There is much confusion as to what bending does vs what overblows do. Bends take a note that is built into the harmonica and make it go lower in pitch. The note or sound produced is located in between the blow note and the draw note.
Bending occurs on the draw notes on holes 1 through 6 and the blow notes on holes 7 through 10.
Overblows take a note that is built into the harmonica and make it go higher in pitch. The standard note produced is one half step (one keyboard note) higher than the note in the opposing breath direction. However, every overblow can be raised multiple half steps.
For example, 4 blow is C. 4 draw is D. When you overblow into 4 blow it alters the C and becomes D# aka Eb. This can be raised to E, F, F# G and G# and possibly further. Do you use overblows? Do you like em?
I can overblow but I play blues mostly if I play them it’ll be something “in the moment” and not planned, not that anything I play is planned. I’ve been asked how I do them, the truth is I’m not really sure, it seems when I deliberately try to play one and I think about it I can’t do them it’s very strange
@Andy2 The centipede was happy quite, until a toad in fun, said pray which leg goes after which. this worked his mind to such a pitch he lay distracted in a ditch, considering how to run. (George Humphrey)
Yes, pretty much the same technique draw bend until your bent note starts to die keep the same embroucher and toungue position and gently try to blow building up pressure it’s difficult at first and you’ll only be able to use this method to begin with but pretty soon the mouth position becomes second nature. I recently told this to a mate of mine who wanted to learn it. Took me ages to break it all down and work it out, now he’s doing it better than me because he has the time and his own rehearsal space to do it. It’s just a matter of perseverance with it. I can play it better live with adrenaline running through me than just sitting in the house.
@scott4 “A cu…” aș if you’re saying “a cucumber.” That’s roughly the mouth shape for overblows.
@davidkachalon Wonderful clarification of overblows vs blow bends on the harmonica. Something that’s often misunderstood. I’ll just restate my opinion that mastering ALL draw bends AND blow bends is a better use of time than exploring OB’s because the tone of them is sooooo much better.
Even simpler than I could explain. I think I’m the guy who’ll use a thousand words when only a few will do. I personally don’t like over blows and rarely use them. They’re a sort of in the moment thing I do and usually I don’t realize I’ve done them. I think it may have been during a very fast song and I threw something in that sounds almost off and then bring it back to a riff. I’ve seen a mate of mine do something similar on sax I may have subconsciously nicked the idea