Re: [Harp-L] Overdraw overbend overblow

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

Ed,
Bends make a note go lower in pitch.  Overblows and overdraws make a note
go higher in pitch.

On a standard diatonic harp, you can only bend on the draw notes from holes
1 thru 6.  You can only bend on the blow notes from holes 7 thru 10.

On a standard diatonic harp, you can only overblow on the blow notes from
holes 1 thru 6.  You can only overdraw on the draw notes from holes 7 thru
10.

Since bends and overblows do opposite things, they needed two different
terms to describe them.  The term overblow was coined by Howard Levy, who
had played saxophone in his lifetime and overblow is a saxaphone term.  He
thought the concept was similiar enough to call them overblows.

Sadly, the term overblow is very confusing.  It suggests you need to blow
hard.  It suggests you can only do it on blow notes.  Since many harmonica
players teach themselves, when they discover how to bend on the blow notes
from holes 7 thru 10 , they know only they are blowing and changing the
pitch.  They must be overblowing!  But they are wrong, they are bending on
the blow notes.

Perhaps a better term for bending would be descended bend and a better term
for overblows  would be ascended bend.  But I guarantee there would be
problems with that as well.  These are the terms we use, I suggest taking
the time to make sure you understand and are speaking them correctly and
move on from there.
Michael Rubin
Michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 9:19 AM, Edward Hart <hooligan6a@xxxxxx> wrote:

>  Why not just call them draw bends and blow bends?  Why the over?  Over
> what?
>
>               Ed Hart
>