Re: [Harp-L] kudos and over-blowing - actually, blow bending

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Tom - 

It sounds like you're finding your way nicely on bending the blow notes in Holes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

However, these are not overblows.

Any time you take a note built into the harp and bending the pitch down, that's simply a bend. In HOles 1 thru 6 you have draw bends. In Holes 7 thru 10 you have blow bends.

Overblows (and overdraws) amke the note go up instead of down.

The holes where the draw notes bend down (1 thru 6) are the holes where you can get overblows.

The holes where the blow notes bend down (7 thru 10) are are where you can get overdraws.

When you play an overblow, you blow into Holes 1 through 6 (Hole 6 is a good one to start on), play like you're going to bend the draw note, but blow instead. The desired result is that a note comes out that is higher than the draw note  - higher than the highest note in the hole (in that sense it's "over" - it's over all the other notes in pitch).

Of course, when you first try an overblow, you may get other results, like the blow note bending down a tiny amount. Press a bit more and either you'll get the sound of air rushing or screeching noises. But as you find the right amount of pressure (not much) and tune your mouth to the note, you'll get a pure note.

Overdraws work the same way in reverse (at least in principle; the fine details are something you have to work out). The holes where the blow notes bend (7-10) are the ones where you can try playing a draw bend, only to get a note that's higher than the blow note in that hole (again, "over" the highest note in the hole).

For comprehensive information and exercises (with audio examples), you could get my book . . . 

Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5


--- On Fri, 9/26/08, Tom Halchak <thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Tom Halchak <thalchak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] kudos and over-blowing
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 8:36 AM
> Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone.  
> 
>  
> 
> I know that one of the underlying purposes of this forum
> (other than for old
> friends to insult one another) is to help educate.  Toward
> that end I can
> give my personal testimony that it is working.  I've
> only been "listening
> in" for a few weeks and have already learned a lot. 
> For example - putting
> the harp deeper into your mouth.  I've been working on
> that and it opens up
> a whole new dimension to playing.  Big improvement.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, over-blowing.  Prior to a few weeks ago, I never even
> knew it was
> possible to blow bend the 7, 8 & 9 holes.  But I must
> say that the term
> "over-blowing" is kinda misleading.  It gave me
> the impression that in order
> to blow bend the higher notes that you had to blow HARDER. 
> Such is not the
> case.  I have read many descriptions both online and in the
> books I have
> purchased and it still was not clicking.  However,
> yesterday, through trial
> and error, I figured out how to do it.  I have not seen
> what works for me
> described anywhere else, so if you will allow me to do I
> would like to take
> a stab at it.
> 
>  
> 
> Here's what works for me.  I place the tip of my tongue
> below my bottom
> front teeth and then flatten and raise the middle of my
> tongue up to the
> roof of my mouth.  What I find is that I get a feeling like
> the top of my
> cheeks are puffing out just a little bit and filling with
> air.  The reeds
> bends quite easily and as soon as I "catch the
> bend" I back off just a
> little in order to hold the tone.  If I don't, the tone
> gets very screechy.
> It's  a delicate operation and seems to defy the term
> "over-blow".  Does
> this sound like what you are doing or am I heading down the
> wrong road?
> 
>  
> 
> Tom Halchak
> 
> Clearwater, FL 33763
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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