[Harp-L] Re: 7-10

["Joe Spiers" <joemopar@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

One path to sweet tone, vibrato and technical control (including 
overdraws) of higher notes is described in this post by Rick Epping:

http://www.harp-l.com/pipermail/harp-l/2006-September/msg00235.html

I totally tongueblock the upper register including overdraws, 10 hole 
half step bends and overdraws, even on the high G. It took almost a 
year to learn how to TB the blowbends, after already having them with 
the U-block. McBee told me that's how he does it, but couldn't tell me 
how, so I kept trying....and trying.... for well over an hour a day 
for several months until I got the first one. I feel it was worth the 
effort- not only for the bends but for tone. I spent many, many hours 
driving with that recording of Mitch Kashmar and William Clarke, 
rewinding the cassette and listening to/playing with the harp solo, 
trying to get that vibrato.

Rick talks about tuning your resonance to the pitch an octave lower 
than the desired note in the 10th hole of the higher key XB40s. I 
recalled the post while reading this thread, and after re-reading it 
paid close attention to what I'm doing in the top end. I'm pretty sure 
it's the same technique, and it works well for me. It's also how I 
play overblows. It feels more solid to me than squeezing them toward 
the front of your mouth, or trying to suck out the overdraws. You just 
tune your resonance, and inhale or exhale with the diaphragm- it's 
that easy (ha ha:)). For example, play the 4 draw bent with resonance, 
and without changing anything in your mouth try the 7 overdraw. The 
blow bends and overbends feel like they're focused somewhere around or 
behind the tonsils to me. Also, the tone/timbre sounds more natural. 
You don't need a custom harp to do this, just decent gaps. I wouldn't 
think it ultimately matters if you TB or whatever, but that's what led 
me to it.

YMMV, but I hope it helps someone.