Modern Blues Harmonica: overblows!

/ @gussowsclassicbluesha...
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A video exploration of a controversial technique that has slowly entered the blues harmonica vocabulary over the past two decades, thanks to the efforts of innovators such as Will Scarlet, Mike Turk, Howard Levy, William Galison, Larry "The Iceman" Eisenberg, Carlos del Junco, Chris Michalek, Jason Ricci, and your host, Adam Gussow.
If you're interested in learning how to play blues harmonica, you can find lots of information--including downloadable videos and tabs--at Modern Blues Harmonica
www.modernbluesharmonica.com
The intro music on this video is "Alley Cat," which can be found on Gussow's album, SOUTHBOUND. The outro music is "Take You Downtown," from the Satan & Adam release, BACK IN THE GAME. It can be found on iTunes and Amazon mp3s.

[@evansgate]

man i just really wanna thank you Adam for all your great teaching videos. your sense of humor and musical insight have made these videos a real pleasure to watch. thank you!

[@HakanEhn]

Great lesson! Adam did a similar lesson a cople of years ago and that made me understand how to play overblow right away (however I am still practicing to get it right).

[@BrettPenza]

Listening to you talk and play is so enjoyable. This overblow stuff seems impossible to me still but you make it look so easy. I am inspired to keep at it. Thanks for all your great videos.

[@janpeters-jansongsproducti1010]

you're just plain super wonderful mr. adam. thank you for your generous spirit and sharing !

[@Orrico84Harp]

Obrigadão Adam! Helping since ...always!

[@Zox111]

Always great to see a new video in my sub-box! Thanks Adam!

[@BobU2b1]

Big admirer Adam. This is a great little vid. I love all the specific examples you give using second position. Also really appreciate the mentions of practitioners, a great jumpoff for more study. Been messing with this overblow stuff for a couple years now. Can't get everything on every harp, but combining accomplishments from high middle and low range harps, I can hit a complete chromatic scale, holes 1-10. But not well, and not very sure where I could use overblows anyhow. This is a big help on my progression.

[@Meymeygwis]

Dear Adam, Thanks SO much for this excellent, wonderful instructional video. When I was a serious harp player back in the 80s I'd stumbled onto hole-6 overflow playing in a Latin group. I was so proud with what I'd "invented"; some notes just didn't exist for such Latin music. It just happened that Howard Levy was playing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival when I outed my great achievement... well, my jaw dropped and I couldn't believe what I was hearing...

[@Swedishnerd]

Thanks for putting up a video that finally explains this overblow thing! Now I know how to practice to learn it!! Great work!

[@adamwest6536]

Thank you Adam what an excellent lesson! You really covered a lot of bases and defined over blow versus over Bend as well as giving us multiple examples. Thank you for your work I I will forever be in your debt

[@12nites]

5:10 duuuude!! That's the way to teach the 6 overblow!! I was actually able to do it right away! Crazy! Thank you so much!

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

You are right! I just went and checked out both cuts. I'm definitely not a jazz guy, just a blues guy taking some inspiration from jazz.

[@Nothin66]

Hi Adam! Hey, thanks for this. I've favourited it. It's the first time that I've got the overblow thing clear in my head. I like that you don't over-do it & you've explained it so simply. I'll get back at'cha after I get comfortable with it! D.J.Bingham

[@SiggyMe]

Great Lesson, really informative. Will watch it a few more times to absorb all the information you provided. Thanks

[@chadstites2753]

Helpful vid. thanks a bunch Adam!!

[@richardsherwin3259]

This is just Great Adam. These overblows are at the level that I gave up playing :-( if I'd only had your KZbin's to show that I'd pretty much nearly got them Arghhhhh oh well at least I'm picking it up again. Let's hope my muscle memory gets me a few runs up the ladder/gets me to get back to where I was without all the years playing :-/ well I'm sure your videos will help me either way. Thanks for the awesome clips! Cheers Richard

[@poski249]

Adam! Thanks for this!

