How to USE overblows in the blues (C HARMONICA) .033

[81driven]

Nice dude! Good to see a harmonica enthusiast! Its a great instrument and hard to find a good player.

[joshshuffman]

dude-

i'm new to the overblow thing--like, 15 minutes new. i just followed your instructions for cleaning (with purple kaboom), and when i put my harp back together it was playing funny. i loosened a screw or two, tightened a screw or two, got everything back playing and all of a sudden I've got the 6 overblow. it sort of comes in and out, and sounds like it's going to explode in between the blow and overblow, but... But it's only on the 6. What's my next step?

[2012onelove1]

great lesson! Thanks Jason! You're the man, did you ever end up playing with Nick Moss, like you mentioned in the vid? I met him through Gerry Hundt at a local Tuesday blues jam. Great players that would let me sit in on harp. Anyway, thanks! I notice this comment thread to be way off the subject of Harmonica playing, You are a smokin' player! No pun intended! Cheers! Bryan

[kenstar2]

your a fuckin douche, i come to learn something and you smoking a cigarette in the video, what a loser you are.

[winnonah0824]

tnx

now i know  how to use it

[CdPrni]

hey can i overblow or even bend a hohnerband octave harmonica

[thanhhai05071991]

What's in 1:47 to 1:50????

I like this lol

[thanhhai05071991]

What's in 1:47 to 1:50????

I like this lol

[thanhhai05071991]

What's in 1:44 to 1:46

[XRayCam]

It is a step in anyones "addiction" to have something or someone that we ENJOY. Whether it's good for us or not...And SOME people have a hard time realizing that these things have control. I'm glad you "quit" as you have said :) But someday you will need to come to the conclusion that it is you, and not the other person who's problems that you must face up to ;) Cigarettes cost over $50 a carton here in Iowa. I smoked a carton a week....

[XRayCam]

Pluck--- I guess I got it right the first time...Got me frustrated now!! Where's my Peach Crisp and LIGHTER :)

[Dusankk]

Man you have the blues all over, what a spirit harmonica master :)))

[bigblindray]

@Hooperamazing. As an avid lover of tobacco smoking and playing harmonica. Im deeply offended by your bigoted stand on the past time. Smoking has been a popular pastime for thousands of years and is enjoyed by people the world over. I take deep DEEP offence to your hateful stand on Cigarettes!

Cigarettes are cool man.

[energizer9111]

sweet it never gets old to listen to the harmonica sounds

[katsuyukisakata]

I can not do overblow.

It is very difficult for me.

[philharmonic86]

Can anybody imagine a world where every professional musician posted tutorials on YouTube? You sir are a different breed.  Hope you guys can make it down to Carbondale, IL sometime. Cheers.

[BentNote99]

Hmmmm, great stuff as usual Jason. Just a minor technical point. At 2.16 you say a half bend off the 2nd hole draw gives the major 6th. You don't mean the major 7th? You're using a C harp playing second position in G. The keynote is G off the 2nd hole draw. A half bend down gives the major 7th (F sharp), a further half bend down gives the lowered (blue/flattened/) 7th (the note F). Or am I missing something here...

[mykemashi]

@jasonricci i've recently discovered how awesome the harp is.. thanks for posting your vids.. i'm still too new for your vids and have already started adam gustow's vids, will definitely watch them when i become more adept~

[travisrules14]

you are my hero, i have wanted to play harmonica for like, forever, finally picked one up, and your videos helped me so much

[recordingblue]

dude, ur freakin' me, but i love ur harp!

[Thorncage]

thanks for posting these videos I messed around with a toy harmonica for about a year and in the past few weeks I started to get an interest in playing and this is helping alot !

Thanks again!!!

[combine2]

Man you high as hell, smokin a cig to get higher eh?

Lol I love it, love this video very helpful

[jasonricci]

No I'm sorry but you can not actually bend a tremolo harps reeds more than a 1/4 tone....

[kiwibluesqueen]

Hoopermazing , opinions are like assholes!!!! everyones got one, no one wants to hear your negative stinking thinking. Rock on Jason, your amasing

[Hoopermazing]

Is this douche bag such an insane chain smoker that he can't put down his disgusting cancer sticks long enough to make a fucking video? 1 star, you stinky bastard.

