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David's Tip of the Day: Vocabulary - Tips from Observations at the Harmonica Masterclass Workshop

Posted Wed, 04/16/2014 - 09:18 by David Barrett Admin
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Today starts a series of observations from working with students at last weekend's Harmonica Masterclass Workshop.

Vocabulary continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Approachable Slow Blues from Little Walter, Big Walter Horton and Jerry Portnoy

Posted Tue, 04/15/2014 - 07:38 by David Barrett Admin
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Once you complete these Study Songs...

1) Tongue Block Study 1 "Walk with Me"
2) Bending Study 2 "Feelin' for the Blues"
3) Bending Study 2.5 (Repertoire Builder) "Take It Easy Now"
4) Bending Study 4 "My Blues" continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Steven De Bruyn: Best Kept Secret (Looping)

Posted Mon, 04/14/2014 - 07:44 by David Barrett Admin
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Here's a fun approach to the one-man-band idea, using looping.
http://youtu.be/_moRqFyaMP0 continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Rick Estrin - HOHNER Masters of the Harmonica

Posted Mon, 04/07/2014 - 09:01 by David Barrett Admin
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Released today on YouTube is Rick Estrin's video interview for the "HOHNER Masters of the Harmonica" series, recorded at last year's Word Harmonica Festival in Trossingen, Germany. Rick Estrin - HOHNER Masters of the Harmonica http://youtu.be/IXHrhVBSS_s

David's Tip of the Day: Volume on the Bandstand - Tools to Deal with It

Posted Fri, 04/04/2014 - 09:39 by David Barrett Admin
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Excessive volume from the band is an extremely common problem for harmonica players. We have issues hearing ourselves (which causes feedback problems trying to raise above the volume of the band) and all ideas of musicality and dynamics are thrown out the window. Here are some tools you can use to help combat this... continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Charlie Musselwhite Interview (Blues Blast Magazine)

Posted Thu, 04/03/2014 - 07:56 by David Barrett Admin
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Blues Blast Magazine released this interview with Charlie Musselwhite today: http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/featured-interview-charlie-musselwhite/

8 Bar Blues - Key to the Highway, Part 5 (Improvising)

Posted Wed, 04/02/2014 - 09:21 by David Barrett Admin
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Improvising to a non-12 bar blues can be very challenging for new improvisers.

How experienced players do it is by using 1st Position Licks over the IV Chord and 3rd Position Licks over the V Chord (for more information on this idea visit Understanding Position Playing in the Lessons section of the site). continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Patience, Persistence and Perspiration (Napoleon Hill)

Posted Tue, 04/01/2014 - 08:17 by David Barrett Admin
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This is our quote of the week at United Academy of Martial arts. I thought I would share it with you as well, it's to the point and right on the mark.

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." by Napoleon Hill

David's Tip of the Day: 8 Bar Blues - Key to the Highway, Part 4 (Accompaniment)

Posted Mon, 03/31/2014 - 08:44 by David Barrett Admin
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In a standard 12 Bar Blues, with our most common vocal AAB rhyme scheme, fills are found on the last two bars of each four-bar line (of which there are three). These fills happen on the I (one) chord. This makes fills generally easy to play due to there being no chord considerations to be made.

In a non-12 Bar Blues progression this may not be the case, and this is true for "Key to the Highway."

Play fills to Little Walter's recording in the following manner... continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: 8 Bar Blues - Key to the Highway, Part 3 (Little Walter)

Posted Fri, 03/28/2014 - 07:33 by David Barrett Admin
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Now that you know the chord progression it's a good idea to practice your arpeggios to the progression. Listed below are the three chords, an example of where you can most easily play those notes on the harmonica, and their actual pitches. I've listed up to the flat-7th, though keep in mind that the flat-7th is not always appropriate (refer to past posts on when and why the flat-7th can sound good or bad). It's of course a good idea to try these notes across the entire ranage of the harmonica, but these will get you started.

Chord Name / TAB / Actual Pitches
I7 = 2 3 4 5 (G B D F) continue reading...