[@manuelojc]

Parabéns pelas aulas !!! grato,

[@herbster22]

What a Smooth player, such clear notes!!!

[@ARCsongwritingposse]

thanks adam, that was great. really demystifying the overblows thing. and anyway you're a fab player so its really good listening to you anyway. all the best

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@HakanEhn: You're absolutely right! I'd forgotten about that one, uploaded in early March 2007. I'm losing my mind, plainly. But this one give me time to stretch out and tell a few more stories.

[@mxsinder1]

Another great video Adam. I'm working on shot no chaser so it was very motivating to hear it your lesson.

[@OmniphonProductions]

You've just helped to inspire a personal epiphany. I have been trying to overblow with the same technique as the Magic Dick blow bends. Thanks to you, I've just realized, "Totally different shape." Maybe it's because I've been playing just long enough to finally "get it". Either way, with this new awareness and your reed adjustment tips, I'm ready to give 'em another shot. Thanks once again for all you've done, are doing, and continue to do to help out future generations of harp nuts.

[@freakflagflies]

I found my box of harps in the basement because I told my daughter she could have my music stand for her flute if I could find it. I hadn't played in 15 years at least. I've been watching this video once a day with hope that I'll get it eventually. Watching your protege Jason as well.

[@TrailOfCrumbs511]

Thanks for posting!!

[@sonnyboywalter]

Thanks Adam, really helpfull!

[@Meymeygwis]

..contd. Here was someone already doing what I was but at a level which seemed unobtainable. Anyway, he'd heard me play my solo with that one overblow. I sought his input; he told me it was pretty sloppy. I was crushed, discouraged, not inspired, and never really went any further with it... YOU INSPIRE ME to go further!!!! I think players chant down your overblow because they're simply intimidated...almost chucked my harps in the creek when I heard Del Junco! Thanks Brother, you are fantastic!

[@Marcos-BELARINDO67]

Showwww ! Sempre aprendendo

[@crispyaguirre5113]

Gracias me fué muy util!!!

[@gregsbest]

Adam, Thank you for mentioning Jason Ricci and others. I have recently discovered Christelle Berthon as a wonderful harmonica player as well. Just a heads' up. I enjoyed your CD, thank you. Learning lots. Cheers, Greg K.

[@georgerism]

thanks adam-have not attempted overblows yet but the days coming soon

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@jleoblues: I haven't heard of them, but when I searched Amazon mp3s, two songs popped out. They were a group from the 20s and 30s, and the harp player was a well-known phenom from those years--he plays like Louis Armstrong--although his name escapes me.

[@IanPatton]

Thanks Adam, very good lesson!!!

[@frankames9538]

Hi Adam, Great video! I've recently gone back to the harp with renewed interest, downloaded your new CD and it's been great as a boot in the ass. All the old tapes I had from you got lost in my apt fire 4 years back. Your unbounded honesty and unstinting patience seems only to grow larger each year. BTW you might consider adding in the 9 hole overdraw to that lesson on overblowing as I find it easy to not only attain but bend as well. In any case, Chapeau! Frank Ames

[@OmniphonProductions]

@KudzuRunner My blow bends are solid enough, but your video helped me to realize that my blow bend shape tends to be a bit more forward, whereas my draw bends tend to be slightly more middle to back. At any rate, I've recently made those first horrible sounding squeaky pops on the 6 Overblow. It is both encouraging and frustrating at the same time. Up to now, with your help, Blues Harp has come pretty easily, but clearly this new challenge will take a while. Thanks for minimizing the curve.

[@joheabany]

@KudzuRunner Thanks! I can almost get it to a little, but i'll keep tryin!!

[@marcuscicero9587]

what an interesting guy. he dedicated his life to a subject and has accumulated all sorts of interesting bits of information. and he is one bad ass harmonica player. love to meet him

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

I See a Modern Blue Harmonica lesson, hit like, then I watch it...then want to hit like again. Thanks for another very informative lesson Adam. Lot's of information, history and technique.Here's the strange thing for me, as a beginner still, I can do this stuff on My G harp, my A harp and my D harp...but I attempt any of this on my C harp and it's like I can't play at all. C is a b##ch to play man!