[jasonricci]

Thanks for the star.

[ourwhitedesert]

haha, great :-)

[Hoopermazing]

It's the same thing that gives me the right to tell you to go fuck yourself, cocksucker, i.e. the mere inclination to do so.

[Hoopermazing]

Again, cocksucker, run along and fuck yourself.

You're obviously a nasty ass smoker with an ax to grind. Thankfully, I can smell you via the Internet.

[bloozman32323]

Smoking is an addiction. Very difficult to quit. I smoked for 30 years and tried to quit for 29 before I was successful. You have a choice whether to act with class and empathy towards someone who contributes much of his time and effort teaching other people. Instead you resort to insults and vulgar language to show your disapproval. At some point Jason Ricci will kick his addiction. You however sir, will always be an asshole.

[Hoopermazing]

@bloozman32323 - Go fuck yourself, cocksucker. I don't give a rat's ass about your disapprobation, and I sincerely hope that cancer is spreading throughout your decrepit old body.

[bloozman32323]

@Hoopermazing I rest my case.

[BLEEDINGKNUKLES]

@Hoopermazing You judgmental mother fucker, if he wants to smoke let him, Freedom to do what ever you want, within the law, so let him and if it annoys you, fuck off okay? Well done Jason (-:

[mykemashi]

@Hoopermazing your the douche bag you bloody wanker.. i don't think smoking equates to douche bag.. but hating, no decency, lack or respect cause you're hidden behind your computer does..

@jasonricci i've recently discovered how awesome the harp is.. thanks for posting your vids.. i'm still too new for your vids following adam gustow's vids..

[Hoopermazing]

@mykemashi - Your and you're aren't interchangeable, you semiliterate foreign piece o' shit. Go fuck yourself.

[mykemashi]

@Hoopermazing apparently they are cause u understood... ohh attacking the grammar... i'll take that as admitting your (you're) yore ur yar a douche~ time to go fuck meself :D

[dfnsake]

@Hoopermazing

i´ll bet a you´re living in the us, right? the land of the "free"...

if not... damn... so conservative...

[Hoopermazing]

@dfnsake You've got your political ideologies reversed. Conservatives are pro-big-tobacco... Pro any corporation that bends them over and brutally ass-rapes them. I'm an arch liberal, who favors the Scandinavian variety of social democracy.

You, however, are a dirty Hun bastard (i.e. a German.) So, your disapprobation means nothing.

[dfnsake]

@Hoopermazing

ok, not conservative, but a racist. that´s what you´re words are telling about you. and hey, i know that most americans don´t give a f*** about their image in the rest of the world. but i´m not sure, if this will be the best way to handle with critical statements.

[dfnsake]

@Hoopermazing at least you´d nothing to say but cursing around like a 15 year old.

so i will end this right here, ´cause i´m not in the mood to discuss with people like you.

PS: sorry for not being up to date with everyday american politics. thats the funny thing about you all (nearly all). you don´t mind critics from others, but you still asume everybody to know everything about you...

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing smoking used to be something to enjoy, people can get 80 with it.

suck it up faggot

[Hoopermazing]

@SgtZippzapp Cigarettes are merely a sublimation for you orally fixated types at times when it would be inconvenient for you to indulge in your all consuming compulsion to have a dick in your mouth.

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing no not at all.

we used to enjoy a cigarette and nobody even cared if we lit one up.

now its all like OH MY F*CKING GOD YOU SMOKE YOU GOT INSTANT LUNG CANCER OMFG!!!!

its all over hyped by the media and the government.

if you just smoke one or two a day its not that bad

[Hoopermazing]

@SgtZippzapp Hey, if you can smoke a fucking stinking-ass cigarette without the smoke drifting away from your immediate area and befouling the air that everyone else has to breath, by all mean do so. Otherwise, it's the equivalent of me coming over to you and your wife in a restaurant, dropping trou' and farting wetly right in your face. I might well enjoy that, but it's still bad form.

