Re: [Harp-L] Overblowing

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom Richardson wrote:
<What specifically causes a Lee Oskar to be problematic with overblows in comparison to Hohners or Seydels?

I dunno.  Might be the reed design.  It's not a lot more difficult to get an overblow started on an LO than it is on a Hohner or Seydel (or a Suzuki), but it's definitely more difficult to sustain an overblown note without undesired artifacts (such as high-pitched squeals) on an LO than on other makes.

So if overblowing is an important technique for you, and especially if you're in the habit of playing a lot of exposed notes (as opposed to passing tones) via overblows, you might choose something besides an LO as your preferred instrument.  

I generally avoid playing long, exposed notes where the pitch and timbre are likely to call attention to themselves via bends or overblows, so I don't worry too much about LOs in that respect.

Regards, Richard Hunter