[@buska100]

Very Cool Vid, Great Harp Tips. Cheers Mate

[@gianmarcodevito4693]

The intro song is a blues but with similarities with gypsy jazz! Wow

[@barbiebiggs5822]

I am starting to check out OB & I think they are fascinating. Never considered them before but now I will. I thought of take 5 , kind of blue

[@tablon8539]

thank you verymuch! such teacher

[@musiccenterchannel4940]

u are the best . ty for your help

[@philcaron]

Very interesting!!!

[@swinginonthespiral8765]

Funny - started on piano and I've been trying Rhapsody in Blue licks every since I started harmonica haha. Just hit my first overblow on the 6-hole today. Cheers!

[@ErcelJohnson]

You are amazing

[@jleoblues]

@KudzuRunner Thank you Addam that was fast! Yeah the late " Bob Shatkin insisted I listened to them, Rhythm Wille and Shakey Walter Horton the later not an overblower but incredible tone!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

[@antoinenioi6863]

Super ...as usualy

[@ismedude]

When will you come Houston TX, I would like to hear you live!!

[@CrossBonesAlex]

Thank you Mr. Gussow - this is a very relaxed and at the same time eloquent lesson on how to produce overbends and how use them in a musical way - I am able to produce overblows on holes 4-6 but played my ass of getting the 1-3 holes blow (for me this is really difficult). Overdraws are easy to play in comparison to 1-3 overblow. Maybe you have a hint for me - Thank you!

[@stefbowers3135]

Now I'm all goofed up. I've been working on what I thought were ob's 7-10 but were really blow bends. Holly molly!

[@henry512]

The Thelonius Monk tune you referenced is actually Straight, No Chaser.

[@EmMyselfMe]

Best Thing When You Learn is if You Do Enjoy Learning It!!! In Fact, I Do Enjoy All Your Lessons (If You Just Take a Look at me Watchin' Any Of Your Lessons Videos,, So Quiet, Calm, Concentratin' & Always ENJOYING & Smiling When You Give Some Fun That i Really Love & Appreciate!!! Finally, i Just Wonder Why'm Here In Algeria,, i Guess i Do Belong to New Orleans Or Some Place Where Tha Blues is Tha Real Native Style of Music!!! I Fought to Get My Diatonic Harmonicas & I'll Keep Fighting!!!!!!!!!!

[@joshshuffman]

Great lesson, Adam. Good arguments and cogently presented. Timely, too, as I've just started trying to do these. I held off for a long time with the justification that if over blows were worthwhile then Junior Wells would have done them. But after a particularly aggressive cleaning session I noticed I was actually GETTING the 6 to overblow, and I figured I'd pursue it. Besides, buying the harp implies paying for all the notes, right? OK, i'm off to pull apart my C harp and look at the gaps

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@joheabany: Yes.

[@mahjonglover3614]

reed adjustment is the key, close the gap on a blow reed and chances you'll hit the overblow will rise, and once you felt this tight airflow you know how to overblow, and what it is

[@bigbaddays]

RIGHT ON THE MONEY ADAM

[@RAMBINI1]

I must admit, as a moderately intermediate player, I get the concept, and REALLY appreciate this lesson, but this is a bit over my head. Many thanks though Big Guy, I will listen to this a few hundred times and I thing I will get it.

[@user-et3vf4hg7t]

Cool

[@ArtofDreaming1]

hey Adam. right before colony(new York and49st) closed I found a c.d I had been looking for for a while, Mother Mojo it was a nice coincidence

[@overblowcom]

Nice video :)

[@KozzmoKnight]

Got my gear today, overnight, Memphis is the shipping capitol of the world, probably live 20 miles from the warehouse, I work in the industry, would take 3 transfers to get to local, at any rate. You say a piano player developed overblows, makes sense. Had my harmonica out 5 minutes before I was looking for that minor third. All these bends are going take awhile to learn, that's why I'm here. Piano is so digital, I want that analog connection.