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing why am i even wasting time to this useless discussion?

i came here to get a lesson in harp playing to discuss about smoking.

do you enjoy pissing people off?

[Hoopermazing]

@SgtZippzapp 1. I haven't a clue.

2. I don't derive any particular enjoyment from "pissing people off." On the other hand, it's of no real consequence to me if I do. That is especially true with an issue like this one, where the people I'm arguing against are wholly irrational with regard to their [nicotine] addiction in the same way that a crackhead is irrational where his beloved crack-rock is at issue.

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing one thing to make clear, smoking is not an addiction.

it is addictive but not immediately an addiction.

i do it because i like the taste of it.

[Hoopermazing]

@SgtZippzapp Oh really, in which journals was your research published? You might have originally smoked because you wanted to look like James Dean, or some such shit, but those days are long gone. You smoke now because you are a straight up nicotine addict. You, sir, are a junkie, pure and simple. And, if I held you at gunpoint in a room and didn't allow you to smoke, you'd go ape-shit in a few hours. Riddle me this, what's the first thing you did upon waking this morning?

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing you dont know anything about smoking unless youve tried it yourself. and dont believe everything what the media tells you.

the first thing i do when waking up is having a breakfast, then i go to school.

then around 22:00 if possible, i get myself a nice glass of jameson and one cigarette, because i enjoy that, not because i need that.

and if you held me at gunpoint nothing will happen.

its not that you get addicted after the very first drag.

[Hoopermazing]

@SgtZippzapp The media has nothing to do with my belief. All credible research in the area (i.e. all research no funded by a tobacco company) attests that nicotine is highly addictive. You are, yet again, merely an addict defending his drug of choice.

[SgtZippzapp]

@Hoopermazing i am not addictive, addictive is when you just need it.

i dont need it, if i wanna stop with smoking i can stop in a simple second and ill never touch it again.

[awl555]

@SgtZippzapp Not to discredit your point, but that last bit made me laugh, just because it reminded me of that joke Richard Pryor used to say: "I'm not addicted to cocaine. I just like the way it smells."

[XRayCam]

@SgtZippzapp, then if you like the taste of it...that sir is ONE step in the right direction to becoming an addict. When you suddenly notice you are carring a pack of cigarettes with you every day...then it's to late :) I've smoked for 34 years. Started when I was 12 until 46. I'm now 48...I QUIT 2 years ago when I got pneumonia in my left lung. I figured since I couldn't hardly breath because the one lung was completly blocked off...and medication knocked the taste out of my mouth. I'd quit :)

[XRayCam]

@XRayCam, CRAP....I replied in the wrong direction on -quiting smoking- Was ment to be for "SgtZippzapp". If it's just the taste man...go without it for just a week :) I LOVE the taste of "Peach Crisp"!! But I can go a week without it (but I don't really like too) Hmmmm, maybe I am a Peach Crisp ADDICT!! I sure hope so :)

[SgtZippzapp]

@XRayCam that might have been a step for you to addiction, but i just quit a month a go with smoking, its getting way too expensive now. :)

[Hoopermazing]

@Hoopermazing breathe, rather...

[NickSquires]

@Hoopermazing Wait like honestly?

This guy is a respect-deserving skilled harmonica player trying to help the general public with a lesson and you can't shut the fuck up about smoking?

Some individuals smoke some don't. This guy does and he's a mad harp player. There's no need to assert your opinion on his life choices.

I haven't read the other comments but I'm guessing that I'm one of many who have repeated others.

[Hoopermazing]

@NickSquires Shit-for-brains, I'd think it rather obvious that I've been responding to specific replies that found their way into my email inbox... much like the one from you that I'm replying to now. I try to get out, but you asshole keep pulling me back in.

[azeldox94]

smoking kills xD

[ukemampfi]

grat,great,great

[harplaya]

Great lesson, thanks again Jason.

[bluesismc]

Really the first thing we blue guys should start doing is NOT SMOKE!

(A friend)

[Blacksheep4y]

@bluesismc, did you see him playing 3 1/2 hours ... don't know how long he wants to play when he stops smoking :-D

[RixeDNB]

1;30 hahah

[diabluz]

thanks man!!!

