Toll Free 
800-776-5015

Learning to Overblow
by
Chris Michalek

What is an Overblow? 
Overblows are basically blow bends on holes 1, 4,5,6 and overdraw are draw bends on holes 7,9,10. The reason the are not considered bent notes is because the notes do not "bend" down to a lower note but instead "pop" up to a high note. The action and technique is nearly the same as bending.

So you want to learn overblows? 
Overblows are no harder to achieve than blow bends. Some people say that overblows are not natural and shouldn’t be used. They are every bit a natural as bending. All blow notes from holes 1-6 can produce an overblow. The most common are blow 1,4,5,6.

Who invented overblows? 
Nobody really knows who played the first overblow but the term was coined by Howard Levy. Overblows have been heard on recordings as early as 1927. Howard Levy was the first to experiment with and find all of the missing notes on the harmonica. He was the first to systematically use all of them in a particular style of play. **Sound File Coming Soon**

Which harps work best?
Custom Harps by:
Joe Filisko
Richard Sleigh
Jimmy Gordon
All models of Hohner and Hering work well because of the reed profile.

Lee Oskar, Huang, Suzuki,  and other eastern made harps do not work well for overblowing.  The eastern harps use a wider and thinner reed that squeals under pressure.

How to do it:
Get a Bb or C harp and practice blow bending the 8 hole. You must be able to play and bend this hole with complete control. On a C harp this note is E and Eb

Exercise: **Click Links for Sound Files (.wav)**
1. Blow8 Bend8 Blow8 Bend8
2. Bend8 Blow8 Bend8 Blow8
3. Bend8 sustain
4. Bend8 sustain add vibrato
5. Find the note between E and Eb and sustain. 

When you can do this you are ready to move on to the next step. Move to the blow 6. Try the same blow bending action as you did on the blow 8. Slowly, try to blow bend the 6 hole. When done properly you will hear the note begin to bend down then pop up 3 semi tones. (If you are on a C harp the blow 6 is a G note the overblow is a Bb.) **Sound File **

This technique is nearly the same as blow bending. Do not OVER blow. Use constraint and finesse to get the note. Again, refrain from blowing too hard or the note will not work! Remember it is the draw reed that actually sounds. Just like a bend the blow reed is the first to sound then it transfers to the draw reed as the blow reed acts like a closing valve.

You may have to adjust the position of your tongue to find the right spot. I find that the middle of my tongue moves towards the roof of my mouth when I overblow. This may not work for you because I have talked with others who have their tongue in a different position than mine. It’s best to experiment.

When you can get the overblow on the six hole try it on a different key harp i.e. C harp then B harp then Bb Harp. When you can consistently get the six overblow on other harp then try the five overblow on other harps. The action is the same but the tongue placement is different. Drop your jaw slightly and move your tongue back in your mouth. The Overblow should pop out. The same goes for the hole 4 overblow. **Sound File **

TIPS:
Try drawing the note and then go for the overblow.

Remove your cover plates and cover the 6 blow reed with your finger. Try to blow bend. The only note that will sound will be the overblow.

Try decreasing the gap between the reedplate and the reed. Use a paperclip to slowly decrease the gap. I have found that the optimum gap is where the reed gap is a reed’s thickness above the reedplate. The less the gap the more response the reed will be. With the decreased gap your reed is more prone to stick and will not sound as loud.

With a wider gap the can be blown harder but the reed is also less responsive. It’s best to experiment with an old harp and find the best gap for your style of playing.

The Dreaded One Hole Overblow. This is one of the hardest notes to employ and sustain. Most players I know use this note primarily as a passing note. **Sound File** 

Try drawing on the one hole and then immediately try to hit the one overblow. It might sound for a second. To sustain the note your jaw needs to drop as far as it can without losing a seal on the harp and your tongue has to be as far back in your throat as possible. For some this may invoke your gagging reflex, at least it did for me. I eventually learned to control it and can now sustain the note when I need to. This note really takes a lot of practice. Good Luck! **Sound File Coming Soon**

Overdraws **Sound File Coming Soon**

The overdraws are only necessary on holes Draw 7,9,10. These are not any harder than overblows. My students have found it easier to think of them as reverse overblow rather than draw bends. The action is different from draw bending.

When performing overdraws my tongue seem to lay flat in my mouth and my jaw moves back towards my throat NOT down - BACK. The action is similar to sucking on an obstructed straw. (Like a strawberry milkshake when you have a big chunk of strawberry in the straw.) Begin on the 7 draw and work up to the 10 draw. You may have to gap your harp to make these notes come out.

Using the Overblow in music
If you are a blues player that primarily plays in second position, the six overblow will be the most useful. **Sound File Coming Soon** 

Example:
B6 OB6 B7 D8 B9 **Sound File Coming Soon**
OB6 B6 D5 D4 Db3 D2 **Sound File Coming Soon**
D2 Dbb2 Db3 D4 D5 B6 B7 OB6   **Sound File Coming Soon**

With 7 hole overdraw
OD7 B7 OB6 B6 D5 D4 B6 **Sound File Coming Soon**

Scales:
C D E F G A B C
Db Eb F F# Ab Bb C Db
Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
F G A Bb C D E F
Etc… with **Sound File Coming Soon**

Who are the Master overblowers to listen to?
Howard Levy
Carlos del Junco
Sandy Weltman
Michael Peloquin
George Brooks
Allen Holmes
Adam Gussow
Randy Singer
Larry Eisenberg
David Pinzino
Mike Turk
Rosco Selley
***
ADDED BY JOHN WATTS - Chris is being modest here, so add to the above list "Chris Michalek", and he's right up there with Howard Levy.
***
Master Overblowers who use them sparsely:
Dennis Gruenling
Joe Filisko

Available Overblows on a Key of C Diatonic Harmonica

Overblow	Eb	Ab	C	Eb	Gb	Bb
Blow	C	E	G	C	E	G	C	E	G	C
Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Draw	D	G	B	D	F	A	B	D	F	A
Overdraw							Db	F	Ab	Db