Chris L
1 post
Aug 14, 2013
10:49 AM
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I'm a tongue blocker learning OBs and note two strange things. First, through some strange twist of tongue, I have to (apparently) move a hole to the right to get the OB. At first I thought I was blow bending to get an Eb from E, but then discovered F# and Bb in adjacent holes. So I guess they are bona fide OBs.
Second: The problem I have encountered is that, after hitting the OB, about 50% of the time the reeds jam and have to be sucked HARD to free them up. Which does not make for smooth playing.
Has anybody experienced this? So far it has happened with a Special 20, Suzuki Bluesmaster and almost new Manji.
Do I just need to work on technique? Have I stumbled on some technique detrimental to my harps? Do I just need to clean, gap or otherwise adjust the harps? Can anyone advise me based on experience?
BTW. I just learned to play single notes through Lip pursing a few months ago, so I am years behind in bending accurately in LP compared with TB, so don't really want to go that route if I can avoid it.
Thanks in advance for whatever advice you can provide!
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smwoerner
210 posts
Aug 14, 2013
12:04 PM
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Funny timing on your question. I'm mainly a LP player and while I TB a lot for splits and high low switching I'm just now getting my TB bends down. I was testing a couple of harps and tried some TB blow bends and had the same issue.
In my case I was just playing really wet because it's not my normal style and I don't play a lot of OB's. At first I thought I broke a reed but a little shaking and everything worked fine.
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Offering Optimized New and Refurbished Harmonicas as well as Repairs.
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mr_so&so
720 posts
Aug 14, 2013
1:15 PM
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Chris, I can't comment on the hole alignment issue you mention, but you probably have the blow reed gapped too tight if it is sticking. How tight you can gap depends on how hard your typical attack is on the note. Soft attack, you can gap tighter. If you gap too wide, you will loose the OB. It's a balancing act. Or like Scott says, playing too wet can cause the same problem.
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the_happy_honker
156 posts
Aug 15, 2013
5:06 AM
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My money is on smwoerner. As a tongue-blocker I had this problem until I switched to LP'ing the overbends. Give the harp a good tapping out before drawing hard on it - you might damage the reed if it suddenly breaks free.
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barbequebob
2321 posts
Aug 15, 2013
11:59 AM
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If you have a saliva problem causing reeds to stick, you're probably playing them too hard to begin with and often times when the breath force gets upped, it's not uncommon for reeds to stick because it is also drying on the reed together with a layer of dead skin and is clogging the reed slot. This also happens with bends as well.
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Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
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Chris L
3 posts
Aug 15, 2013
2:25 PM
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Thanks Everybody for your answers! I believe you are dead on with both the saliva and hard vs soft attack issues. The 3 harps I mentioned are all snugly gapped in the middle register. And I know I play way too hard. Now to start working on both of those issues. I can't tell you how great it is to get some feedback like this! Thanks!
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Chris L
5 posts
Aug 20, 2013
8:44 PM
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Sounds crazy but I figured out what is happening with the apparent need to shift to the right to get the OB. With the OBs I am bending with a micro U block on the tip of my tongue, funnelling air the just right to punch up the overblow (and saliva too, I guess, as an unfortunate by product). But the block is no longer on the side but on the tip. Weird, but I thought I would share in case it means anything to anyone else down the road.
Actually it is really funny! discovering you have little idea what your own tongue is really doing!!!!
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The Iceman
1113 posts
Aug 21, 2013
6:24 AM
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"discovering you have little idea what your own tongue is really doing!!!!"
ding ding ding. you get the prize for figuring it out for yourself.
get deeper into it.
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The Iceman
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mr_so&so
725 posts
Aug 21, 2013
11:32 AM
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Chris, interesting about the U block. I'd suggest that you keep working at getting the OBs using the normal TB embouchure. It takes a bit of time, but it's worth it.
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