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From: "PM"
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 15:23:13 -0500
Subject: Using Overblows

"Jan" asked about overblow embouchure, and
whether many people actually use the overblow
in their playing etc . . .

Jan:

I'm not gonna try to tell you how to do
overblows, there's lot's of information
published(HIP Mag-#4 I believe/also
Steven Baker's book, plus on the list).

I will, however, respond to your question
concerning whether diatonic players
actually use them etc . . .

"I" know a bunch of guys that do, we've all
met through Howard and offshoot groups
that we've maintained. I don't know how
many guys use it on the list, but I'd be
interested to hear about it.

I, personally, think that too much is made
of the "overblow" itself. What I've come
to from Howard's approach, is a new
way(for "me")of looking at the harmonica.

I, basically, see the harmonica as a "C"
instrument, which I then play chromatically
according to the song or changes.

This is, actually, (I believe) precisely the approach
that our good friend Mr. Bonfiglio has advocated(he,
of course for the chro-but it's the same principle).

To me, then, the overblows are just another note. I
don't go looking for them. I try to play "all" the notes
that I play for only one reason-because it is the most
"musically" appropriate choice for the moment.

I, personally now, believe that it is as important to
understand and play the "bends" in tune as it is
to play the overblow. To me, the approach to
executing all of these notes is the same-an
attack that doesn't alter the "musicality" of
what you're trying to do.

I've mentioned that I do long-tones and practice
with a keyboard to work on "hearing" pitch, and
I've also tried to make it clear that "I" have by no
means mastered these issues-but I do work on
them, and am known to play "musically," with a
full and consistent tone and vibrato.

I, furthermore, agree fully with Richard Hunter
that these issues have not been fully mastered
by the playing community, but I expect that with
time, there will be generations for which this is the
accepted standards-as is the case with trumpet
and trombone(as Magic Dave has pointed out).

Finally, I'd like to re-itterate that the point of
overblows is not to frustrate yourself and
sound bad, but to give you the options that
"any" line player has on their respective
instruments. I "love" the diatonic, I love its
sound and its "feel," so it's my choice to
try to play the diatonic with this approach:
because it affords me the opportunity to
play the different styles of music that I want
to play on the diatonic.

If that's what "you" want to do, then you'll have
to work on your overblow technique etc. But
the overblow is not the point-it's just a note
that should be able to be played when you
need to play it. I see it just like the button(the
preferred term to trigger, I agree)on the chrom.

You don't go looking to press that button because
it's there-do you????? :-) :) -)

Finally(I promise), I'll tell you what Howard says
about this approach. He doesn't think position or
even key when choosing a harp. He just looks for
where the melody lays the "sweetest." That's the
beauty of the diatonic-the sweet bends and chords . . .

When Howard came down here to do some recording,
I found it interesting that his approach was pretty similar
to mine(in choosing harps). His first options were cross-
harp, dorian, and 1st flat. He wasn't looking to make life
difficult for himself. Given time he may have worked at
those tunes(alt country)from a different perspective, but for
a quick decision(and they were fairly simple tunes)he stuck
with what he knew would "sound" good.

So, I hope that gives you some perspective and something
to think about. Again, IMHO, The "overblows" are not an
end to themselves.

As I've tried to say in every post, the point is to make "musical"
choices, and to "sound" good; not to show off what incredibly
fast or technically diverse things you're capable of. The
"overblows" are just a note that you might "hear,"
therefore you might want to play it.

If so, then you'll need to work on the embouchure
to play it well . . .


Sincere best regards-Paul Messinger/Chapel Hill NC