How To Make Your Blues Sound Bluesier | Bending the Overblows and Overdraws

[@Peter-sk5vg]

The more i watch this, the more remarkable it is. Mr Levy, i cannot thank you enough

[@zipperdingo6385]

Howard Levy, a dream teacher come true

[@mohsenshayan3893]

Harmonica players are so happy to have you as a teacher and inventor and discoverer... You really made the way so easy.

[@warrenfloyd1484]

I have spent hours learning how to bend notes, I have been playing since I was 13, didn't play again until I was 55, I'm 59 now,love the way you explain the techniques, I taught myself, love the blues!!!!😎👍

[@santiagoortega5187]

Thanks teacher Howard, You are the King of harmónica, i'm SO surprised how You can play a diatonic Harmonica finding so many Hidden notes.

[@johnpick8336]

I have been critically listening to Blues Harp for over 50 years and I have never heard anyone wring as much sound out of a Harp !!! Great Work Sir Howard !!!

[@AlexAgus78]

This is just GOD LEVEL!!! He's such a genius🙇🙇🙇Respect to Sir Howard!!!

[@claudwood6219]

This is "the" King of Harmonica...by far absolutely loves what he does. My playing started on a Golden Melody after hearing his stories of driving around blowing harp n the car...and listening to him do all of these different styles..amazing

[@rolfr6662]

I love when Howard plays the blues😁

[@bk201_blues]

Also, open up the harps, and set up your reed tolerances, shapes etc. Its the only way you learn how to set up the harp for overblows the way YOU like it. Once you have done it a couple of times, you can do that setup very quick on stock harps like Howard talks about doing here. Its a matter of knowing your preference. And obligatory disclaimer: You are going to ruin harps in the process. Its the price of learning this stuff. Once you have learnt though, you can repair 80% of your damages.

[@heiko6983]

Hallo Howard, I want to thank You sincerely for what You are doing for the developement of harmonica playing, giving our instrument step by step increasing potential to help me as a player to express myself. I Know that there were guys in the 30`s of the last century that knew how to overblow and even recorded it. But it was You who revealed the entire technic in the 80`s and therefore chromatisized the harp. Fortunately, I fell into Your videos 6 years ago, as soon as I started playing the harmonica. Almost since then I felt that the overblows were bendable. And I sometimes used overblowed microbends in my kind of music. But not before yesterday (when I watched this video) You showed me the enormous range of the pitches, available in the overblowbends. Hole 4 overblow bending up to the the flat seventh and Hole 5 overblow bending up to the tonic in second position is a real game changer for me. Sorry for talking so much. Thank You Howard. For me You are (at least) the Little Walter of the present age.

[@HowardLevyland]

I am happy to help!

[@johnwise7693]

This is master level. I will never get there, but it is wonderful to hear!

[@AwesomeSaussage]

Never heard a fretless harmonica before. Amazing!!

[@GregoryPearsonMusic]

Wonderful video and very inspiring Mr. Levy - the overblows created some great sounding bends. All 3 versions were great with unique qualities. I was kind of amazed how you were able to play in the first position in a way that was indistinguishable from fifth position - and the OBC to C4 had a great sound. The beginning of the D blues had a lick that sounded like a Hammond organ - I had to double check. Both sides of my brain were joyfully overloaded.

[@canyoudigit183]

Howard, you are an amazing teacher, an amazing performer, and a superb musician who has inspired so many people. THANK YOU so much for making this content available!

[@HowardLevyland]

You’re welcome!

[@philnewton2011]

Thank you for so generously sharing your mastery of the instrument.

[@joereynolds9461]

Always *so* brilliant! I can never second guess your lines, they are so unique and fabulously musical! Thank you Howard!

[@ZvikaDror]

Great to see and hear you on overbends! Overdraw is a nightmare on some of my harps, but luckily on the Manji A I carry all the time it is smooth as butter. I like overbends on ProMaster Bb (playing stuff I would play on a horn), but its not as flexible as Golden Melody - I cannot bend the overblows up more then another half or whole note. Funny POC I did, maybe you'll find it amusing - I altered the Richter layout to a tuning where every hole has blow, draw bend, draw and overblow, which became sort of "augmented" - 3 holes per octave in the same breath patterns. I made a video on this and after a while removed the Blu-Tack which I've used to alter the tuning, as I wanted back the "familiar" harp. But anyone who overblows can enjoy this equalized tuning layout as you learn 4 patterns and apply them to all keys, starting from different holes as root. Anyways... I like the 4th position a lot, as it complies the 4 overblow with 8 blow bend, really smooth lines, and playing 1st position mid octave is really cool as you play blow-OB-draw-OB-blow-OB and not satisfy with the regular top octave approach only, especially if you move from 1st position major to blues to change the mood. Sounds marvelous, great playing and wonderful inspiration! Cheers

[@leftymagoo2710]

Boy, that is just THE BEST! Rich, smooth & creamy bluest.

