How to overblow on harmonica

[@TomlinHarmonica]

✏ Get your FREE harmonica tab PDF and audio clips here 👉 foxly.link/mDivxm

[@neilallen770]

....that “heee” tip of yours...? Priceless! And after all these years too! Thanks Tomlin- great vids

[@dezwujie]

Sitting in my car, waiting for my child's lesson to finish up... I've finally hit my first ever on-purpose overblows! My mind is blown right now. I've been trying to get these for so long- this isn't even the first time I've watched this video. But this time it worked!! Forever grateful to your early advice- practicing my blow bends was, I think, what made the difference. Something about the shape of the 6-draw bend just clicked. There, I just got another one just now! Night. Made.

[@stratojazzy]

thanks Tomlin, my english it's very poor, but you're one of the most youtubers that teaching the harmonica lessons very well. Realy, thanks.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Didyer Barrera Estacio it is my pleasure Didyer :-)

[@dumperdan3446]

Didyer Barrera Estacio your grammar is better than half the people I speak to on a daily basis.

[@theentirenationofsweden7901]

Did your English and harmonica playing get better?

[@pprieto61es]

4 rba

[@aytugulgen6302]

Hi Tomlin! Have been playing harmonica for a while and doing many of draw and blow bending but it was only after watching your video I was able to produce a decent overblow on 6th hole without much effort. In my opinion what unlocked this mysterious hole's function was your instruction on saying "khi" while blowing on that hole. The tongue position immediately produced the most wanted clean overblow in best maintainable sound and amount. This technique works each of the harmonicas I own. Feel like I owe you : ) Thank you VERY much!

[@ikust007]

Can’t wait to try that !! Bravo mate!

[@dkdmitrykosarev9527]

I watched the video and got it at once, which I hadn't all the week before. Tomlin is a master of explanation. Thank you 👍

[@codybuffoord3172]

I found a Suzuki airwave and some echo sonic brand cheap harps that work for learning. Cheap, just good enough to bend, bad enough to toss when destroyed by beginner

[@paulcook68]

Hahaha! I know what you mean! Lol

[@ikust007]

The trick for blocking the draw reeds is brilliant. Cheers

[@ADynamicTrio]

Hi, your presentation is wonderful. thank you for being so great!

[@dmbcourt]

This is Great!! Absolutely the best instruction on overblows I've seen. Agree with all the kudos below! After years of trying and failing, even with similar techniques, custom harps, (and one prominent player/teacher suggesting I not bother) I was able to get the beginnings my first OB on the first brief session without disassembling the harp (Seydel Bb), and slowly on the second attempt I'm hitting it more often! Highly recommend a tuner - a basic Korg analog works best for me - to ID the notes on the video and during practice. Thanks!! Dan B

[@joesmith4463]

Many thanks for this lesson. It is a masterpiece...absolutely the best video on KZbin on how to overblow. You have assured your place in harmonica instruction history.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Joe Smith wow Joe, that is awesome! Thank you :-)

[@charliegregory4148]

Couldnt have said it better 🎼🎶🎵🎸😎⚘

[@Marianopiras]

I have been playing the beginner harmonica for a long time, also doing bending. I've never tried to overbend because I've never heard anyone say how they do it. I thought it was stuff for music masters with special skills. The other day I tried it for an idea that came to my mind to see if it could be so. Something came out but I didn't know if it was right. Today I listened to you, I tried it on the six button and it came out exactly. I have to say it came easier than when I learned bending.You have been very clear and simple but be careful, now the other instructors will want to beat you.Sorry my english, I hope you understand

[@OmniphonProductions]

1:36 - The first time I ever played a Lee Oskar harmonica, I took a brand new G harp right out of the box, and it was the easiest overblow I ever played. Since then, I've played 5 and 6 hole overblows (in motion, at speed) on several other keys of Lee Oskar harmonica, again with greater ease than I ever had on a Hohner MS Series harp.

[@paulcook68]

That is awesome! I play Lee Oscar but I stopped trying to overblow on them just because people said that I couldn't! But now I'm getting back at it! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@OmniphonProductions]

@@paulcook68 They're incredibly frustrating, at first, and it may take awhile before you get a clean "pop". I still don't use them extensively, but they do come in handy. I found the 6 Hole was the first one I got to cooperate, and for Blues it's probably the most useful one. Good luck...and HAVE FUN!

[@paulcook68]

@@OmniphonProductions Thanks for your help I really appreciate it...

[@OmniphonProductions]

@@paulcook68 Nice to "meet" you, by the way.

