Talk:Overblowing

Definition
Does the definition here really correspond to common use? I've frequently heard "overblowing" used to refer to playing in a higher register whether a register key is used or not. Indeed, it's the only term I can recall having heard for it. -- Rsholmes 17:53, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

I don't think overblowing applies to reed instruments
I just started playing the tin whistle. But I played clarinet years ago and can tell you that accessing the upper register requires a tightning of the lip on the reed, which reduces how much air you can send over it. I don't recall it requiring blowing harder or "faster", however you do need to focus your breath for a smaller target. And while it's true that fluctuating the reed pressure causes a vibrato effect with a given fingering, I suspect it's also true that opening the register key has an effect on the air column's resonance that influences the frequency at which the reed is most likely to vibrate at a given lip pressure and airflow. I also played a bit of sax, and recall that because the register key on a sax is an octave key (unlike the clarinet) the instrument has a greater tendancy to jump cleanly and easily to the higher register (by pressing the register key) with little or no attention paid to the reed. I imagine this is because doubling the sound wave frequency in this case doubles the reed's vibrational frequency, and even multiples are easier to jump between... but I digress. Suffice it to say that a tin whistle's two octaves are generally accessed by increasing or decreasing air pressure, while doing so on a clarinet or sax only affects the sound volume. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.231.124.188 (talk) 05:45, 17 February 2008 (UTC)

Changing register depends very much on air support. This can be seen very easily on the bassoon, where a register change depends almost completely on it, and not on octave keys. As a related note, I removed "bassoon" from the instruments listed as having a register key in this article, since its "register holes" are inexact and crude. 71.100.179.107 (talk) 05:58, 8 March 2011 (UTC)

XB-40
After retuning, it is possible to overblow an XB-40 harmonica. The article states that it is impossible anyway. I think it should be fixed. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.31.61.242 (talk) 22:24, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

Removed "how to"
I removed this section, as it seemed too much like an instruction manual:

The steps can be learned separately: Remove both cover plates from an old Richter-tuned harmonica, use tape to block the draw reeds of holes 1-6 and blow reeds of 7-10, and reassemble the harp. Play any single note. Without blowing (or sucking) unduly hard, try to choke off that reed's sound. You may wish to try almost forming the letter K, or G way back in your throat, or on the high-hole draw reeds, pushing your tongue slightly forward. However you do it, when you can easily and completely silence the reed in every hole, then again disassemble the harp, remove the tape, tape the opposite reeds – 1-6 blow and 7-10 draw – and put cover plates back on. Now use your single-note technique while trying to play the reed that normally does not sound. Do not blow (or suck) hard. Try the same embouchure changes as above. When you can produce clear sound, both soft and loud, and can bend the pitches slightly upward on all 10 holes, then remove all tape, reassemble the harp, and try overblowing holes 1-6 and overdrawing holes 7-10.

Mnudelman (talk) 19:29, 25 June 2015 (UTC)

Lead Section
I've responded to a request to shorten the Lead section with an edit. I've reworded a few sentences and moved the bulk of the information that was in the lead to a new section I made called 'Characteristics'. Still a lot of work to do in formatting this article but I think its a bit better. Twomatters (talk) 00:07, 22 March 2022 (UTC)