[ArtofDreaming1]

Something somewhat unrelated. Did you know that the main character in the book gravity's Rainbow played harp and there are endless references to the harmonica. If you didn't know, Gravity's Rainbow was the book that shook the literary world.Check it out it will truly amaze you P.S your lessons are amazing what a pleasure

[magicblues1954]

Great Jason!!! hey, on overblows does your harp have to be set up for that or can it be done with a harp out of the box?

[daddyrichispoor]

I just purchased a Suzuki FireBreath a few days ago. Supposedly an OB friendly out of box harp. Not to my amazement though, it didn't OB very well out of the box.

However, after only a little reed gapping, it began to overblow pretty easily. BUT i'd say if you know how to gap reeds properly you can probably even OB a cheap Chinese honer.

I'm gonna try and make a video soon to help out with these type questions and save some of the "big boys" like jason some trouble. 4 out of box try B-Radical

[daddyrichispoor]

I'm not Jason, but i'm sure he'd agree, it IS possible to OB on an Out of the box Harp sometimes, BUT you AT LEAST need to GAP the REEDS a little closer to the REEDPLATE if nothing else OR YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A ROUGH TIME, Especially if you are new to the technique.

Good Luck on your Quest!!!!!

[jasonricci]

I agree! I recorded three albums with tons of overblows and over draws on Golden Melody harmonicas with only the reed gaps tightened a hair!

[jasonricci]

I agree with Daddy Rich! I recorded three albums with tons of overblows and over draws on Golden Melody harmonicas with only the reed gaps tightened a hair!

[daddyrichispoor]

hey, i'm no expert by far. To the ones of you out there watching this who are struggling with overblows i do have a tip that may save you the time i spent / wasted.

The videos are great, thanks Jason and the others who posted on youtube, i wish this shit had been around about 15 years ago.

Anyway, 1st, you MUST make sure your harp's reeds are gapped CLOSELY to the plate.

2nd try Saying Chuh or Quee as you begin exhaling to pop the reed into the OB. It must come from the back of the throat.

[veggieburgerfish]

9:33 yeah totally.... lol

[veggieburgerfish]

before I even looked at the overblow part of this, I was sat thinking. Jesus, how does he get his bends to sound like that?

[Philosofy1]

I'm going to take you up on the offer to come talk to you in person about this stuff.  I think I'll have something to make it worth your while, also.

[harpblow]

Hey Jason!! I`m from Uruguay, thanks for all, you are a great inspiration for me!, I learn very very much with your music, your technique, your actitud, all, you are one of my favorites!, thanks y disculpa mi ingles!!jeje bye masterr!!

[michaelhyslop]

Great OB what make harmonica are you using?

[etaborya]

Hi Jason! Great video!

How do you set up gaps for hole 7th. I tired to find the right gaps to make the 7 overdraw playing easy with no 7draw stickin. Stil can't find. If overdraw is ok it becomes hard to play rolls like c b a g a b c (notes for c harp, 6-7 holes), or ab a b a ab g, as 7 draw sticks. I find good profiles for 4-6 and 8-10 holes, but not for 7th. Could you reccomend something?

[jasonricci]

Hey thanks! Yes that is a normal dilemma...The best thing you can do is get your reeds arced better....leave very little air leakage near the rivet end of the read and place a slight curve the very slight...just enough so that the action near the tip raises while the rivet end decreases. You should not actually see a curve! Reset the action pretty tight and try it again....you should find the 7 draw now plays fine on it's own and the over draw works...This WILL take practice but you know. Thanks

[etaborya]

Thanks for response, I will try it today!

[bettifamily]

Hi. Can please you tell me where to find videos on setting reed arc for ob's; the only one i found so far is in Spanish. Regards Keri; NewZealand

[makilakixki]

Check oveblowdotcom, great instructionals for overbending technique and harmonica set-up, fully in english

[jasonricci]

Yes!

[KudzuRunner]

Nice riff at 3:37! Great video. Yes: start by taking things you know and moving them up an octave.

[creamyfilling102]

does anyone know a good video the actually tells u HOW to do an overbend?

