Re: [Harp-L] Hole 2 and 3 overblows - making a blind harp

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Airtight harps work best, leaking ones worst. Oskars are not generally
the best candidates for overbends, though they will do it.

One thing you can do to learn overblows as a sort of training wheels
exercise is to pop the covers off your harp, take some scotch tape, and
tape off the entire top reedplate - the one where the reeds are on the
inside, not the outside (i.e. the blow reeds). This puts them out of
action without harming them (the tape does not touch the reeds, and you
can peel it off later).

Now you have a set of completely isolated draw reeds. You may find you
can bend them down lower than normal, though you have to do it with a
gnetler attack than with standard bends. And you can focus on getting
the overbends out of the draw reeds by blowing, without dealing with
the additional problem of getting the blow reeds not to speak.

Lowering the reed gaps helps, as does embossing the slots. 

An easy way to lower gaps is to remove the reedplate from the harp, and
flex each reed downard through its lot. Grasp it by the tip, and flex
it gently downward, then release it. This should lower the entire
profile of the reed. If there is no gap at all or if the reed is now
pointing down into the slot, flex it gently - GENTLY - upwards away
from the slot and then release it.

Embossing the slots should also be done gently. Take something like a
penny and gently run it along the reed slot so that the edges of the
penny press gently downward on the edges of the slot. This presses the
slot edges in and noarrows the clearance between the slots edges and
the reed edges. Be careful not to press too hard or the reed will
strike the slot edges and either not sound or buzz.

Winslow

--- Bradford Trainham <btrainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I'm intrigued as I've never over-blown anything but the higher
> positions, the easier ones.  In fact, I didn't realize it was
> possible
> to achieve a consistent enough tone with the lower holes to even
> contemplate the use of such a thing among one's "chops". 
> Now, can you recommend a harmonica that would make such a technique
> easier initially, such that one might get used to the idea? 
> Can you also share how you learned the technique of over-blowing the
> say... first five holes? 
> Talk about "real creativity"!!  Brother, I think you might have
> some!!
> Brad Trainham
> On Wed, 09 May 2007 17:47:11 -0700 (PDT), you wrote:
> 
> >Hole 2 and 3 overblows tend to be ignored as they duplicate other
> notes
> >available by more conventional means. Overblow 2 duplicates Draw 3
> >triple bend, while Overblow 3 duplicates Blow 4.
> >
> >But they are useful.
> >
> >Consider this: By playing overblows on holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in
> >sequence, you have an entire chord 1 semitone above the draw chord,
> >produced by a consistent technique. I have heard Allen Holmes use
> this,
> >as have I.
> >
> >Let's say you have a C harp and want to arpeggiate an Ab7 chord. You
> >could start with Overblow 1, the leap  Draw 3 triple bend, then move
> to
> >Blow 4, then Overblow 4 and Overblow 5. Or  you could just play
> >overblows in Holes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
> >
> >Which is easier? I think the all-overblow path is smoother.
> >
> >Second scenario:
> >
> >You're listening to a guitarist or maybe a sax or even a chromatic
> >harmonica playing blues in G and moving smoothly (maybe by bending)
> >between C and Db. 
> >
> >On a C diatonic you can't do this with fluidity; C is blow and Db is
> a
> >draw bend. It will either sound choppy or sound careful; it won't
> sound
> >fluid.
> >
> >But let's say you overblow Hole 3. That's a C. Now, you bend it up a
> >semitone to Db. Fluidity accomplished.
> >
> >Winslow
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
> >http://mail.yahoo.com 
> >_______________________________________________
> >Harp-L is sponsored by SPAH, http://www.spah.org
> >Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx
> >http://harp-l.org/mailman/listinfo/harp-l
> 
> 



 
____________________________________________________________________________________
Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.
http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html