[Harp-L] Not the same

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

All quotes are Zach:

 "The one thing I STILL haven't figured out is why people are  
flipping out
over this! An overblow is the SAME as a bend! "

No it isn't.  Overblows are a different physical interaction than  
either dual or single reed bends.  A technical answer, perhaps, but  
an important one when talking about these things.


"If you think a bend sounds
more natural than an overblow you aren't listening good. "

I would avoid the term "natural" entirely.  It is a weighted term,  
and poorly applied if it includes bends and doesn't include  
overblows.  Given notes (the notes the reed plays at a steady  
pressure and not coupled to a tuned resonant chamber), bends and  
overblows all exhibit differences in timbre and articulation.  I have  
used the terms "natural" and "accidental" as a borrow from pianos to  
categorize the difference between how these three groups of sounds  
are created: a dichotomy where the first group (given) is distinct  
from the second and third (bends and overblows) due to the processes  
used in playing them.

"If a guitarist
bends a note and he isn't experienced, it will sound sucky. It's that  
way
with EVERYTHING. Just because you hear a few bad players doesn't mean
everyone sucks. "

I've heard everyone.  I've heard bends, overblows and natural notes  
played well and horribly.  It mostly depends on context and the  
individual playing.


"Otavio, Michalek, Levy; those three in my opinion proof the
musicality aspect of them as they use them extensively for musical  
purposes.
I don't state Jason Ricci because he is mostly a blues rock player  
and he
used the flat third and flat fifth mostly, those other guys are using  
ALL of
the overblows and overdraws for every scale degree."

And whether they succeed or not musically is often in the ear of the  
beholder.  But, isn't talking about why, when and where they do and  
do not succeed of worth in terms of learning both the possibilities  
and limitations of the technique they tend to focus on (playing  
highly chromatic jass-fusion on the diatonic)?

Besides, I'd say for the discussion of overblows in the blues (which  
is where this thread started) the people I'd most think would be  
significant would be Del Junco, Ricci and Adam Gussow.  But perhaps  
this thread is now more about the "chromatic diatonic" approach,  
which isn't really about overblows but using overblows and bends in a  
particular genre and with a particular goal.



JR Ross