agree, for those brave enough to get involved, as it's like putting your face where the #1 bowling pin was.
smoley-joe 

Harlyblu
Ó¿Õ¬
  \!!/

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