tools

If a reed doesn’t produce any sound it could be broken. But first it might be stuck with dried salvia or way too much spit in the harp. Do not try to force the reed free by blowing or drawing hard on that one hole (if the reed suddenly releases, this powerful force can break the reed), OR stick something in the hole to free the reed. Play a gentle chord (include the offender in the chord), blow and draw, with a big flow of air. continue reading...

Howard Levy and I were having a discussion a while back about teaching and the challenges students deal with. He recounted a story of a specific student that couldn't play a song... his rhythm was off and he would commonly be on the wrong hole of the harmonica and not recognize it. He asked the student to put down the harmonica and sing it, and the student couldn't sing it. continue reading...

Harmonica customizer and tool maker Richard Sleigh just completed his website redesign. If you're into harmonica technology and the tools used for customization, I suggest you check his page out, paying specific attention to the Archives at right.

http://hotrodharmonicas.com

Focus Notes and Texture go hand-in-hand. As each chorus passes, you're keeping track of what you've played. You're not trying to remember every lick, it's more of a simple scorecard of what focus notes and the textures you've used.

For example...

Let's say you've played three choruses so far. Chorus 1 focused on the 1 draw and you used single notes. Chorus 2 focused on the 2 draw and you threw in some dips, slaps and pulls. Chorus 3 you focused on the 3 draw, mostly emphasizing the bluesy sound of the 3' and didn't use any new textures. continue reading...

Not only does the use of a focus note answer the "what do I play next" question, it helps us to move around the range of the harmonica. A common trap new improvisers get into is overplaying their comfortable note range, commonly holes 2, 3 and 4. If you play a 2 draw focus note one chorus, then cross it off in your mind and don't start on that 2 draw again for the rest of the song. If the next chorus you play a 4 draw focus note, then it too is no longer an option in subsequent choruses. continue reading...

Every song starts with a spark of an idea. Most of the time the spark is a cool lick that has a catchy rhythm and/or note combination that you match to a groove after its creation. Sometimes you sit down to write material for your band or a CD project and you think about exploring different grooves (shuffle, swing, two-beat, rock-beat, rumba, etc.) to add variety and spark some new directions. Sometimes you have a mood in mind.

Let's take some time and explore these different ideas this week. Listen to these three examples for their mood and let's discuss their ideas tomorrow. continue reading...

“Your creative capacity is determined by your musical and technical abilities, along with your available practice time. Your capacity will increase as your strength and skills grow. However, for you to make progress with basics such as on-stage confidence and ease of execution, your repertoire choices must be within your capacity. Musicians who pick unobtainable pieces foster destructive habits, such as anxiety and tension, and they miss out on learning how to present secure, poetic performances.” Pg 14

The simple toothpick is a great tool to have in your harp case. It works great for cleaning the little cracks a crevices where mouth gunk likes to reside and for freeing stuck reeds by simply pushing the reed in and out of its slot a couple of times.