Re: [Harp-L] Re: Overblowing all done?

[Paul Routledge <paulandrewroutledge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"a technique that hadn't yet been discovered in Little Walter's time."

Well that's not quite true. The first overblow recorded was in 1927 by  
James "Blues Birdhead" Simons.

The technique was re-popularised by Howard Levy though and with our  
modern lifestyle where we all travel abroad a lot more and in more  
recent years the power of the internet. It has been brought to a wider  
audience than ever before. This has resulted in more people using  
overblows in their everyday playing.

However just like tongue blocking versus lip pursing, I suspect the  
argument will long continue to rage. These arguments are pointless  
though in the end because no one is right and no one is wrong. It's  
merely a personal choice based upon artistic interpretation.

Personally I know how to play tongue blocked overblows, but I don't  
use them  at gigs as I prefer to play in a more classic blues style.  
Having said that though if I felt that the need was there for me to  
use them in a particular song then I would. Just as I would use  
chords, octaves, double stops, rolls, flutters, vibrato, etc. They are  
just another part of my arsenal that I will use when the need arises.

What does grate on me about overblows is when they are used more in a  
sort of "look at me ma!"  context, than in a musically valid context.  
They should be used to enhance the music not to dominate it.

Paul