Thanks for listening alejandro! For the b3rd (Ab) I play an overblow on hole 6, and for the b6th (Db) I play an overblow on hole 4. To get a clean sound, first I close the reed gap as much as possible on both the blow and draw reeds, especially on the blow reed. This can be done massaging the reeds with a toothpick. Second, I emboss the blow reed slot. To do this on the 2/3rds near the reed's free end, you can apply pressure over the slot, sliding a round object, such as the side of a screw's head. On the 1/3rd near the reed's fixed end, you should use a special tool (I use the one from Seydel). If you don't have one, you can just skip this step and still get great results. Third, I apply some dental wax under the blow reed, just near the reed's fixed end. This absorbs high frequencies and avoids the squeaks and squealls that sometimes sound while overblowing. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@AlejandroNitsch don't try this on your best harps. You can really mess it up with the embossing. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! But do it. It will take your playing experience to another level. I usually get my reeds stuck and then I have to revert it a bit. So be prepared for those scenarios. Don't panic. First get your overblow mouth mechanics right: Take out the cover plates, draw bend hole 6, keep your tongue position, put your finger on the blow reed and blow. Repeat until you can get the oveblow rather consistently. Then do the gapping and try it again, but without your finger. Gapping has a HUGE effect on overblowing mechanics and less than a milimeter makes all the difference, so keep working on that along the way. If you get some squeaks (YOU WILL!), try to apply the dental wax. I warm it up against a light bulb and then apply it under the blow reed's fixed end. If the reed gets a bit stuck or stiff while playing, remove a bit of wax with a tooth pick or a small piece of paper that you can slide under and around the reed. After all of this, you should try embossing. But it's easy to get the reed badly stuck, if you're not careful. To avoid this, first emboss just the 2/3rds near the reed's free end. Don't bother with the fixed 1/3rd until you can play overblows nicely with the other steps and until you get the right tool (I use the one from Seydel). Apply gentle pressure and check often if the reed is getting stuck (if it buzzes or stops sounding). It this happens (IT WILL!), first just flick it. The reed's vibration usually is enough to set it free. If you go too far, it can be undone rather easily, BUT again, with the right tool. The steps I described before work on holes 1, 4, 5 and 6. The same can be done on holes 7, 9 and 10 for overdrawing, only you'll have to keep your blow bend tongue position, draw air and put your finger over the draw reed. Both blow and draw reeds should be gapped, but embossing and waxing is required on the draw reed only (though you can emboss all the reeds for better response, when you have more practice doing it). Finally, remember that overblowing and overdrawing happens when one of the reeds closes the reed slot, allowing the other one to vibrate at a higher frequency. For overblowing (holes 1, 4, 5 and 6), the blow reed has to close the slot. For overdrawing (holes 7, 9 and 10), the draw reed has to close the slot. Gapping and embossing help with this. And waxing is for eliminating high frequencies that generate at the closing reed's fixed end. Have fun and good luck! Let me know how it goes.
Great playing!
How did you modify the Harmonica to achieve the 3rd degree flat on the scale?
Thanks for listening alejandro! For the b3rd (Ab) I play an overblow on hole 6, and for the b6th (Db) I play an overblow on hole 4. To get a clean sound, first I close the reed gap as much as possible on both the blow and draw reeds, especially on the blow reed. This can be done massaging the reeds with a toothpick. Second, I emboss the blow reed slot. To do this on the 2/3rds near the reed's free end, you can apply pressure over the slot, sliding a round object, such as the side of a screw's head. On the 1/3rd near the reed's fixed end, you should use a special tool (I use the one from Seydel). If you don't have one, you can just skip this step and still get great results. Third, I apply some dental wax under the blow reed, just near the reed's fixed end. This absorbs high frequencies and avoids the squeaks and squealls that sometimes sound while overblowing. I hope this helps. Cheers!
@@noctensisharmonica Thank you very much! I'll modify mine following your instructions. Keep the great work up!
@@AlejandroNitsch don't try this on your best harps. You can really mess it up with the embossing. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! But do it. It will take your playing experience to another level. I usually get my reeds stuck and then I have to revert it a bit. So be prepared for those scenarios. Don't panic.
First get your overblow mouth mechanics right: Take out the cover plates, draw bend hole 6, keep your tongue position, put your finger on the blow reed and blow. Repeat until you can get the oveblow rather consistently.
Then do the gapping and try it again, but without your finger. Gapping has a HUGE effect on overblowing mechanics and less than a milimeter makes all the difference, so keep working on that along the way.
If you get some squeaks (YOU WILL!), try to apply the dental wax. I warm it up against a light bulb and then apply it under the blow reed's fixed end. If the reed gets a bit stuck or stiff while playing, remove a bit of wax with a tooth pick or a small piece of paper that you can slide under and around the reed.
After all of this, you should try embossing. But it's easy to get the reed badly stuck, if you're not careful. To avoid this, first emboss just the 2/3rds near the reed's free end. Don't bother with the fixed 1/3rd until you can play overblows nicely with the other steps and until you get the right tool (I use the one from Seydel). Apply gentle pressure and check often if the reed is getting stuck (if it buzzes or stops sounding). It this happens (IT WILL!), first just flick it. The reed's vibration usually is enough to set it free. If you go too far, it can be undone rather easily, BUT again, with the right tool.
The steps I described before work on holes 1, 4, 5 and 6. The same can be done on holes 7, 9 and 10 for overdrawing, only you'll have to keep your blow bend tongue position, draw air and put your finger over the draw reed. Both blow and draw reeds should be gapped, but embossing and waxing is required on the draw reed only (though you can emboss all the reeds for better response, when you have more practice doing it).
Finally, remember that overblowing and overdrawing happens when one of the reeds closes the reed slot, allowing the other one to vibrate at a higher frequency. For overblowing (holes 1, 4, 5 and 6), the blow reed has to close the slot. For overdrawing (holes 7, 9 and 10), the draw reed has to close the slot. Gapping and embossing help with this. And waxing is for eliminating high frequencies that generate at the closing reed's fixed end.
Have fun and good luck!
Let me know how it goes.