Re: [Harp-L] Tope register squeal on Lee Oskars

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

You're not using the correct term. The blow bends in holes 7 thru 10 are not overblows. They're just high blow bends. An overblow happens in Holes 1 thru 6 and makes the note pop UP to a higher pitch.

You're right, though, blowing hard is never the way to get any kind of bend. It's all about shaping your vocal tract. Your discovery of getting the high notes to respond by opening up the back of your vocal tract by raising the soft palate and lowering the tongue is spot on. 

You can make all notes sound better by opening up your vocal tract this way - try yawning and then holding your throat and tongue in that open position as you play. You can add some back pressure to "drive" notes, but you can do that by tongue placement no matter how softly you're playing - blowing hard is not required. However, some tongue positions will tune your mouth to a note that the reed can't respond to - that's when you get the ringing and squeals - something Oskars are particularly prone to when mouth shape is not optimal.

Bending, whether up or down, is a matter of narrowing the airflow near the back of the mouth cavity for low note, and further forward for high notes, then fine tuning the size of the mouth cavity by sliding the narrowed spot forward or back. When you're inhaling you'll feel suction and when exhaling you'll feel pressure.

Winslow

----- Original Message ----
From: G. E. Popenoe <gpopenoe@xxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Wednesday, February 6, 2008 11:43:53 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Tope register squeal on Lee Oskars

<snip>

P.S. 
I 
think 
I'm 
not 
liking 
the 
term 
"overblow." 
That 
is 
if 
I 
understand 
how
you 
guys 
are 
using 
the 
term. 
It 
implies 
to 
me 
that 
I 
must 
blow 
harder 
to 
get
the 
bend. 
To 
me 
blowing 
harder 
means 
I 
squeeze 
the 
air 
out 
of 
your 
lungs
with 
geater 
force.  
By 
contrast, 
getting 
bends 
for 
me 
is 
more 
like 
adjusting
the 
nozzel 
on 
my 
garden 
hose. 
Same 
amount 
of 
water 
pressure 
from 
the 
spigot,
but 
different 
shape 
of 
nozzle. 
The 
key 
for 
me 
is 
diaphram 
support. 
I 
must
have 
consistent 
stable 
foundation 
combined 
with 
measured 
air 
release 
in
order 
to 
have 
control 
in 
my 
mouth 
and 
throat 
for 
bends 
and 
vibrato.
_______________________________________________
Harp-L 
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by 
SPAH, 
http://www.spah.org
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