[@paulcook68]

@@OmniphonProductions Yeah nice to meet you too. I was just watching some of your videos! Very nice playin Wow 👌!

[@XxBiCkslowxX]

Got it within 5 minutes with your "Hee" tip. i'm learning so much, thank you

[@TomlinHarmonica]

That's brilliant news Josias :-)

[@XxBiCkslowxX]

Quick question: As i go down the notes of armonica lets say holes 5 and 4, should the hee sound deeper or higher ?

[@smoker50460]

Best instruction on overblows, well illustrated and explained! Thanks man

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Andre Lim thank you Andre, I'm so glad to hear you found it useful!

[@hamishwatson2864]

Ah, I'm still learning to blow bend! I'll come back to this one day. Great videos, thanks 🙂

[@uelisgold]

Dude it worked, thanks, I finally can do it. I can't believe it. Great lesson! Took a while to get to this point. Thanks for your teaching skills.

[@seamlesshomeinspection3313]

What key harp did you use? Does it work on a c?

[@uelisgold]

@@seamlesshomeinspection3313 yes marine band c. Draw on 6, bend, and hold and blow gently he.

[@GipoHarmonicaSchool]

Thanks so much Tomlin! That's a very nice lesson... You've had a useful approach to teach overblown. That's great also for other harmonica teacher. Thanks again. Gipo

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Gipo Harmonica School thanks Gipo :-)

[@jobbible6338]

Very informative Tomlin! Thank you.

[@trevscribbles]

I'm only here because you mentioned this technique on your other beginner video and I was intrigued to see where I plan to be after a hell of a lot of practice! ...now, back to Twinkle Twinkle I go.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Happy harping Trev! Seems a fun tune to be playing :-)

[@trevscribbles]

@@TomlinHarmonica Well, it's not quite Sonny Boy Williamson, but you've gotta start somewhere!

[@ER-me1ii]

Best tutorial on overblows I've seen. The others don't cut it.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Evan Rice thanks Evan!

[@roytube10]

wow, i've been playing for over 25 years.. never done an overblow! i always thought it was the blow bend when i heard that term. needless to say back to square one for me! thanks for the instruction. going to work on this for a while. i can't believe i can't make the sound! now for the actual note, is it a G#? whenever i try to hit a note helps to bang the piano key to beat the sound in my brain. ;)

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Hi Roy, on the Bb harmonica it will be a G# on the 6 overblow yes :-)

[@john.crespi]

Your explanations are really clear. I'll be working on this! Thanks!

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Thanks John! :-)

[@paulcook68]

You know how many harps I threw against the wall trying to learn how to OB?! Still can't get it! Lol I do try to avoid having to play them or I just fake it! Lol Still trying though! Thanks Tomlin! If it wasn't for your channel I would never be this far!

[@glennmiller9508]

Very helpful! Thanks 🙏

[@stringbikeshot]

Ok, did I miss something here? what is the difference between "blow bending" and "overblow" ? I need a little clarification here. Thanks

[@Tienuyan]

stringbikeshot i “guess” is the same thing, when you “overblow” you are bending the draw reed , when you bend a draw hole you are actually bending a blowing reed.

[@Tienuyan]

the problem is we never know if our harmonica is ready to overblow without a tweek. Cos my friends com overblows on his, and when I cleaned to borrow him mine, he cant. So maybe as a beginner... my harmonica is not helping. By the way I use a Cross Over Marine Band Bb for this.

[@lindsey01979]

Great teacher!

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Thank you Lindsey :-)

[@christredeau3516]

I'm still working on my bend technic. I watched this excellent tutorial anyway.👍 I have two Fender blues deluxe harmonicas. Keys C and G. Will the overblow technic work with those... ? Thanks for your lessons and Happy New Year!... 😎✨

[@rubbadubba82]

nice! thank you Man! very usefull lesson! it is very hard get an overblow...but i will do! thank's to this video :)

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+rubbadubba82 my pleasure - keep up the harmonica work :-)

[@ikust007]

Merci !

[@ravengangcharlie]

cool works for me thank you.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Charlie Roche Sr awesome!

[@cyclonudista]

I only have a C Harmonica and I am beginner-intermediate. Should I already but other harmonicas and learn over-blowing? Can I learn overblowing with the C harmonica? So far, I did't came across any song with over blowing, or at least I didn´t notice it. PS. Would be cool to have the key of the Harmonica mentioned in the Title of the lessons.

