Re: [Harp-L] Seamless Overblow Challenge

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

Did you find the overblows I used in this clip to have noticeable differences in timbre from the other notes? I have a pretty astute ear (Piano Techwise) and they sound pretty seamless to me, totally divorced from the fact that it was something I played. As a matter of fact, I'm more bothered by some of my 3 hole inhale first bend pitch near misses than any of the tone/timbres of the OB's.


The challenge you set forth below doesn't feel musical to me. It feels institutionalized and mechanical. Personally, I don't see how this relates to music. It is more of a laboratory challenge. I am not saying that those that go for this type of proof are wrong or misguided. It just doesn't resonate with my own personal alignment towards making music on a diatonic.


My whole focus is understanding them (OB's) for what they are and picking and choosing the moments/notes to minimize the differences, putting them into a musical context in real time. In a way, it adds another layer of challenge to creating musical lines with a diatonic, an intellectual one combined with an artistic/emotional one, with the hopeful final result of producing something very musical. In this way, I do not claim that OB's will be equal to given notes in all and any situations; rather that they can be used effectively within musical lines without popping out as mismatched timbres.



-----Original Message-----
From: David Fairweather <dmf273@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat, Jul 23, 2011 8:39 am
Subject: [Harp-L] Seamless Overblow Challenge


Much as I enjoyed Iceman's "Summertime" YouTube,  it still doesn't change my
opinion as to whether OB's can be played "seamlessly" without noticeable
differences in timbre from other notes.
If you want to convince me, here's a simple challenge.

Materials required.

1. A metronome.
2. A means of recording yourself and sharing the recording.  (Webcam +
YouTube for instance).
3. Two Richter-tuned diatonics of similar make and model separated in key by
1/2 step.   For example a Bb Golden Melody and an A Golden Melody.

The Challenge.

Set your metronome to 80 bpm.   On the higher keyed harp, play a major scale
starting a blow #4 ascending up the 9th at draw 8 and then descending back
down to blow #4.   Play WHOLE notes - 4 beats per note at 80 bpm.

Now play that same major scale on the other harp that is 1/2 step lower in
key.    So using the example Bb and A harps, you are now going to play a Bb
major scale on the A harp beginning at #4 draw bend and ascending by whole
notes (4 beats per note at 80 bpm)  through the #4, #5, #6 overblows and the
#7 overdraw up to the #8 blow bend and back down again.

Upload your finished product in random order of the two harps without
stating which of the harps is used first.   I will deduce which one is the
lower keyed harp and which is the higher keyed harp solely by the timbral
differences.  If I fail to correctly deduce which harp is which,  then I
will admit that overblows can be played "seamlessly".