[jasonricci]

Hi creamy, rhanks for watching...yes I have a video, and I believe Adam has one too, but you will have to search for: How To Do Over-Blows (Over-bends) on Harmonica.026,at or around 4:28 seconds I actually explain it...I don't know if you will consider the video good or not...but I do "actually tells u HOW to do an overbend?"...good luck..

[creamyfilling102]

thanks jason. i'll look into that. i've been all over the internet trying to find sites that explain it and it's really been a pain.

[MAGICDRAGON5]

Hey Jason,once again great suff !!

for all us blues guys,

hey when you gonna get over to uk ?? would be great to catch up sometime.

if ya get a chance check out Lightnin willie and the poorboys on the tube , would like to know whatcha think..all the best,Giles King

[harpmonkey]

Jason,

I told Christelle that you two need to get together and do some suo work.

I think the energy and sound would be awesome.

If you guys don't do it, the world will be worse off for it.

Everyone who agrees start making a noise.

Peace!

[mottag8830]

correction: around 2:15, he calls the 2 draw half bent the major 6th when it's the major 7th

[jasonricci]

Right you are! my bad! I'm not a super hero just a hero...Thank you for that my friend!

J

[bettifamily]

Thanks for lesson. I got OB's sounding ok... Just having trouble bending them up enough to get the 'Blue 3rd'. Not sure if its my technique or the harp at fault. any sugestion?

[jasonricci]

Hedy check that comment I just left the dude at the top...that arcing goes double for bending OB'S!

Thanks

j

[MisterPignose]

Good lesson on basics with a C harp on OB's. although OB's are not within grasp of the average player......especially bending them. Anyway, It's good to see you're having some fun with this.

[jleoblues]

Maybe you should talk to Howard Levy about it. He might be able to offer insights. I use to know this guy form Brooklyn, Bob Shatkin. He died in March 2001 and he had the most incredible technique. He could play Walter Horton De Ford Bailey you name it. He smoked two packs of Camels a day and it got the best of him. He got to a point where he had to breather through his gut as his lungs were totally blown out from the cigarette.

[schultzy06]

man it's sounding like you've picked up a lot of cool little nuances over this last tour. and i understand about getting back to the blues thing. i had to ban jazz, carnatic, and such from my cd player, and it's great

[harpo10]

Thanks for all the info. Not that most of us will ever use it 1/10 as good as you even after a lifetime of woodshedding. One question though.

Do overblows / draws lend themselves better to some positions than others? If so, which ones.

[jasonricci]

Good question! It depends what your trying to play in that position...certain positions lend themselves to cetain styles of music and/or major ot minor keys. other positions don't so much...by "don't I mean the may require more overblows or akward bends on key notes like the root note( Key of song). Having said that some of the coolest sounds I have ever heard on harmonica rose out of these akward oveblow/bend ladned positions. A good example would be 1st pisition minor A harp in A minor. thanks

[Brunoaz2000]

What we give is what we get. You are going to get VERY far in life jason ;), you rock man!!!thanks for this lesson!

[N1LLe]

Another very great lesson

[tonyh1988]

nice video Jason ! Thank you for inspiration! By the way Rocket Number 9 rocks !!!

[wallywalt]

It's too Early to be gettin' Confusion Headaches!

[jleoblues]

Jason, none of my business but you play better than I will ever hope to. Why are you smoking?

That tobacco is going to destroy your lungs and kill your sound. Please think about it!!!

[jasonricci]

two words...Flavor Country...Thanks for your concern...every one who knows me knows I have tried to quit a dozen times with all the different meds and everything....Maybe I'll get it...Maybe I'll die...In the meantime...flavor country.

[harpo10]

Ive had fuckin pnuemonia for the last month.

My doctor had to give me Advair so I could get a cig down. ADVAIR RULES!!

[HarpDr]

If that is why your doctor gave it to you, he's an idiot.

Otherwise, hope you're feeling better.

[harpo10]

Thanks dude. I was trying to be funny. But seriously, I can smoke now thanks to the Advair. Another joke. Did you see how much fuckin zig zags cost? $1.50!!! When I was a little kid they were only 20 cents!!

[gunniniang]

　you're a fucken legend