[Harp-L] An Overblow Epiphany (not really)

[George Brooks <gbrooksvt@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Phil Eich writes:

>Instead of trying to get overblows to sound
>with good tone, just play the rest of the notes
>with crappy tone, and no one will be able to
>tell the difference.

You laugh, but Doug Tate advocated just such an approach (although not 
with specific application to overblows).  His view was that people are 
less sensitive to the absolute quality of tone than they are to 
*variations* in the quality of tone.  He therefore advocated playing 
the harp's strongest notes a little "less well" so that the weaker 
notes on the harp do not stand out.

He also advocated developing one's tone and all other aspects of one's 
playing and, indeed, one's musicianship as fully as one could manage.  
Crappy tone is crappy tone, and I think Doug, were he still with us, 
might approve of my advice, which is to develop one's overblow 
technique until the results are no longer crappy and if, despite 
diligent application, the effort comes to nothing to refrain from 
playing them, at least in public.

George