Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence (was: Re: Overblows and tongue b HarpL Archives

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From: BluesGe~ol.com
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 10:10:52 EDT
Subject: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence (was: Re: Overblows and tongue b

In a message dated 9/9/98 1:26:38 PM, Renato Padovani Tognolo
wrote:

> So what bothers me is: I learned to overblow while
>puckering. I tried to overblow while tb'ing, but I couldn't, and
>it seemed, if not impossible, *very* difficult... Is there
>anyone who overblows while tongue blocking in the list? Is
>it so difficult to master as I am expecting to be? I ask
>because if I can't do it, I don't see how can i possibly fit
>overblown notes in the middle of my tb playing without some
>*major* embochure movements that will definetly be *hard* to
>master...
>
> I'd love to know about your experience on this matter...
>Maybe I can take some wise advice from it...

To answer your question, I designed and conducted the following exercise this
morning.

(with apologies to, and in the hopes of winning the hearts of, our real
scientists)

Title: Is a harmonica player's ability to perform overblows using a specific
embouchure, related to the player's general facility using the embouchure?

Abstract: The study concludes that tongue blockers can overblow. Now, unless
you're totally bored at the office, you'd be better served by practicing your
overblows than by reading on. The research was conducted this morning, but it
is the author's first attempt at science, and other than what is stated in the
first sentence of the abstract, it's totally worthless. Don't say I didn't
warn you.

Introduction: It is estimated that the majority of harmonica players utilizing
overblow technique use a pucker as the primary embouchure. Many of these
players report noticable challenges in producing overblows with a tongue
block, an alternate or secondary embouchure, when compared with using the
pucker embouchure. There appears to be a consequent lack of data on the role
that alternate embouchures, especially the tongue block, may play in the
facilitation of the performance of overblows.

The purpose of this study is to use new data obtained from subject players who
use the tongue block as the primary embouchure to determine if the
facilitation of overblows is embouchure-specific (i.e., if one embouchure is
more ideally suited to overblow production), or if it is directly related to
the player's general development of, and facility with, a given embouchure.

Such data may be of use to players of all levels of experience facing training
decisions about choice of embouchure and potentials for facilitation of
overblow performance. A player utilizing the tongue block for overblows could,
for example, benefit from using the embouchure to perform tongue switching for
wide interval leaps that incorporate overblows, or to aid in performance of
passages which utilize octaves and other tongue-dependent expressions,
synchronous or alternating with overblows.

Materials and Methods: To measure a subject's overblow skills with various
embouchures, a Marine Band harmonica, key of E tenor, selected for its poor
compression, was reed-gapped to extremely high offset to create an artifice to
render overblowing impractical.

The subject was tested on the ability to perform overblows using each, the
tongue block and pucker embouchures. After a pretesting and each subsequent
test, the instrument was regapped to make it progressively easier for the
subject to produce overblows. Then the subject was retested. Using this
method, measurements could be made to determine a baseline "fail-point limit"
of the subject's abilities to perform overblows with each of the embouchures,
as imposed by the set up of the harmonica, itself. Regapping for each
subsequent test, reduces the degree of challenge imposed on the subject by the
instrument. The methodology is intended to provide for the establishment of
separate baseline data for each embouchure, as fail-points.

Due to time constraints, the study is based on results obtained from only one
subject, the author (Oh, THIS is going to be good.). According to data
obtained from the subject's spouse, the subject is an advanced tongue blocker
with very limited pucker skills, an ideal subject for the study.

Data were obtained by the subject's self-report.

Results: In baseline pretesting, with the harmonica gapped to present the
highest degree of challenge to the player in the performance of overblows, the
subject attempted to perform an overblow on each of holes 1-6 blow, and 7-10
draw, first, with a tongue block and then with a pucker. Subject was unable to
perform any overblows whatsoever with either embouchure. (pretest #1)

The harmonica was then regapped, bringing all reed offsets closer to the reed
plates, to make it easier to produce overblows. A second pretest (pretest #2)
was conducted. Subject was able to perform a rough overblow on hole 6, and
slightly more steady, but still rough, overdraws on holes 8 and 9, using a
tongue block; but was unable to obtain any value of overblow in any hole, and
only a very briefly-held, then lost, overdraw in hole 8, using a pucker. For
the sake of this study, the performance of this weak overdraw is considered a
non-event. This establishes the fail-point for the primary embouchure, the
tongue block, at pretest #1.

The harmonica was again regapped, bringing all reed offsets closer to the reed
plates, to make it easier to produce overblows. A test (test #1) was
conducted, and the subject was able to perform an overblow in hole 6 and an
overdraw in hole 8, using a pucker. Subject was able to perform overblows in
holes 4, 5 and 6, and overdraws in 7, 8 and 9, with a tongue block. This
establishes the fail-point for the primary embouchure, the tongue block, at
pretest #2.

The harmonica was then regapped, bringing all reed offsets still closer to the
reed plates, to make it easier to produce overblows. A second test (test #2)
was conducted, and the subject was able to perform an overblow in holes 5 and
6 and an overdraw in holes 8 and 9, using a pucker. Subject was able to
perform overblows in holes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and overdraws in 7, 8, 9 and 10
with a tongue block.

At this point, the subject's spouse awoke and ordered the testing terminated.

Discussion: The subject reported a clear experience of a greater facility in
the performance of overblows using the primary embouchure, in this case, the
tongue block (as well as a clear auditory perception of the encouragement, "Go
to bed."). This is consistent with the self-report of other overblow players,
who report similar experience of greater facility using a pucker, when that is
the primary embouchure. (Comparison with available data, regarding any
encouragements offered to other overblow players during their pre-dawn
practice periods is beyond the scope of this study.)

In both the baseline pretesting and the testing, the primary embouchure
outperformed the secondary embouchure. When the test results are compared with
the baseline pretests, the reed regapping actually accelerated the
facilitation of overblows with the primary embouchure, when compared with the
alternate embouchure; the primary embouchure increasing in performance
capacity in increments of 3 in each stage, compared to 2 in each stage for the
secondary embouchure. If the datum from the tongue block results from pretest
#2 is considered as zeroed out, to provide an even baseline for test #1, the
initial leap (to 6 overblows) is even more dramatic (cf. Table).

Table

Number of overblows

Embouchure: pucker (secondary) tongue block (primary)
Pre-test #1 0 0 (fail-point)
Pre-test #2 0 (fail-point) 3 (this number is still
baseline
datum, and is
scored as a
zero)
Test #1 2 6
Test #2 4 9

Although the sampling is too small to be significant, the results tend to
support the position that a player may be predicted to experience a relative
increase in difficulty in performing overblows when using an alternate or
secondary embouchure, possibly due to a relative lack of general foundational
development of the secondary embouchure and it's supporting apertures and
articulatory structures as a primary instrument of practice.

There is sufficient reason to conclude that any player who has an
understanding and experience of the mechanics of overblowing can be trained to
produce facile overblows using either the tongue block or the pucker
embouchure.

The author recommends further study, using real science, more subjects, more
refined methods, better statistical analysis, as well as the expansion of the
performance indices to include standard bending and various articulations, in
a research environment where spousal interruptions will not predicate the
premature termination of testing, in other words, more tongue on the harp and
less in the cheek.

- -Dave (The Nutty Professor) Therault