bluesharper
4 posts
Apr 07, 2009
6:38 AM
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How do i overblow on the harmonica i have tried but without success!!
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Preston
261 posts
Apr 07, 2009
8:18 AM
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Have you tried the forumn search tool yet? Already alot of conversations about this with great info. Here's some youtubes for you as well
Adam Gussow's youtubes on overblows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBI4otPGdKU
Jason Ricci's youtube's on overblowing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJKiLjBZzEo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbHH62w7_qQ
And here's my humble attempt to explain it. When I finally got an overblow I realized I was doing it a little different than what I had been hearing others explain it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyh7D5vs1hg
Last Edited by on Apr 07, 2009 8:18 AM
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DaDoom
72 posts
Apr 07, 2009
8:25 AM
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Hey bluesharper
If you use the search function of the forum you should find quite a few infos on the subject. On youtube you can find two good videos (one from Adam Gussow...I think it's number 16 or 17 and one from Jason Ricci).
In any case: take a harp (preferably not the lowest key you have, C and above might be a good idea). Then pick a hole between 4 and 6 (preferably hole 6). Do a half step bend on the draw and then quickly reverse from draw to blow without changing your embouchure. That should produce an overblow. Don't try to blow too hard btw.
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Luiz
32 posts
May 10, 2009
7:54 AM
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Hey!!! Just wanted to say that today I finally got one overblow: I learned how to overblow the 6th hole, now I can play Watermelon Man!!! (I didn't want to open a new thread for that so I am just reusing this one)
I first did on my MB Deluxe, key of C, as usually bending the 6 hole draw and then blowing without changing the mouth position (try this, bluesharper)
Tried on my standard MB also in C, it was possible but very hard. Then I opened it and followed Adam's hints on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBI4otPGdKU
It works!!! \o/
I was so happy I threw the harp up and when I was going to catch it in the air I somehow managed to cut my finger quite deeply with the harp.... But who cares? I don't!
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jonsparrow
273 posts
May 10, 2009
11:28 AM
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congrats. i still have yet to get the overblow.
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Scoltx
48 posts
May 10, 2009
11:53 AM
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Gapping the 4 5 6 blow reeds really helps. I bought a couple of Golden Melody Harps just for this as I'd heard they where a good harp for OB's to start with. I just played around with the gaps until OB's were possible/ easier to pop. It's still a different technique but sometimes I have to be careful not to Overblow the 4 blow hole on the C harp as it comes much easier now.
I'm certainly not perfect at it but it's coming easier with time. I'm not quite ready to use the technique in performance just yet but it shouldn't be too far off. Oddly the 6 OB is the hardest for me and I still can't pop a 1 OB at all.
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oda
94 posts
May 10, 2009
1:13 PM
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Scotlx, that's interesting because I find the 6 OB the easiest and the 4 the hardest.
Bluesharper, just go on youtube and search "Gussow. 017" in that lesson Adam shows you how to gap the reeds accordingly.
Be careful not to make the reed too tight! after I did that my 6 BLOW became slow to respond.
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MindApe
12 posts
May 10, 2009
2:13 PM
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Ya I'm still having trouble getting the 4 hole ob consistently on my MB in A. I'm also working on ppping them out quick; I can pull them off without too much force now, but I find the transition from and to inhale notes and back to OB's to be a bit tricksy.
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Buddha
385 posts
May 10, 2009
2:28 PM
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get your blow 8 bend under control first, if you can't do that you have no business working on OBs.
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Andrew
301 posts
May 11, 2009
12:45 AM
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This is a warning from a beginner to other beginners.
Chris is right (and so was someone else).
The question is not "how do you overblow", it's "where do you overblow?" And the answer in the blues is, "almost nowhere". There are far more important things to learn. Think of all the harp players on Adam's top 10 lists. If you can do all they could without overblowing, then maybe it's time for you to learn the technique. I spent my first year of harp playing with all my blow gaps closed to nothing (I can bend the 4 overblow up a perfect 4th on my GM in C - but big deal, since I can't play a decent SBW riff at all), and now I've opened them all up again (someone else was right to point out that when you can do them, you don't need your gaps so close anyway). My copy of Madcat's Rhythm Harp Methods arrived in the mail on Saturday, and I'd rather learn that than overblows.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 12:46 AM
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Luiz
33 posts
May 11, 2009
3:03 AM
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I think it really depends on what you want to play.
I agree that to play blues overblows are cool but indeed not needed.
But if you want to play other stuff on the harp, let's say jazz or bossa nova, sometimes you just can't go without them, unless you adapt the song to match the notes you have available.
In any case I do agree with Buddha when it comes to the technique itself.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 3:03 AM
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Andrew
302 posts
May 11, 2009
3:56 AM
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Yes, I hadn't forgotten jazz, but we need to ask, is this the right forum for jazz, or should there be a sister forum?
And do you really want to learn diatonic, or would chromatic be better?
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The Gloth
28 posts
May 11, 2009
4:11 AM
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Chromatic suits better for jazz, but the diatonic has a different sound, so playing jazz with it is not just a gimmick. On a chromatic, you can't really bend the notes, for example.
