[Harp-L] Follow Up Question For Michael Peloquin

[Bill Houle <saxandharper@xxxxxxxxx>]

  In an earlier post M. Peloquin said about ob's:
   
  "I can teach any player that can blow bend (esp. pucker guys) to OB in 45 seconds to five minutes." 
   
  You have some great points about learning overblows and being a good musician, and can walk the walk in this case! I agree with almost everything you said. But after that first few minutes it takes to play overblows, seems like it does take a long time to get them to sound good as well as the need to learn all the scales and arpeggios. How long do you realistically think it takes to get good enough to perform them?  Take as a hypothetical case an amateur/semi-pro who can practice an hour a day and should at least be fluent using the 4,5,6 ob?s. Granted it?s a squishy question but one a lot of harp players may be asking themselves.
   
  Not to rehash ?harmonica players get no respect?, but the darn things aren?t really designed to play all the notes. Anyone who plays an instrument that does get all the notes has got to wonder about the musical capabilities of a harp player. Unless of course you can do ob?s or play the chro as a true chromatic instrument.
   
  Harmonica is an unbelievably unique instrument that can do some powerful things other instruments can?t. But I think it isn't that versatile due to the missing note thing. It wasn?t designed that way. So when I did hit that point where I was serious about being a better musician I got as far as getting some of the ob?s and then considered the time it would take to get them to sound good. Maybe there are too few role models, but I haven?t heard many players who could make them sound OK.  Far fewer that could make them sound good. 
   
  So I didn?t cop out on the never ending quest (being a good musician) but decided instead of investing the time to master ob's to learn an instrument that is *designed* to play chromatically.  While it?s a struggle to get on top of two instruments, for me it really opens the flexibility I have to play any kind of music I?m crazy enough to attempt. But for anyone starting on harp I completely agree to get ob?s in as part of the drill as soon as you can. Screw the old dogs, maybe it?s that next gen of harp players who will change the world! But thanks for listening and encouraging a few of the old dogs out there to keep going.
   
  Bill H


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