[Harp-L] Bending 7 D and 8 D on an unvalved diatonic

[martin oldsberg <martinoldsberg@xxxxxxxxx>]

Just now I was fooling around on an Ab Lee Oskar harp. This is the second one in a row that irrevocably quit on 4 B after not many minutes of playing, so I kind of deliberately mistreated what was left of it, mercilessy playing in 5 pos.
  Interestingly, as I was trying to get it to yield an OD on 7 D, and really leaning in on it, I found instead that w/ decreased pressure I can get what sounds like quite an acceptable F# through bending 7 D down: when the OD didn´t come out I heard there was a lower note there and pursued this and after a while I even got that ringing noise to go away.
  Moved then up to 8 D: same thing, yes there is an A. 
  
  This is done w/ bending embouchure and LIGHT pressure on the intake, tongue pressed firmly up to the front of the roof (think "Bob Dylan tone").
 
  They are not great sounding notes, you cannot lean on them, they´re not very stable and relatively weak in volume -- but they are definitely a match for the trad OB and OD respectively (as done on my, non-customized harps) as passing notes. (I´m just now playing the "Habanera" from Carmen.) Of course I´ve tried bending the higher draw notes before, but have never achieved anything like this ... 
  Sorry I can´t provide sound samples.
  
  Anyone else tried this w/ some success?
 
  Cheers,
  Martin