[Harp-L] Re: upbend

[BluzeHarp@xxxxxxx]

The terms overblow overdraw and overbend are very confusing  for many 
beginner and even intermediate level players, a quick  dig into the archives is 
all that's needed to confirm this.  I  proposed upbend as a way for the name 
of the technique to more closely describe  what the technique actually 
accomplishes... bending the pitch of a  played note upward.
 
Sure, the reeds are doing stuff that could cause you to make the  argument 
noted below, but the issue at hand is the confusion created  by the current 
terminology.  The goal wasn't to present a scientifically  precise 
description of what happens beneath the cover plates, but instead  to create a term 
that would more clearly describe the end result of the  upbend technique... 
something a beginner could make some sense  of.
 
Michael Ruben (who teaches a lot of players) independently proposed  
'ascended bend', which is the same thing with a couple extra  syllables.  
Michael's hoitytoidyness aside, I guess there's at least  two of us who see the 
current terminology as needing repair.  In any case  if you say them backwards 
I'd much rather be asked to bend up  than to bend over.
 
If there's a still better description floating around that gets  the point 
across I'd be all in. 
 
Christopher Richards
Harmonicaplanet.com  
 
 
In a message dated 2/11/2014 7:42:12 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,  
harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx writes:

All full  bends are 'up' bends.When you draw hole one down to C# on a C
harp, you are  playing the blow reed in reverse, exactly the same as an
'overbend'. The C  reed plays in reverse as C#. Only the partial bends could
be called 'down'  ie Bb or A at draw 3 on a C harp.
So, no, sorry, I wouldn't adopt that  term.
RD