[@tedpowers2045]

Thanks for the info People complain it’s too hard to get those notes. Set down at a piano or guitar and practice getting the notes to match. I am now aware Theory and Practice are the key to excellence just like you did Master

[@glennrickman3177]

Enjoyed your video Howard, very enlightening. Thanks so much

[@francoiskern9904]

You inspire me Howard!!!!!

[@etaborya]

I also love the way Bulletini softens the timbre of overblows!

[@theuntapstep7789]

Using compression helps even more :)

[@etaborya]

@@theuntapstep7789 I don’t like to play with compressor live (although I always use compressors for studio recorded acoustic harmonica). Possible I didn’t find compressor which I like. Want to try LoneWolf Flat Cat in a live situation once.

[@timcraig1161]

and I thought ob and od was all there was thank you Howard amazing

[@HowardLevyland]

Glad you like it!

[@319J039]

Thanks!

[@garysellars8914]

Howard that was inspiring. The 7OD i feel is the hardest to get a good tone out of and the hardest to grab quickly and accurately. I'm working on your tune 'Bossa In A' from the 'Out Of The Box' DVD and it uses it in one place in particular where you jump from 4D straight to the 7OD. Sometimes i get it to sound good other times if my embouchure is just a tad off then i miss it.

[@HowardLevyland]

Make sure to adjust the reed clearances on the 7th hole- makes it a lot easier. And thanks for watching!

[@Peter-sk5vg]

Stunning.

[@MrJOHNMICHAELVEGA]

Howard Levy you remind me of Johnny Winters! Thank you 🙏❤️🎶😎

[@LaurentBieber-wj3sg]

Unbelievable, awesome , incredible. Out of this world musician

[@KarmaDonyo]

This video blew my mind. Unbelievable. I want to lock myself in a room for three months.

[@HowardLevyland]

😎🤣

[@etaborya]

Great video as always! How far can you bend 4th hole overblow on a G harp? I wish to bend overblows more, but I hate when blow reeds chokes, as sometimes I have to play with loud bands. So I usually set up overblows on my harps to be bendable not more than half step, otherwise I have to sacrifice attack on blow note.

[@HowardLevyland]

Thanks, Boris. Yes, I would say that what you do is most practical. I don't usually bend them up more than 1/2 step- a whole step at most. For this video, I adjusted a stock Golden Melody, and I had a lot of fun playing!

[@boompaw3494]

Now that's how overblows are done son.

[@mattildahubbardo]

You are an inspiration

[@tedpowers2045]

Amazing Demonstration and instructional. You showed me what to do with these over draws and blows. O yea you jammed your ass off too

[@wilfridleblanc4258]

Thank you Howard for all the research and discovery...even more thank you for sharing!!!

[@corvuscrack9505]

waw !!! Sound the trumpets !One of the best slow blues in G i have ever heard ! the other blues in the first position made me realise you are a blessed and gifted Angel ! Not even Paganini would have done it better !

[@AinulMustafaHD]

very nice technicallity in harp,

[@diegosalesharmonica2558]

Is always a inspiraton listen you master ! Thanks 🙏🎶

[@gregmoodispaugh5396]

You are a master!

[@anujupadhyay10]

So many concepts cleared in just one video, plus for those wondering whether you can play blues in a golden melody..👍👍❤️❤️

[@duanefrye5564]

As an overblower/overdrawer I loved this. Very cool indeed!

[@gatergates8813]

As a rack harmonica guitar player, I can barely do blow bends, this stuff is incredible

[@johnnyh112]

How ard is that to do Mr Levy love your music sooooooo talented You have taken it and us to another level thank you

[@phillipklasing1815]

...Howard Levi and the "Mutant Tea-Kettles!!" ...Absolutely Astounding!! (B.R.A.V.O.!!)

[@phillipklasing1815]

...As If, "Albert Einstein" were to take up and Champion the Art of Harmonica! (Per-Fect-A-Mun-Do!!)

[@funwithmadness]

You're such a tease! You give this great demo and not a clue how you pulled it off. Amazing as always. thanks, Howard!

[@John-sj2md]

So many clues. Just gotta listen!

