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From: flowe~sf.org (Ken Flowers)
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 1996 10:11:05 -0500
Subject: Blow Bends and Overblows

Congratulate me. Last night I made my first controlled overblow.

It was a 4 overblow on a B Golden Mel. I can duplicate it with
some effort on this hole on this harp, but I can't get it on any other
hole or on my C Big River. My technique, I am able to take any blow
note (1-6) and chage its tone about a 1/4 tone by changing my tongue
position - Tight and forward = higher, wide and backward = lower.
I don't know if everyone can do this, but I find it useful for tremellos.
Anyway, back to overblows, by starting with my tongue tight and
forward while blowing, and then pulling back my tongue while
widening my mouth cavity (feels kinda like a bending embrochure),
I can often reproduce this overblow. Time for more practice on
control. Any hints on how to transfer my new found knowledge to
other holes/harps?

Also congratulate me for finally getting control over blow bends
on hole 7-10.

Again with the same changing embrochure that gives me the
tremello on 1-6, I can get a controllable blow bend on 7-10. I
need to be careful though, because the tight forward tongue on
the blow bends causes the draw reeds to just stop (no noise) when I
change wind direction. I need to remember to go back to the loose
open embrocure. I have a theory that that reed stopping is the
reed considering an overdraw - but who knows.

A question though, my 10 blow bend is only about a 1/4 tone
higher than the 10 draw, which makes the 3rd octive scale
resolve kinda oddly. Is this normal?

Ken Flowers - Proof that practice works