[@giusepperesponte8077]

For a while I put off learning overblows and overdraws because I thought that they were just for playing chromatically and not useful for blues. Boy was I wrong. As I learned more theory and found out that 6 overblow is necessary for playing the minor pentatonic in the upper register of the harp, that’s when I was really motivated to perfect the overblow. Not to mention you need the 7 overdraw alongside the 6 overblow to play the blues scale in the upper register. 6OB is the minor 3rd, 7OD is the flat 5th (blue note) and those are the notes that make the blues so learning them is really paramount. If you aren’t going to learn to overblow, you get limited to the first 6 holes and can’t really explore the upper register. Learning 6OB and 7OD has completely changed my playing. I really recommend everyone learn them. Once you truly master bending, it’s really not that hard to overblow. Once you learn to do 6 overblow, then you have to dial in the tone, doing that is harder than actually getting the overblow. If you feel like your harp is limiting your ability to produce a quality overblow, make sure to get those reeds gapped and shaped optimally and maybe even do a little embossing with mineral oil and a piece of hardened steel. That’s what I did and it really does make a difference, even just a little embossing goes a long way. I would recommend Andrew zajac’s embossing tool if you want to emboss but really all you need is properly shaped reeds, optimal gaps, and good technique to get those clean, loud overblows in your playing. And honestly you don’t even need that, I can take any marine band out of the box, do some super basic gapping on 6 and 7, and already be able to get great overblows on that harp, but when you’re learning, having a better set up harp makes the process easier and faster to learn so the closer you can get it to a professionally customized harp, the quicker and easier your learning will be.

[@bunnys1980]

Adam , you're the man! Infinite respect for you sir ,for taking all this time to show us so much stuff! Oh and I'm sure that you make a lot of players who play chromatic harmonica, feel like they should turn to sewing ,HAAAHAHAHA

[@saln]

That monk melody is straight no chaser! but amazing playing either way!

[@robertamaya8985]

Worken on it!!

[@surferpan]

Thank you, I've finally have an understanding of the so-called over blow term, that has missed me for years. Especially, when I go to a jam session and meet a mediocre harmonica player who has sudo-mastered the act of bending a reed to get a note while he or she is blowing and can't wait to share the term overblow, to show me how knowledgeable they are. They made it over a hurdle, and now they have a name for it. I've been doing it for years and call it playing the harp.

[@jleoblues]

Adam: Thank you for this wonderful lesson. For many Blues players, Overblows is scary territory and you made it less scary. Harmonica History Lesson: I once heard an obscure band called"The Bubling Over Five" and they had a banjo,clairnet and a harp (no guitar) and this player (name unknown) appeared to be doing "overblows" Have you heard of them and is my assertion correct?

[@joheabany]

when you "reverse direction" on the 6th draw bend. quickly, do you blow?

[@krisscott5604]

Is that belly riff all on the 4? It's impossible to even get that sound! :p It's a whole other note!

[@yoschieschmitt1929]

Way over my heard, but interesting lesson. Thanks!

[@wonderlandrockopera]

Hi Hi Master Adam, Interested in getting a harmonic to play with my WonderlandRockOpera musical songs. The entire musical play is in the Key of F major. Would you use a blues harp, Chromatic or Diatonic harp?

[@9um9um9um]

What type of modifications, if any, are needed to overblow more effectively? We met in Richmond Va years ago.

[@Kurtyvid]

Thanks Adam....outasight....

[@bigpopp50]

I have found about a dozen variations of the Marine Band..what is the best ?

[@Юрій_Сова]

🎼🎶👏👍

[@dinogoldie9716]

What's the difference (in terms of technique) between overblows and blow bends?

[@daniilgri8737]

Dino Goldie Blow bends on 8, 9, 10 holes. But overblows are in holes with bands on draw, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, maybe 5

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

@@daniilgri8737 Good luck with hole 5 ha ha ha. Thanks for the info.