[@tommyharmonika]

Great idea bending the 6 overblow up a whole note. Also, love what KZbin's automatic captions say as you play your solo in G! "Mmm" "Uh." "Mommy."

[@jrobe910]

I love your skills! You da man!

[@SILBERTOR]

Playing this man is brilliant. I am a complete beginner and it is because of this kind of playing that I want to learn to play blues, jazz on the organ. Who can teach me to play like that from the first day of playing the organ? I’m in Europe, so I have to study online. (that I don’t learn elementary school songs in the classic way first :)) But anyway, who has an online school where I can learn to play like that? Recommendations?

[@fredyonnet]

No more secrets: thanks Howard.

[@jonmarston4166]

Spectacular🎶✌️

[@surgicaltoolboxrnhealthbea3292]

Love the harmony. Very cool teaching.

[@harpothehealer]

Brilliant many thanks for 3OB. It never entered my head to do it or have a use for it until you pointed it out on this video. Best regards from the UK

[@masteranyinstrument2413]

You're amazing, praise God!

[@jun26857]

So nice 😮

[@kileybarter9205]

Good God I had no idea the harmonica could do this! Customizing them is tricky. Do you recommend a harmonica that is set up well for overblows and draws or is it something we need to have done to our harmonicas? I've noticed some are easier to bend and I assume that's because some already have better gaps and bossing? I want to get to chromatic playing that's not just on a chromatic harmonica and you obviously have paved the way for this.

[@bobleach7313]

Wow! Great Stuff. I love how you showed OBs & ODs enable you to play guitar type licks.

[@williamhoughton1484]

Hi Howard, I have been playing diatonic harmonica quite seriously for the last 6th practically every day for up to 3/4hours . This is purely for my own entertainment. I can bend on the lower octaves. I have tried several times to over blow and I can’t get it. I do have various harmonica’s Golden melody , Marine band , Special twenty, Seydel , rocket, John Popper Fender. Have tried all . I do know there is a technique .? I have tried various! I believe you can also tweak the blow reeds. Would love a bit of feedback if possible. By the way love your videos . Thank you so much. Bill

[@roberttemple2521]

You'll likely have to tweek both the blow and draw reeds for each overbend you are seeking. I generally adjust both the blow and draw reeds for just one hole at a time, one reed at a time, until I hit the sweet spot and get the overbend with the attack I am accustomed to. I generally set the blow reed first, closer for overblows, then work with the draw reed as needed. You want to go very slow when first learning to set reeds. Maybe dedicate just one of your harps to learn reed gapping with and to practice overbends on. I suggest one with recessed reeds, such as a Special 20. They are easiest to work on. You can remove the covers and use a toothpick to begin LIGHTLY testing the flexes of the reeds you want to set. I suggest learning the 6 overblow first, it is the easiest to hit when learning. It should also require the least amount of reed adjustments. Indeed, there is an oral/lingual/breath technique one must learn on top of learning how to set the reeds' gaps closer. One also needs to "hear" the overblow's given note they are going for. On a C harp, one is shooting for a Bb as the 6 hole overblow note. If you are not sure of the note's sound, use an electric piano/keyboard, or find the note online. One must have the correct breath control, from the diaphragm. You are BREATHING the air out, NOT "blowing" it out. Candles get blown out, not "breathed out", a huge difference. BREATHE out gently and directly on hole 6 while shaping your tongue/mouth as if you were pronouncing "Hey" on the straight 6 blow note. Sound a nice, clean, singular G note on a C harp. While holding the air stream, with NO interruption on air pressure, switch your tongue's shape to as if you were saying "Who". HOLD that shape in your mouth. HOLD the airstream's back pressure steady. Maybe you can now finally get your first overblow that way. The different pronunciation shapes suggested should [could] cause the 6 blow reed to choke. The 6's blow note's pitch is bent down to "choke" level. The sudden tongue shape change and UNINTERRUPTED, STEADY AIR PRESSURE FROM THE DIAPHRAGM, and the resulting resonance in that oral cavity, causes the desired overblow note to pop in. You have to make the right oral cavity, and you CAN do it. It is actually the draw reed that you are hearing make that note, for the most part. I stress holding the mouth shape and the airstream's pressure and proper direction into the hole. Holding the shape and air pressure helps avoid the annoying squeaks associated with learning overblows. If you can hit the overblow note, learn to hold it clean for as long as you can. Practice that, it builds muscles and muscle memory. It does get easier the more you practice, but you must practice. There is a LOT of good information out there on how to begin adjusting reeds' gaps. Go slow, use a light touch. Use a light. Learn all about it, it's soooo worth knowing FIRST what to do and what not to do. Best of luck to you. Peace.

