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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > How I got the 6 OB quickly
How I got the 6 OB quickly
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striderJim
2 posts
May 29, 2011
8:12 PM
I'm the author of the 'another saliva thread' thread, where nacoran congratulated me on getting the OBs so quickly.

Here's how I got the 6 OB going almost immediately on trying:

Work on the 7 blow bend (I know, not a true semitone bend), and get it going from a normal blow note to the bend note---down and back up, down and up. Over and over.

When that's going reliably, switch to the 6 hole and continue that same motion with tongue--concentrating on getting the 6 blow note to bend 'down'.
By not trying to get a sustained note, but just a bend 'down and back up'--over and over, your tongue might start finding the spot where the overblow starts.

Thinking 'bend down' helps me with it (even though the OB note actually bends up), as the tongue position is similar to a 'bend down'.

I find I can transfer this position, once found on 6, to 4 and 5 OB, though with a deeper tongue position in the mouth--akin to the difference in position of the 2 and three draw bends as compared to the 4 draw bend.

I don't really have command of the OBs as yet. Can usually hit them with a slight pause in a tune to set up the tongue position, though the 4 and 5 are often a bit dry sounding.
6 OB is generally quite loud when you find it.

And after practicing them a few times in a row, my 'pucker' gets tired, and I'm unable to do them at all, without a rest.

Hope this helps someone.

fwiw, I initially did this on a MB Crossover in C.

strider
JohnnieHarp
102 posts
May 31, 2011
8:48 AM
Another tip in the same vein ... If the harp is well set up, do a sustained 7 blow bend then without changing your embouchure keep blowing and slide down to the 6 hole. Often the 6 overblow will sound.


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