[@derrabe6253]

Super 👍🏻

[@dannymccambridge7746]

Hi I use Suzuki promaster. I want to play fast music in the key of G and then switching to 2nd position in the key of D. G tunes are fine I need to play the c sharp note in key of D. Can I get it with overblow. I don't want to use 2 harmonicas as I use a rack and play guitar.. Thanks

[@myjames48]

From the start I learnt to play with the bass notes on the right side of my mouth. Would this matter ? I am using the Golden melody. Is it ok to use this model for over blows. Jimmy.

[@wayneyeargain9064]

Hi Tomlin, can you explain the difference between Blow bends and overblow?I thought they were the same ?Thanks, I love your lessons and have learned a lot from you.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

A bend is always going down in pitch whereas overblows or overdraws are always up in pitch :-)

[@wayneyeargain9064]

is a overblow the same as a blowbend ?

[@ilhamakbar5482]

@@wayneyeargain9064 no. An overblow is highering the pitch of the note, a blow bend is lowering the pitch of the note.

[@D3R3LICTRECORDS]

What is the distinction between "overblowing" and "blow bend"?

[@jamesfoster5205]

Yeah!!! i get to use my bflat!!

[@seamlesshomeinspection3313]

Can this be done on the c harp? Or what b flat is a good one?

[@Sammy10100]

Is an overblow similar to bending notes

[@narayanavakalapudi2422]

Is Blow bending different from overblow

[@OscarLagerstrom]

I'm sorry, but do you NEED a Bb one or is it optimal?

[@paulcook68]

I don't think you need it it's just a bit easier but I think any key will work. However I still can't do it properly.

[@markwathen975]

I learned

[@willieboy8798]

good vid...good topic!

[@mr.skwiggl3tattooist303]

I have a Q for ask Tomlin. what key harmonicas should I have apart from C when I am beginning.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Mr.skwiggl3 Tattooist here you go kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoaaonqZe8aibpY

[@stampydragon2739]

Do you know wear I can send my 12 hole British made harmonica to get it tuned it’s been in my family for years and it just doesn’t play how it used to

[@66Pipes66]

stampy Dragon John cook will sort you out,he’s on the tinterweb,just look for harmonica repairs.

[@goldrncalista7885]

Hey Tomlin! Loving the videos! I'm a beginner here. Wondering if I want to play Billy Joel to start- should I get a Special 20 or Blues Harp? I got the Blues but I noticed it does sound slightly different when I follow your video. Please help :)

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Goldrn Calista it doesn't matter which one you get, they will both sound good. Just make sure it is in the key of C.

[@debrajbarman4406]

hi....first of all many many thanks.....pleas tell me why i am getting a full tone higher note while over blowing...suppose a g major harmonica [marine band classic] ..i am over blowing the 6th hole and getting either a G or an F# note while it is supposed to be F....please help....and thanks again for making things clear about over blowing...

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Debraj Barman when people overblow they sometimes overblow too high so you will need to hold the overblow and bend it down at the same time.

[@harpdk261]

Thank you for your lesson. When you overblow , are you lip pursing or a tongue blocking? Is it possible to use either technique?

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+Harpdk I'm lip pursing. Personally I can't tongue block and overblow. I'm not sure if one can.

[@overblowcom]

Harpdk you can overblow using a tongue block but it is a little harder then when you pucker especially on the lower overblows

[@tommorrisey3999]

It worked!

[@user-jf9vq4uf8j]

Hi, thanks for the video. I have a question though, is it normal to get a F sharp instead of B flat tone when overblowing the sixth hole on a c harmonica?

[@giusepperesponte8077]

No, it’s not normal. It’s not even possible. If you have a diatonic, richter tuned harmonica in the key of C, the 6 overblow is a Bb, period. That’s just what it is, any other note is physically impossible. The 5 hole overblow on a richter tuned C harmonica produces an F#, not the 6 hole overblow.

[@nemekene7058]

Hi fellas, is a "Tom Grasso" harmónica a good one?

[@Voltanaut]

If it's worth £30 to £50, yes. This is the best bracket for quality harmonicas.

[@feyyazesat]

Hi Tomlin, I succedded to overblow marine band deluxe A harmonica on 1st hole, but I get D and sometimes Db sound. Not C. I'm checking with Harmonica Tuner app on IOS. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Do you have any tips for this condition ?

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Hi Feyyaz, you will probably need to bend the Overblow down by moving your tongue further back while you are hitting it.

[@LuigiVaccina]

mmm... it has been not that hard to get the first bending. And even though I can blow bend and draw band, I've been trying overblow for more than one mounth and all I get is both reeds sounding together, making an horrible noise.