[@user-vl4jy8ib5v]

ありがとうございます！

[@roberttemple2521]

This is a great video, thank you Howard.

[@raymondallanwing]

that was a big help thank you gave me a lot to play with.😎

[@garysellars8914]

So to be able to bend the ob's further you need the blow reed to be gapped tighter Howard? That seems to be the idea i think? Only trouble is gap it too tight and the OB is easy to manipulate but sometimes the blow note sounds slightly delayed. This is the dichotomy we face and trying to get that balance is very difficult.

[@DouglasGaitaBlues]

O homem é demais 😮

[@musicasi5495]

Espectacular como siempre, saludos de Argentina

[@rolfr6662]

Howard! How ‘bout you start your own harmonica manufacturing co. Set up all the reeds for maximum bending as you have demonstrated. Then we harpists can try to catch up….a little bit.

[@HowardLevyland]

Maybe I'll make a video about setting up reeds. Making harmonicas? I don't think so...

[@rolfr6662]

@@HowardLevyland I’ve scratched he surface with reed adjustment to help with middle octave overblows. I wrecked a crossover once so I’m leery. Usually the crossovers are set for 4 5 6 out of the box, Thank you for displaying the amazing sounds this pocket instrument can attain.

[@surgicaltoolboxrnhealthbea3292]

Coooool. Love that sound.

[@enricoschicchi2406]

Bravissimo! Ti sto seguendo

[@Redshift313]

That’s some amazing GOAT shit !!!

[@hugoacosta9074]

Hola saludos desde bueno aires argentina GENIO ( PLEASE how to play intro of you chanel .GRACIAS ; )

[@paulcook68]

That is cool! Thanks for showing..

[@2oomuchcoffee]

When you are doing the overblows, are you using tongue blocking or pucker embouchure?

[@9um9um9um]

What type of modifications, if any, are needed to overblow more effectively?

[@9um9um9um]

please advise us on how you adjust the reeds

[@corsairf4u846]

Great great great…Great!!!

[@MrSolarcell]

Thank you so much for the great video, and the masterpiece you played in the video! I’m a very beginner and have a beginner question: can Golden Melody play overblow/overdraw without extra reed adjustment?

[@goldenteledy2002]

I would like to learn how to do overblows, but I'm afraid of breaking my harps from trying to gap them. There's this one song I would like to play on the harmonica called "Sunday Soup". The player on the track, Todd Parrott, does a lot of overblowing and overdrawing. One portion of the song uses what I think is an overdraw bend from an F# to a G on the 7th hole. I'm not sure what it is, but I need to ask him how he does that phrase for my next lesson with him.

[@jesusaluz]

I’m lost Lol Congratulations

[@MrQba]

Great! I need a better setup xD my sp20s cant overdraw.

[@bk201_blues]

This is a great dimension to harmonica playing in general. But, those notes sound very difficult to control on a standard uncustomized harp. I would be very interested in what reed shaping can make possible here. The extra pitch bends beyond a half step dont sound very natural here. They sound a tad bit out of tune. But, if overblow bending is possible as shown here, maybe you can add some amazing vibrato to them? Your vibrato on bends in the middle and high octaves sound amazing, but I noticed you dont put vibrato on overblows.

[@mosfet51]

I see why Jason Ricci mentions you so much.

[@Human_Herbivore]

Hate to say it Howard but you might just be showing off here. Us mere mortals are still trying to get bends accurately and the occasional ob or od. Anyway, I'm off to sob in a corner because of a feeling of unworthiness. Of course that is a blues based situation in fetal, I mean second, position. Thanks for sharing.

[@HowardLevyland]

😂😂

[@nothankyou8365]

When overblow does not work I say the magic word : Howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaard and it pops up :) LOL it works for me 😄

[@tanvirhasnine4918]

I can overblow but when I play any thing it sometimes doesn't comes out ... what should I do can you please give me a suggestion?

[@MrSpanky2001]

I have been trying to get a semblance of an OB for the past six years. I'm like a gelding. Can't do it. I have Hohner Crossovers. I could screw up a good harp by tweeking the reeds.

[@sharkair2839]

holy cow...

[@ajingandau7199]

Can we do ths overblowbend on the cromatic harmonica?

[@howlinhoward]

I see. The secret to bending overblows is in the eyes and the eyebrows :)

[@HowardLevyland]

Absolutely!

