Andrew
290 posts
May 07, 2009
3:06 PM
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I'd mentioned a while ago that closing the blow hole gaps helps with the draw hole bends and counteracts the supposed leakiness. But I started to realise this only works if you play the harp so quiet that you wouldn't wake a baby in the next room - if you get up on a stage and blow hard, every note will lock solid and not sound at all. Sure enough at the railway station I verified that this was the sad state of affairs. So now I've got a load of harps to open up, regap and develop my chops on. (another reason for developing chops on OOTB harps)
But I've got to be really careful because I've got a couple (mainly the MB deluxes) which are so finely adjusted that, like a Zen Buddhist, I only have to think overblow and the overblow sounds. Think straight blow and it sounds. That's nice when that happens, although it's always the 4 overblow - 5 and 6 are always a bit more recalcitrant.
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RyanMortos
163 posts
May 07, 2009
3:40 PM
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That stinks. Every time I talk to someone about gapping (or have a clinic in which they discuss it) they pretty much suggest no higher above the reed plate then the thickness of a reed!
Though the suzuki bluesmaster I bought is gapped real low OOTB and I can't manage any overblows. But I think it's just the harp I can manage what sounds like the makings of overblows on my marine band.
How low did you gap yours?
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~Ryan
PA
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Andrew
291 posts
May 08, 2009
12:36 AM
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"How low did you gap yours?"
I started to get a bit gung-ho and closed them (blow holes) up completely then opened them until just a sliver of dark appeared and the note became playable (at low volumes, though).
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Preston
328 posts
May 08, 2009
4:56 AM
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It is a happy medium that you have to find on that gap, and if you are a beginning overblower, that gap IS going to be tight.
Personally I feel that a person, like with everything, gets better at overblowing after you've been doing it for awhile. Maybe haveing a tight gapped harp to develop you OB chops is not a bad idea. Then when you've started to perfect the technique you can start opening up the gaps and find the sweet spot that works for you.
I have found the last 3 harps I purchased I could OB them out of the box. I could never do that before, I always had to adjust them before I could get an OB.
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