Skip to main content
Blues Harmonica logo

User Account

Username:*
Password:*
Forgot Your Password?

Visitor Menu

  • Sign Up
  • Sample Lesson #1
  • Sample Lesson #2
  • Student Recordings
  • Forums

Posts

CD Release Event (Morgan Hill, CA)

Posted Sun, 04/12/2015 - 07:26 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Join Gary Smith, Aki Kumar and me (David Barrett) to watch on the big screen the making of It Takes Three! You’ll see the creative process of working with the musicians in the studio, the challenges of getting just the right take and the antics of musicians that have nothing better to do than crack jokes as they wait around for the next take. Gary, Aki and I will narrate the movie, talk about the inspiration for each tune and even play a bit!

Date: Saturday, May 2nd, 2015

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (afterwards enjoy dinner in quaint downtown Morgan Hill) continue reading...

  • cd

David's Tip of the Day: Tongue Blocking Tips - Light Touch, Part 1 (The Bad)

Posted Fri, 04/10/2015 - 09:52 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

When studying Little Walter's legendary blues harmonica instrumental "Roller Coaster," the key moment of discovery in being able to perform the song successfully was is using the lightest touch possible on the face of the harmonica (both the tongue and lips, but most importantly the tongue). This was key in being able to play at his speed and level of dexterity. Here are the negatives of pushing too hard when tongue blocking... continue reading...

  • tongue
  • ,
  • block
  • ,
  • technique
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • blues

David's Tip of the Day: Tongue Blocking Tips - Why 4 Holes

Posted Thu, 04/09/2015 - 08:59 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Yesterday I stated that your lips should be surrounding four holes. The purpose of this is as follows, with the more important reasons listed first...

1) You can play an octave very quickly with slight adjustment of the tongue (to the center, blocking two holes).

2) Your slaps, pulls, flutters and other techniques where the tongue is off of the harmonica have a much bigger sound, due to there being four holes sounding when the tongue is off instead of three. continue reading...

  • tongue
  • ,
  • block
  • ,
  • blocking
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • technique
  • ,
  • blues

What's New: Rocket Ride (Studio Session, Day 1)

Posted Wed, 04/08/2015 - 10:52 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

In this video you hear us rehearse and record a new arrangement of Gary Smith's "Rocket Ride."

  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • blues
  • ,
  • horns

David's Tip of the Day: Tongue Blocking Tips - The Basic Tongue Block

Posted Wed, 04/08/2015 - 10:01 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Place your lips over a four-hole span, using a light touch on the face of the harmonica. Use the top of your tongue just past the tip (called the blade of the tongue) with a light enough touch that the convex shape of your tongue does not completely flatten on the face of the harmonica. Cover the left three holes with your tongue, leaving the right-most hole to sound a single note. Move the harmonica latterly—the focus is to generally move the harmonica, not the face or jaw.

Special Note for Lower Holes continue reading...

  • tongue
  • ,
  • block
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • tips
  • ,
  • blues
  • ,
  • folk
  • ,
  • trad

David's Tip of the Day: Wynton’s Twelve Ways to Practice

Posted Tue, 04/07/2015 - 08:41 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Wynton’s Twelve Ways to Practice
http://arbanmethod.com/wyntons-twelve-ways-to-practice/

  • practice
  • ,
  • tips
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica

David's Tip of the Day: Wynton Marsalis Practice Tip

Posted Mon, 04/06/2015 - 07:39 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

"Play everything — no matter how trivial or trite it might be — with dynamics and sound and musical expression."

From: http://arbanmethod.com/wynton-marsalis-daily-practice/ Thanks to Jon Harl for sharing.

  • practice
  • ,
  • tip
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica

David's Tip of the Day: Rare Early Solo Instrumental Blues Harp Recordings

Posted Fri, 04/03/2015 - 08:59 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

In this streaming radio archive Joe Filisko shares Rare Early Solo Instrumental Blues Harp Recordings. This comes to you via The Archivist (Roger Trobridge) of National Harmonica League: https://www.mixcloud.com/PodKast/

  • joe filisko
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • blues
  • ,
  • classic
  • ,
  • pre-war
  • ,
  • prewar
  • ,
  • pre
  • ,
  • war

David's Tip of the Day: Bombay Stroll Chorus Form Analysis

Posted Thu, 04/02/2015 - 11:53 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Now that you've had a chance to enjoy and analyze Aki's killer instrumental "Bombay Stroll," here are the Chorus Forms (CF) he used. Mr. Aki Kumar, can you please share with everyone on your Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/akikumar) how these CF came about? As you worked on writing this song, did you experiment with different CF's for each lick/chorus, or have you so internalized CF's now that you played the new lick at the beginning of a chorus and the CF flowed out? I assume that you worked out the first three or so choruses and then improvised by the time you reached Chorus 5? continue reading...

  • aki
  • ,
  • kumar
  • ,
  • blues
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • ,
  • composition
  • ,
  • solo
  • ,
  • improvisation

David's Tip of the Day: Signals in Practice

Posted Wed, 04/01/2015 - 09:45 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

When preparing to perform a song make sure to practice your intro speech, count-in and signaling for breaks and ending (especially for breaks and ending). If you neglect this in your practice you'll be more likely to miss the timing of your signals in performance.

  • performance
  • ,
  • band
  • ,
  • practice
  • ,
  • signals
  • ,
  • signaling
  • ,
  • blues
  • ,
  • harp
  • ,
  • harmonica
  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36
  • 37
  • 38
  • 39
  • 40
  • 41
  • 42
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »

Sign me up!

Full access to all lessons starts at $20/month! (with annual subscription)

Subscribe

Free Sample Lessons

After watching the BluesHarmonica.com overview video, try one of the lessons below to experience a lesson at BluesHarmonica.com.

  • Tongue Blocking Study 2 – This study is for the newer player or the player new to tongue blocking
  • Bending Study 5 – This is for the advanced player looking to improve their bending skills

Contributors

  • Aki Kumar
  • Joe Tartaglia
  • Gary Smith
  • Mark Hummel
  • Joe Filisko

Site Links

  • About David Barrett
  • Accredited Instructors
  • Links
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
Hohner
© 2009 - 2025 David Barrett and the Harmonica Masterclass Co. for Bluesharmonica.comSyndicate content