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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Overblow/Overdraw Tips
Overblow/Overdraw Tips
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HarpNinja
1506 posts
Jul 11, 2011
7:09 AM
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***Currently uploading a 15min vid on this at youtube.com/user/mikefugazzi...have to leave town before it finishes uploading, but it should be there an an hour or so!
I thought of sharing this as I've had a couple of overbend players mention struggling with overbends under certain circumstances. I talked to one of the players for about an hour on the phone and came up with some tips/analogies that might help. I will make a video about this very soon, and I had I thought of this last night, would have!
OVERBLOWS
The technique for this changes greatly from the higher keys to the lower keys. I can ob the 4 and 5 on a Low C harp, not saying it is musical, but it can be done.
On the lower harps, say G for example, the tongue position is much further back in the throat. The OB does not happen at the tip of your tongue like on a higher harp. On a higher harp it may feel like more of a "T" articulation, but on the G it will be more of a "Tah". You can't just use the tip of your tongue to pop it - it is often easy to ob with the tip of your tongue and the back of your top teeth, but not on lower harps!
Try getting into the ob by going from 4 draw to 4draw bent way down and then reversing that exact body position to 4ob.
OVERDRAWS
Same logic here - the higher the key, the more of the tip of the tongue/back of the teeth you'll use. The lower the key, the lower the bending point. On say an F harmonica, you may feel a bit like sucking a really really thick milkshake. On the lower keys, it is almost like playing a really bluesy 3 draw half step bend by bending with your tongue. The main difference being that the air has to come from your gut and not just your mouth.
Since this isn't a video or something I can otherwise visually show you, try working with this over-generalization:
To overbend on low keyed harps, bend from the gut like you would playing bluesy stuff with lots of bends.
To overbend on the higher keys, think of it like playing bluesy first position blow bends.
BTW, playing ods like blow bends on the lower keys will not work. You will get squealing, even if properly set up, or the note won't sound. It has to come from the gut!
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
Last Edited by on Jul 11, 2011 10:01 AM
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JBharmonica
54 posts
Jul 11, 2011
10:50 AM
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Great Job Mike!!!!
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JB
http://www.facebook.com/jbharmonica
jbustillos@gmail.com
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jonlaing
281 posts
Jul 11, 2011
12:11 PM
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you also mentioned that the embouchure for an overblow on a low harp (my G in this case) is a lot like a one draw bend. I kept that in mind when trying to overblow on it again, and it helped a lot. Within an hour I was getting them consistently with ease.
Still struggling with the overdraw, but I'm going to keep at it.
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RyanMortos
1080 posts
Jul 11, 2011
5:33 PM
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Thanks Mike, gonna try to check out your video now. I can hit overblows 4, 5, & 6 but not easily starting on any other note on the harmonica. I'm continuing to try to get some overdraws happening too. Sounds like low harps are easier so I might give that a shot.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Contact:
My youtube account
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The Iceman
15 posts
Jul 12, 2011
8:02 AM
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Stephen Wright quote may be meant to be funny (from Ryan), but this is how I used to "break in" my harmonicas in the old days....
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The Iceman
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jonlaing
282 posts
Jul 12, 2011
1:14 PM
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Hey Mike, do you have any advice for the 1ob?
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HarpNinja
1509 posts
Jul 16, 2011
7:06 PM
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@jonlaing
Start on a D or F. IMO, it is more like a 4ob and a better place to start. I can use them on lower harps as a passing note, but once I get below say a C, I have a hard time making it musical in a live situation. For me, the trade off for getting it to work well vs how I usually use that end of the harp isn't worth it.
Since the last SPAH, I've been mercilessly using overdraws. I think I am overdriving the computer mic and adding a bit of feedback and distortion, but that is the computer and NOT the harp.
I just got back into town and will come up with a better recording set up. I hope the video is helpful. I've never done a vid like that before and I seriously did it off the cuff, which is NOT my preferred mode, but oh well!
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
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