[Harp-L] Re: 7-10



One path to sweet tone, vibrato and technical control (including overdraws) of higher notes is described in this post by Rick Epping:

http://www.harp-l.com/pipermail/harp-l/2006-September/msg00235.html

I totally tongueblock the upper register including overdraws, 10 hole half step bends and overdraws, even on the high G. It took almost a year to learn how to TB the blowbends, after already having them with the U-block. McBee told me that's how he does it, but couldn't tell me how, so I kept trying....and trying.... for well over an hour a day for several months until I got the first one. I feel it was worth the effort- not only for the bends but for tone. I spent many, many hours driving with that recording of Mitch Kashmar and William Clarke, rewinding the cassette and listening to/playing with the harp solo, trying to get that vibrato.

Rick talks about tuning your resonance to the pitch an octave lower than the desired note in the 10th hole of the higher key XB40s. I recalled the post while reading this thread, and after re-reading it paid close attention to what I'm doing in the top end. I'm pretty sure it's the same technique, and it works well for me. It's also how I play overblows. It feels more solid to me than squeezing them toward the front of your mouth, or trying to suck out the overdraws. You just tune your resonance, and inhale or exhale with the diaphragm- it's that easy (ha ha:)). For example, play the 4 draw bent with resonance, and without changing anything in your mouth try the 7 overdraw. The blow bends and overbends feel like they're focused somewhere around or behind the tonsils to me. Also, the tone/timbre sounds more natural. You don't need a custom harp to do this, just decent gaps. I wouldn't think it ultimately matters if you TB or whatever, but that's what led me to it.

YMMV, but I hope it helps someone.





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