Re: [Harp-L] Overblow triplets



I don't have an audio or video example at hand, but I do have a few observations.

Bends of any kind - draw, blow, overblow, overdraw, valved, dual-reed, etc. - can be sustained when the activating mechanism in the players mouth sets up a stable condition that will keep the bend going as long as the player chooses. However, that stable condition can be disturbed -and the bend condition destroyed - by the motion of body parts within the mouth chamber or adjacent to it. So if you try to add vibrato to a bent note, or repeat the same bent note by stopping and starting, you may find that the bent note goes away.

If you try to add vibrato to a bent note or try to articulate a bend into a distinct series of repeated notes such as a triplet, you have to do it in such a way that you don't disturb the bend. Motions of the tongue, soft palate, or glottis can potentially create vibrato or articulate notes, but can also disturb bends.

For instance, I can remember a time when I was unable to add throat vibrato to a bent note and instead resorted to tongue or diaphragm vibrato instead. Now I find that I can use throat vibrato on any kind of bend or overbend.

To gain control over vibrato and articulation of sustained bent notes, do two things:

First, strengthen you ability to play a bent note with full tone and volume and sustain it as long as you like.

Then, work to execute motion of tongue, glottis (the part of the throat that can cough at whisper volume) and soft palate while sustaining the bend. After awhile, you'll find you can do most anything bent that you can do unbent.

Winslow

--- On Wed, 7/30/08, jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxx <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: jazmaan@xxxxxxxxxxx <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Overblow triplets
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 11:06 AM

How do you all feel about rapid jazz triplets that contain overblows?    I
can't pull them off in a satisfactorily smooth manner, but I don't
claim to be proficient at OB's.   If you can point me to an example of
someone who does it well, I'd like to hear it (or see it on YouTube.)
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