Re: [Harp-L] Re: Overblowing Hoopla Demystified

[Mojo Red <harplicks@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hiya Hurricane,

Another great post, sir. Always a pleasure to get
your read (reed) on these threads.

---  <party_man1@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<<snipp>>
> It is this simply put about OVER Blowing , it is
> another way around the mountain
<<snip>>

Right ON! IMO, the whole OB thing is great because
it opened yet another doorway into new musical
realms... Listening to guys who are really GOOD at
encorporating OBs into their playing just blows me
away... and I realize how really big that mountain
is.

> ...then over blowing is a natural move in adding 
> more variety, power , texture & expression to
> your playing that's all .
<<snip>>

Absolutely!

> ? Why do those who have made the grade in over
> blowing seem cocky , overly confident or just a
> big bunch of braggers to those who have not?
<<snip>>

I really think it's a matter of sour grapes. They
can't achieve it, therefore it can't be all that
great... So those who have achieved it must be
making hoopla over sour grapes.

> Before you walk ya got to crawl ( yeah it's
> humiliating I know so what , tuff up light
> weights ) , before you can run you have to learn
> to walk first too.
<<Snip>>

LOL!! Yeah, for a long time I too was critical of
the OB proponents (sour grapes anyone?) - mainly
because I didn't care for the music I'd heard being
made that encoroporated the technique... (Levy in
particular). Just didn't float my boat.

Yeah, I was amazed and duely impressed, but that
kind of music just never tripped my trigger, so I
just went "Big Deal... sounds like a cat got its
tail stepped on to me."

Then I went to my first SPAH convention (2000) and
sat in with a huge gathering of really excellent
players in the blues circle. (Blues is MY thang,
ya' unnerstand). 

There I heard guys using the OB's in ways that
really sounded GOOD to MY ears. They were doing
things I just dreamed of... Jazzy sax-like runs
along blues line... Too damend cool!

Okay, so the grapes ain't sour after all. I bought
myself a well-set up custom harp (from Brad
Harrison), and the miracle occured... my first
sustained OB on the 6 blow. Big smile... but...
but... now what?

> newbies crawl... struggle up to their feet and 
> toddle , tumble but like a weeble and they don't 
> fall down ( well almost never once there ) and 
> continue to improve their technique(s) as they 
> improve from crawling, to wakling, and then on 
> to bigger greater musical horizons.
<<snip>>

Amen, bro. I've kept my OB technique to myself
since the first one popped out in 2000. Woodshed
time... woodshed time... woodshed time.

Wasn't until this year that I dared to even tell
anyone I was on this path... At this year's SPAH in
St. Louis I got some really great advise/help from
Jason Ricci, Richard Sleigh, Jimmy Gordon, Michael
Peloquin, Tim Moyer, Rosco, George Brooks and many
others. 

So, now I'm outta the closet... still deeply
humbled by what others are doing in OB-land, but
I'm stumblin' along with purpose now... slowly,
Slowly SLOWLY figuring this thing out. 

Why?

Well... after playing harp for... Kee-Rist! It's
been about 35 years! I thought well, I have this
pretty well down... Happy with my tone, play in a
band... havin' fun... even learned to sing.

But then I heard OB's used in ways that ~I'd~ want
to play 'em... Heard it sound really, really GOOD
to my ears. The door suddenly seemed well worth
opening... So, I opened it and now I'm crawling,
crawling along... on the verge of toddling, you
might say. :-)

Yeah, it's humbling, but so WHAT? Actually, it
feels great to get humbled down like that... let's
me know exactly where I stand... Hey, I'm not on
top of the mountain by any means... (Did it grow
while I wasn't looking?). I Think it's just FUN to
be excited about LEARNING

Great thread, ya'll... Just love these
conversations.

Harpin' (Crawling along) in Colorado,
--Ken M.


		
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