Re: [Harp-L] Overblow intonation

["Rupert Oysler" <orupert@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

To practice bending overblows up it helps to use Winslow's discrete comb, or 
just manually stop your blow reeds off on a regular harp.

There are (at least) two components to creating an overblow: stopping the 
blow reed from vibrating, and causing the draw reed to vibrate even though 
you are blowing. A lot of setting up an overblow harp well involves changing 
the blow reed(s) so they will stop vibrating when you want, but can still be 
activated when you want a "normal" blow note. An overblow naturally comes in 
a little flat, and when you begin to bend it up, you often lose it and begin 
to sound the regular blow reed. By removing this possibility (get the blow 
reed temporarily out of the equation) you can more easily focus on your 
technique of blowing the draw reed and bending it up in pitch. On the 
discrete comb or an altered harp you will be able to bend the OBs up a 
couple semitones pretty quickly. Once you get the feeling for this it 
becomes much easier to apply it to a "regular" hole.

Rupert Oysler
http://harprepair.com/


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Bonfiglio" <bon@xxxxxxxxxx>
> The best I can do on say a hole 6 blow bend if the harp is tuned to 442 is 
> about 430 calibrated.  That makes the note so flat as to be unacceptable 
> in the classical context.  Now I don't know about jazz, but in classical 
> music if you play that flat it sounds like a clam.  Is there any way to 
> blow this in tune, because I sure can't?
>
> Harmonically yours,
>
> Robert Bonfiglio



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