[@journeyfortwo5211]

Hey Adam, is there any reason you found it harder to play the 5 hole overblow in Somewhere Over The Rainbow? In other melodies your overblows came out really easy

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

@OmniphonProductions: Thanks, but actually you're not wrong to shape your mouth as though for blow bends. In fact, that's an accepted way of teaching overblows. It's just important to know that overblows and blow bends aren't the same thing. It is possible to overblow the same holes that you can do DRAW bends on: holes 1-6. I only ob holes 4-6, and they're the most useful, but holes 1-3 can be overblown, too. Holes 7-10, on the other hand, give you blow bends: a LOWERING of the pitch.

[@sheinshein7638]

Почему вы закрыли сайт для русскоязычного населения?

[@JamesReily]

I can't seem to get the overblow. Are you manouvering with your lips or your tongue?

[@Ermin0s]

what the Hell, if i take the 4 draw bend position and then blow and adjust my tounge a bit, the harmonica makes a sax like sound. the reed starts to vibrate really hard. like a train sound when you draw and bend holes 3 and 4 just a bit. i wonderd, could this break the reed? because i like the sound

[@gnuPirate]

Hi Andrew, thanks for this amazing video! Who is this Chris McCullough / McCullick you mention? I tried googling his name, but couldn't find anything. I wrote a list of all the names you mentioned in the video, I'll try and look into them over time (:

[@DT-dz1jc]

It's spelled more like "Michaela"...there used to be several of him performing & one of him griping about "everybody" playing over the changes on "Stormy Monday" WRONG that always made me smile. RIP Chris; Great PASSIONATE job as always Mr. Gussow.

[@bralis2]

Cool ! This means you one can play Kenny G's Songbird or Esther on C diatonic ? Implausible !!! Let's turn to harmonica.

[@woxow]

i have hohner C too but i cant playin it i hate overblows :(

[@SizaokaDLuffy]

what kind of harmonica do you use here, Sir ?

[@biffromearth]

Great Video! I was having trouble with my overblows sounding squawky until I found a website that offered a helpful hint. Use the back of your tongue, not the front or tip. Also relax your cheeks and lips.

[@hh-ck6ko]

Thanks! Helped me a lot!

[@SuperMongoose13]

yeah straight no chaser!!!

[@lobek5535]

:o the name of the song at the start, is???? please...

[@lobek5535]

"The intro music on this video is "Alley Cat," which can be found on ... " i should read first xD

[@allenmahan9393]

Fuck yes

[@korkscrew63]

7:43 I'm not in your mind

[@Kisuke323]

I didn´t get, how to make overblow. :O

[@aaronf8915]

5:29 WHAT DOES REVERSE DIRECTION MEAN

[@aaronf8915]

Blow? Direction of your tongue? Am I crazy?

[@BelRiose2000]

this is insanely hard on my Lee Oscar C

[@Pspisripoff]

Thats because Lee Oscar is not the best up-to-price harp. Try Suzuki, praticly any kind of them. Even Suzuki harpmaster being cheeper is 3x better then Lee oscar. Also Seydel 1847 is great

[@dergrammarfuhrer1901]

+1 for basically any Seydel, I'm a recent convert to their harps.

[@farleypalmer]

Some out of the box harps overblow better than others...hard to tell what you are gonna get when you open the case! I'm a fan of Lee Oskar harps...but for overblows another brand may work better

[@pdip5048]

Did he just play Birdland?

[@Santi2c]

Monk!

[@Scrotchkins]

Steak and eggs and eggs and steak that's what you should have for breakfast

[@TheWaveydee]

Great..can you redo this theory with an A or D harp please?

[@mylifeisart]

the theory is the same across all harps. intonation is different, and everyone's mouth is different. on the 4-6 holes draw bend all the way then blow without changing mouth position that's it! hole 1 is a little different. practice this and you'll get it eventually. look at overblow.com tinus is very precise. also gap your harp for your play style.

[@harmonicagairaud1358]

en français

[@Modernbluesharmonica]

The name's Adam, not Andrew. The late Chris Michalek was a superb overblower. I urge you to track down his videos here on KZbin.