[@burntchickennugget8142]

Lol!

[@harpman2009]

Howard. Are there some Harps better than others at handling the punishment of OB bends?On my Marine Band; If I push the notes up too much, It can cause the opposing reed to choke (not good in the middle of a gig). and....Can you provide more info in setting reeds properly, or where I can find reliable info? thanks :-)

[@HowardLevyland]

Good question- can't answer this in a few sentences. Maybe I'll do a video on the topic. Stay tuned!

[@harmonicamanrandy]

Question: Which reeds do you adjust? Top or bottom?

[@HowardLevyland]

Both.

[@AbcAbc-zn8uo]

How high can you bend 6 overblow? Jason Ricci once told, that it is possible to bend this overblow one octave higher, so I tried to bend 6 overblow as high as I can and I stopped on D. So if I am able to bend it to D, I'm interesting how far can you bend it.

[@HowardLevyland]

Wow- an octave- that's really extreme- I'm sure Jason can do that! Depending on how close you adjust reeds you can bend OBs really high, but sometimes if the reeds are TOO close the blow reed gets stuck...I haven't tried to bend up higher than D on 6 OB. And in normal playing, I don't usually bend it up higher than B.

[@fly1327]

Too much for me, yet. Just sitting almost every day with a Special 20 working draw bends holes 1-4, thinking if I can't play needed notes easily, what's the point? So far 1 and 4 are working their half steps pretty well from high to low (low to high still in progress), but can't seem to distinguish half and whole step bending on 2, and 3 seems a complete mystery playing 3 bends. Obviously not directing/restricting my airflow accurately enough yet. But it will come. A little piano and guitar but definitely more ukulele lately, rhythm and timing seem natural and I can get to any note I want. How frustrating with this little tin beast!

[@HowardLevyland]

Stay with it! The beast will turn into a beauty!

[@fly1327]

@@HowardLevyland Ha! Only working the 3 hole draw over and over this morning, now getting 2 draw notes. The airflow changes seem pretty subtle, thanks for the encouragement!

[@Юрій_Сова]

🎼 🎶 👏👏👏 👍

[@patriciaendter7017]

😱😬😱😬😱

[@nelsonhibbert5267]

This is pretty old news in the harmonica community now. It truly was a remarkable discovery for an instrument that wasn't intended to be played chromatically (second to the discovery of an "accidental flat 7th" enabling blues to be played in 2nd position due to it's original major tuning), However, even in the hands of a skilled player with a well set up instrument, overblows just sound plain weird. At what point does a note become a noise (or a noise become a note?). When my foods cooked in the microwave the the tone produced is a "B" (that's right, I'm a very sad man) but to conduct a symphony an a series of differently tuned microwaves could be considered either musical creativity or a hideous noise.

[@laurentvigouroux6217]

Good point. But actually well played overblows/overdraws can’t be recognized. Actually the 3” is far more complex to make sound like the other notes than overblows/draws.

[@etaborya]

For me overbends sounds very natural in blues and rock, especially when played amplified, it is cool for blue notes to be not completely stable in pitch and it is rather ok to have some dirt in timbre. Much more trickier to make them sounds natural in jazz, pop and classical music, especially playing acoustically, sometimes I like such tracks, sometimes I don’t.

[@nelsonhibbert5267]

@@laurentvigouroux6217 Thanks Laurent! I got a bit carried away there with the microwave thing...Personally I find all overblows instantly recognisable (I often wish I'd never become a player so I could listen in blissful ignorance). And yeah... that three hole is always tricky, as the bends/overblows are an interaction between the two reeds and the largest tonal gap is between the 3 blow and 3 draw. So if you're struggling, blame the creator of the Richter tuning, it's not your fault.

[@nelsonhibbert5267]

@@etaborya Thanks Boris! Yeah it's a case of one mans meat is another mans poison....Blues music has always lent is self to off pitch tones (especially when used to "slide" in and out of the conventional chromatic tone) and as you've rightly said, to play anything melodic using overblows and bends and to hit those notes in pitch requires more finesse and skill (and luck, if it exists...) than many can attain on a Diatonic. It just isn't that well suited. But then we're effectively trying to "force" a non- chromatic instrument to play chromatically. So I suppose it always sounds, er, forced. May the force be with you....

[@GutoSantana]

@@laurentvigouroux6217 I respectfully must disagree with you here: "But actually well played overblows/overdraws can’t be recognized". You can tell cleary when you have the regular blow/draw notes, the bent notes and the overbent notes. Which makes a diatonica harmonica a multitexture character instrument.