[@tonyvani]

Hi I have a Bb customized by a while back by Andrew Zajac and never tried to overblow with it. I tried to OB with other harps but not the Bb one and it is beginning to work. Why does this key work better than other keys to OB? Thanks by the way

[@TomlinHarmonica]

Hi Tony, I don't have a brilliant answer for you other than it is just a comfortable note to overblow (not too high and not too low). It is similar to the differences in bending on different key harmonica. E.g. a 2 draw whole step bend is a lot easier on a D harmonica than it is on a G harmonica because the G is much lower. Sorry I don't have a more solid answer for you.

[@azmildman]

Does that mean that you change your embouchure to the HE shape to bend UP instead of bending down?

[@green323turbo]

What is Blowbending 7-10 ? 0:41 isnt that overblow ?

[@azmildman]

Suzuki Manji do overblows right out of the box according to Jason Ricci.

[@arcaliasgiants9813]

azmildman Seidel session steel also. Seidel 1847 will but the holes are bigger, so more difficult to overblow.

[@MrScottytoohottie]

how do you growl a harm? thx, and cheers.

[@flexibartr]

I've found several different tongue positions to achieve overblows on the same reed and I can't decide which one to practice. It happens on reed 1-3 on higher tuned harmonicas. BTW are you talking of outofbox Lee-Oscaras or gapped ones. By gapping I guess one can get any harmonica to do them.

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+flexibartr I would keep noodling around until you find the one which is the easiest and lightest one to do. I mean gapped Lee OskArs. Even with gapping, they are tough. Not impossible but tough.

[@flexibartr]

Maybe you're right. I might have fallen into that psychological trap, because in the process of fine-tuning your gapping results you adjust your mouth as much to that damn reed as the reed to you. So you might think it works fine, whereas an hour later when you pick up that thing again the magic is gone. Or maybe I'm just too fond of cheap harmonicas (while actually I'm living near the Seydel factory). The reedplates of all the really cheap ones from all brands seem to come out of the same chinese factory, so you can reassemble them across brands. If moreover you buy them used or damaged they invite you to mess around with em , combine reedplates from different pitches to find new scales and so on. Lot of fun with crap harps, man.

[@D3R3LICTRECORDS]

2:29: overblow on hole 6 pitches up. 3:39: overblow on hole 6 pitches down. It's contradictory and confusing.

[@anthonypeter4786]

How is the eastop t008k harmonica 'cause I have it.

[@kevingodding9316]

Great video, are the 16 dislikes from the makes of Lee oskar harmonicas 🤔

[@markwalmsley5892]

Are Lee osker s not good for overblows????

[@paulcook68]

@@markwalmsley5892 that's what people say. But some players find them to be easier to OB.. So I would keep trying. Jason Ricci said you can do it on LO but it sounds different or something like that..

[@gilleslaurin2165]

i bey 6 Suzuki promaster mr-350 in key C-A-G-D-Bb-F -is evy in love it dis is i good harp

[@colincampbell4261]

Lovely harps, I use them too.

[@photorolensoman8101]

After 1 month of playing I still can't overblow on my C harmonica. I will buy a harmonica in the key of Bb and try again.

[@colincampbell4261]

Hey, overblowing is a very advanced technique. There are plenty of other skills to master first.

[@BlackuLaLa]

I'm not here to learn to do overblows; just to see what they are lol. Still learning how to breathe right lol

[@lindajones49]

Huh 🤔 I use Lee Oskar

[@TheEvansinger]

y did u stop man

[@DustyCowdog]

This is a little sad.... I can't afford to buy 45 different harmonicas. I have one. Seems like you have to have a different harp for every lesson... :-(

[@TomlinHarmonica]

+DustyCowdog hiya - you can get away with 6 keys to play most things - A, Bb, C, D, F and G

[@DustyCowdog]

Tomlin Leckie --- hey, thanks for the great information! Have a good one.

[@paulcook68]

@@DustyCowdog this was 4 years ago, I would like to hear how awesome you are on that one harmonica now! Lol

[@DustyCowdog]

@@paulcook68 -- Hahaha... Well, I do have a few other harps now... I sit on my front porch when it's not 300 Deg.F. -- I slurp a little tequila, I have a harp mic and plug it into a small battery powered amp with a touch of reverb and play along with blues backing tracks (I use the term loosely) and my 83 year old neighbor likes to pull weeds in her yard while I play. Not sure what that means, but it's fun. I still don't know much about playing, I just wing it in the 2nd position. Cheers!

[@paulcook68]

@@DustyCowdog That's awesome! That's about the same pace I take too! Lol Cheers!

[@rumplefish63]

I got it! Very briefly and intermittently at this stage, but once or twice is a start! Thanks Tomlin. (I need an overblow to play my football club's theme song! :) )