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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Getting the overbend terminology straight
Getting the overbend terminology straight
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harpdude61
1810 posts
Sep 08, 2013
6:36 PM
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I hear the "over" terminology used in ways that might sometimes be confusing to a new player. Here is what I have come to understand. Please chime in if you have anything to add.
Some players think over-bending means bending an overblow. I disagree. Overbends is a broader term that covers overblows and overdraws. Comparison....we have two types of bends, blow bends and draw bends. We have two types of overbends, overblows and overdraws.
However, you can bend an overbend up!
A lot of players get overblows confused with blow bends. I understand how this can happen. I was there once myself.
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KingoBad
1384 posts
Sep 08, 2013
7:26 PM
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That is how I understand it.
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Danny
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tmf714
1952 posts
Sep 08, 2013
7:50 PM
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"Overbending" is a broad term used for both overblowing and overdrawing-
In the 1970s, Howard Levy developed the "overbending" technique (also known as "overblowing" and "overdrawing".) Overbending, combined with bending, allowed players like Chris Michalek, Carlos del Junco, Otavio Castro and George Brooks to play the entire chromatic scale. When bending, the player forces the lower of the two reeds in a chamber to vibrate faster, while the higher pitched reed vibrates slower. When overbending, the player isolates the higher of the two reeds and by so doing can play higher pitched notes. By using both bending and overbending techniques a player can play the entire chromatic scale using a diatonic harmonica. This has allowed diatonic harmonica players to expand into areas traditionally viewed as inhospitable to the instrument such as jazz.
The overbend is a difficult technique to master. To facilitate overbending, many players use specially modified or customised harmonicas. Any harmonica can be set up for better overbending. The primary needs are tight tolerances between the reed and reed-plate and a general level of air-tightness between the reed-plate and comb. The former often necessitates lowering the "gap", the space between the tip of the reed and the reed-plate. Another often used technique called embossing is to make the space between the sides of the slots in the reed-plate and the reed itself as small as possible by drawing in the metal on the sides of the reed-plate slots towards the reed. While these modifications make the harmonica overbend more easily, overbending is often possible on stock diatonic harmonica, especially on an airtight design.
Last Edited by tmf714 on Sep 08, 2013 7:50 PM
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WinslowYerxa
398 posts
Sep 09, 2013
2:16 PM
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Overbending as term originates with Bobbie Giordano circa 1996.
Will Scarlett was using the term "overblow" in 1974 when I learned it from him. The technique was first recorded in 1929.
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Winslow
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