Lazerface
1 post
May 27, 2012
1:23 PM
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Hey all, just joined the forum. I've been blowin harp for around 6 years now, and am now trying to learn some overblowing. I am primarily a guitarist, but the harp is easily my second favorite instrument. I am getting my chops up and am looking to play with groups solely as a harpist. Right now I'm amplifying myself with a red howler mic and a marshall class5. I blow mainly special 20s but am starting to explore other brands. Got a few delta frosts, a suzuki harpmaster and just picked up my first lee oskar this afternoon. I am also looking into trying out some natural minor tuned harps. I am looking forward to sharing some wisdom and learning some new tricks too, as I have just now begun gapping a few harps. I am also interested in learning some new tweaks I can try out on some harps, like embossing reeds.
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FreeWilly
249 posts
May 27, 2012
1:30 PM
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Welcome to the club!
Try the forum search function. There's an ocean of knowledge there! Asking specific questions here is almost always rewarded with more answers/tips than you dared hoping for.
Here's a free one for you from the bat.
1)for gapping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh79GaDVmC8 This is an unassuming vid by the worlds best know harp-tech: Joe Spiers. All you need to know on gapping.
2)if overblowing doesn't work squeel free on you Lee Oskar: it's not you, it's the length/with proportions of the reeds. Their awful.
Good luck!
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Lazerface
2 posts
May 27, 2012
1:35 PM
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Thanks, willy. I was planning on working on my overblowing on a special 20 A harp that I just gapped. I have heard about the oskars not overblowing easily, I figure I will move onto that one once I get it down just to improve my technique, but for now I will stick to learning on the 20s mainly cause they're accessible.
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nacoran
5738 posts
May 27, 2012
2:37 PM
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Welcome aboard!
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Nate
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harmonicanick
1618 posts
May 27, 2012
2:38 PM
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Hey Lf,
Overblows are peripheral,good luck, (I can't do 'em)
nick
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FreeWilly
251 posts
May 27, 2012
3:29 PM
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Nick, I'd like to discuss you're opinion:
To me, overblows can only be peripheral to those who want to play the bluesharp as a bluesharp in the traditionalist, 50's blues meaning of the word. For those who want to play it as a musical instrument (wherin music isn't just blues, and blues isn't just an conservatory), being able to do overblows is vital.
Only with overblows can one play everything one hears. Before I learned them, I was always wondering: will this lay well on harp? There were missing notes everywhere (okay, my bends weren't up to specs as well at that time, but the OB's basically give you a whole extra octave, which is needed for a lot of music).
Apart from this confidence and more general musical approach OB's allow, it also gives unique possibilities for expression. OB's have a different quality than bends, because they go upwards and have different overtones than bends. Allows for bends on the second octave of what you're playing. As with bends, an unintended but very lucky thing in harmonica-design. And both exactly as distant from peripheral.
Saying overblows are peripheral is almost like saying bends are peripheral. Imagine OB's having been invented in Little Walters time and not bends, and people saying bends are peripheral. True, bluesharp would not have been called BLUESharp, as these bends make it ideal for the blues intonation, but still. The OB's revolutionize the instrument in the same way bending did. Opens a whole new world.
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Lazerface
3 posts
May 27, 2012
3:43 PM
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Nick, would you say howard levy is peripheral too?
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FMWoodeye
352 posts
May 27, 2012
6:16 PM
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One can play an AWFUL lot of blues and rock without utilizing overblows. Not so without bends. This is from a guy (me) that shunned the 10-hole diatonic because it didn't have "all the notes." I now play the diatonic exclusively, and I'm working on overblows but have not yet incorporated them in my playing in a significant manner.
Last Edited by on May 27, 2012 7:00 PM
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nacoran
5740 posts
May 27, 2012
8:45 PM
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I'm always fascinated with the trade-offs of different tunings. I started out on tremolos, which are laid out with 3 full octaves but lousy chord options compared to Richter. I've dabbled with Chromatic. I play mostly single notes. I've tried overblows, but although I can occasionally get them to squeal out I can't get them usefully. I'm really curious about the Turboslide. One thing I've noticed is that because I don't have OB's in my arsenal I often pick out melodies higher up on the harp. I start on the 6 blow a lot. A lot of rock melodies seems to work out pretty well starting there, although it won't sound as bluesy. Once I get the hang of it sometimes I'll move it down, but a lot of pretty, clean melodies work very nicely without needing any of the missing notes. It's probably got to do with that famous rock chord progression that everyone uses. (I've linked the Axis of Awesome video enough times so I won't do it again, but if you haven't seen it, go to YouTube and look it up. Tons of rock songs use the same basic chord progression.)
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Nate
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SuperBee
286 posts
May 28, 2012
6:36 AM
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Axis of awesome? We are opening for them Wednesday and Thursday this week. I'm amazed to see a reference here!
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Rubes
531 posts
May 28, 2012
6:49 AM
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G'day Lazer, enjoy the ride!
@Nate & Superbee,.....That song is awesome...
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One of Rubes's bands, DadsinSpace-MySpace
Old Man Rubes at Reverbnation
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nacoran
5745 posts
May 28, 2012
1:01 PM
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SuperBee, cool! Their '4 Chord Song' is one of the greatest pieces of deconstructionism I've ever seen.
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Nate
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FreeWilly
253 posts
May 28, 2012
2:58 PM
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Axis of awesome has gone pretty viral alright. Saw it on a dutch website as well. Sounds like a cool gig!
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harmonicanick
1625 posts
May 28, 2012
3:11 PM
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@Freewilly
I don't know what to say. OB's are relativley recent
technique.
The harp community here in my town in uk do not use overblows generally speaking.
The tone and phrasing are paramount.
It is not important in my playing, though I acknowledge certain notes are only available on OB
I have been playing harp for over 40 years and do not find my playing frustrated by not doing OB's
I am not being a Luddite, I hope to be able to do them soon but am not bovvered if I can't!!
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