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JoetheMagician
17 posts
May 11, 2009
5:40 AM
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I think Chris is wrong. Coming from a beginner who wants to know how to overblow. I think a lot of his responces are kind of narcissistic.
I think you "PROs" forget what it is like to want to build your bag o chops.
Some of us have no idea what notes we are playing and we are happy that way.
Instead of chopping down someones post maybe your should be more positive. I notice you are very brash in alot of your responses.
Just my 2 cents. Positive reinforcement.
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Joe Jesse
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Buddha
391 posts
May 11, 2009
5:47 AM
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Joe,
It's not about me being a pro, it's about me being a teacher. I teach lots of beginners and there is a certain progression that needs to be followed for best results.
Let's not talk about my brashness again.
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Luiz
34 posts
May 11, 2009
5:48 AM
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Joe, I think he's right because it's like a technique path that you walk through.
If you can't blow bend the 8th hole you probably won't get to overblow. The same way that a child won't learn how to walk before learning how to stand up on their own legs.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 5:49 AM
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Buddha
392 posts
May 11, 2009
5:59 AM
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let me explain further.
If a person can't play single notes, then bending is not taught. If a person can't bend then OBing is not taught.
Everything on the harmonica is about air flow control and air flow control is easiest when your breathing is together.
When oldwailer came to study with me he was already doing lots of stuff and he wanted to lean OBs but he didn't have the most foundational techniques down. So instead of OBs I taught him how to breathe correctly.
We did nothing but play a single note with total control and good tone.
Maybe he'll chime in with the results...
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RyanMortos
166 posts
May 11, 2009
6:10 AM
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I actually think its good to know that one would need blow bends under control first. Can I get blow bends? Sure, I push my tongue forward and this seems to do it. Do I feel I have control over the blow bends? No, not really. Its good to know that control should come first. Ill probably save myself time in the long run. Sure wish I could do some real lessons.
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~Ryan
PA
Ryan's Tube - Containing [0] uploads and counting...
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RyanMortos
167 posts
May 11, 2009
6:25 AM
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Do I have the method to do blow bends down correctly? By the way, whether we're dedicated to blues or not Im sure we all want to have full command of the instrument, I dont think wanting full command of the harmonica is against the modern harmonica aspect of this site.
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~Ryan
PA
Ryan's Tube - Containing [0] uploads and counting...
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Andrew
303 posts
May 11, 2009
6:29 AM
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Joe, every instrument has things that aren't for beginners. OK, a beginner can try to triple-stop on a violin, or bite his oboe reed to make it play harmonics (utterly pointless if he's not technically up to playing Luciano Berio).
But none of these involve modifications to the instruments which would hamper their progress in more suitable areas. At best they are a waste of time. Yes, I know they can be fun, but you have to learn to walk before you can learn to run.
Watch some of the worse YouTube offerings and realise that overblowing isn't going to make these people better players.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 6:30 AM
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Preston
333 posts
May 11, 2009
6:43 AM
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Congratulations Luiz. That's awesome.
Ryan, I like you last post. That's a very good approach to this subject.
Here's an interesting story for you guys. I learned draw bends, blow bends, and overblows all at the same time. I was not a walking blues encyclopedia, so I didn't know all the old great harmonica players DIDN'T overblow. I started playing harp about the same time Adam Gussow started his video tutorials. He started talking about overblows at about video 17 like Oda says, so that was relatively early in my learning process. I just thought they were another bending thing everybody was doing. So I learned all three together.
I'm not disagreeing with the fact that you SHOULD learn how to blow bend first, looking back on my own journey, I think it is a hell of an idea. But anythings possible.
Andrew, I also am not disagreeing with you that you can play blues without overblows, but try playing all the classic songs in first position in the middle of the harp without them. Can't be done. Why would anybody want to do this? Well, I don't have a clue, but it's an argument that overblows DO have a place in the blues, depending on what type of player you want to be.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 7:01 AM
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Buddha
393 posts
May 11, 2009
6:53 AM
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I agree with Preston that OBs have a place in blues. And like Preston, I learned all of the techniques at the same time but there is a still a natural progression that needs to be followed for best results.
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Andrew
304 posts
May 11, 2009
7:52 AM
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Last time I listened to Jazz Gillum play in first position it was on the top octave (G harp), not the middle, hence Chris's admonition to learn blow bends.
Last Edited by on May 11, 2009 7:53 AM
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Preston
334 posts
May 11, 2009
8:23 AM
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I think Chris wants beginners to learn blow bends first so you develop blowing breath control before you start overblowing, I doubt he was thinking of Jazz Gillum.
(This is just my personal observation)Sometimes I get the impression people hear "First position" and automatically think the high end of the harp, or the hoochie coochie man riff. What I am trying to point out is for an overblow player, there is a full blues scale starting at 4 blow going up, that isn't utilized alot. Overblows give you a chance to obtain expression in the middle of the harp, that the old classic guys didn't have. And it's can be straight up blues too, not jazz.
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