[Harp-L] Overblows

[Michael Rubin]

Jerome,
Are you saying you don't bend to get the F or F# on 2 draw?  You play one
overblow raised very high?  Please elaborate.  I feel like I must be
misunderstanding you and you are using semantics to be humorous.

Michael

On Fri, Nov 16, 2018 at 7:14 AM Jerome P. <jersimuse at xxxxx> wrote:

> Hey Joe, you're trying to ruin my legendary humility :D
>
> I love your definition of what your paying a musician for !
>
> In fact, I know many players who have done this work on timbre
> homonigeneity & pitch precision.
> I organize yearly training sessions in France, together with Sebastien
> Charlier, and the guys we teach to have already done this work both on
> bends & overblows.
> Most of them are amateurs, they still have to work of course, but some have
> extremely good results concerning those notes.
> And at a certain point, bent notes become much more complex to be
> controlled than overblows (both on timbre & pitch).
>
> I'll reveal the secret for you.
> A lot of harmonica players play the overblows in the same position as the
> high bent blow notes, and they also force a bit with the stomach and/or the
> throat to get them.
> How do I know ? They have this specific timbre on the overblows, very
> different than the one they have on draw bends.
> The secret is to do the contrary : play the overblow in the same position
> as the opposite draw bend & do not put any force.
> Now the timbre is closer to the one of the draw bend, but the pitch is
> probably too low.
> Once you have done this, take a tuner and verify the pitch of both notes :
> bend & overblow.
> You have to find a tongue position which is exactly the same for both notes
> (for example 4' and 4°) with perfect pitch for both, of course.
> If you succeed, both pitch are perfect & the timbres are homogeneous.
>
> I'll reveal another secret, just for you : I consider my harmonica composed
> of natural & overnotes. That's all.
> I exagerate a bit, I have two bent notes on my harp : 3' & 10'.
> For all the other ones, I play either natural notes, or overnotes.
> Bends don't exist, my friend ! and I can prove it ! :D
>
> Thank you very much for your kind words !
>
> Best regards,
>
> Jerome
> www.jeromepeyrelevade.com
>
> Le ven. 16 nov. 2018 à 05:22, Joseph Leone <3N037 at xxxxx> a écrit :
>
> > I always try to be charitable..IF I can. Or maybe diplomatic. Yes there
> > may be occasions when a person uses overblows to show off.
> > BUT I kinda see it this way. More than likely a person is using the
> > overblows to show that they have paid their dues and in an ever
> > increasing competitive world, these players are making a case that they
> > have done the work and done the mileage to prospective gig
> > providers. And therefore getting gigs through a display of (possibly)
> > higher qualifications.
> >
> > See I have always believed that you are not paying a musician for WHAT
> > they can do. You are paying them for EFFORT spent in practice
> > time. Which in most cases amounts to years. And not just a couple hours
> of
> > gig.
> >
> > In the 7 decades that I have listened to harmonica players, and keeping
> in
> > mind that if the lifetime of harmonica was only one year, overblows
> > didn’t (really) appear till Dec. 11th. I hear overblows and most of the
> > time the timbre is like my left arm. It isn’t right and it isn’t fair. So
> > to speak.
> > But I certainly admire those who can pull it off. AND do it consistently.
> > If I were ever to seek a player as an expert on overblows, there are a
> few
> > right here on this list. But most fall short and should refrain from
> doing
> > them in public until such time as they sound like a Jerome or ????
> >
> > The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love..and be loved in
> > return. Play on. :)
> >
> > Love….smo-joe
> >
> > > On Nov 15, 2018, at 9:28 AM, Jerome P. <jersimuse at xxxxx> wrote:
> > >
> > > "A few use them to show off more than making music, though."
> > >
> > > I believe you but this is absurd : non harmonica players don't care,
> and
> > > harmonica players now are aware it's not such a big deal.
> > > Musicality is much more challenging (once the technical work has been
> > done,
> > > of course).
> > > :D
> > >
> > > Le mer. 14 nov. 2018 à 20:08, The Iceman via Harp-L <harp-l at xxxxx
> >
> > a
> > > écrit :
> > >
> > >> OB is used by different artists in different ways. There is no 1
> > ultimate
> > >> answer...I use them when they offer up a note choice not available in
> > >> traditional bending techniques, no matter what "position" I may choose
> > to
> > >> play.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> A few use them to show off more than making music, though.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> >
> >
>