Posted Fri, 06/05/2015 - 07:59 by David Barrett Admin
Now your goal is to open and close your nose in middle of your breath stream.
Again, start with a deep breath and play a single blow note on the harmonica with your nose closed. After two seconds open it (thinking as if you're blowing your nose) while the note continues to sustain and feeling your bellybutton go to your spine to use your diaphragm to help get rid of air. Close your nose after two seconds, stopping the air from leaking through your nose so that air is only traveling through your harmonica. continue reading...
Posted Tue, 06/02/2015 - 08:13 by David Barrett Admin
Fellow harmonica player Steve Webster found the case company My Case Builder at http://www.mycasebuilder.com where you can design your own foam insert to fit in their selection of case designs and sizes. Take a look at the pics I just posted at https://www.facebook.com/bluesharmonica of Steve's final design. Thanks for sharing Steve!
Posted Mon, 06/01/2015 - 15:48 by David Barrett Admin
Our series on overbending starts with instructor Ross Garren interviewing the harmonica players that have pioneered the use of overbends in the blues. Our original intention was to do a written article, but it quickly became apparent that we should video record these Skype interviews for you to watch. Skype video quality is not the best, but we thought you would appreciate seeing and hearing them over just reading an article. After watching these interviews Ross will start to walk you through the art of overbending in the blues.
Posted Fri, 05/29/2015 - 08:59 by David Barrett Admin
Before you can explore how to use the opening and closing of your nose to balance your breathing while playing the harmonica, you first need to learn how to close it. Here are some ways to explore closing your nose. Try all them, you may find one that works better than the other. If you're not sure if your nose is closed while trying one of these (in other words, if the technique is working or not), simply plug your nose to see if there's a marked difference. Another way to check is to place your finger under your nose. continue reading...
Posted Wed, 05/27/2015 - 08:11 by David Barrett Admin
For most students, the slippery slope of opening the nose while playing the harmonica begins unconsciously. Their body learns that if the nose is opened, the issues of unintentional bending of holes 1 and 2 are fixed. When opened, the tuned size of the mouth cavity that was causing issues with that hole/note is combined with the nasal cavity, creating a cavity that's lower in pitch than those reeds can be bent to, which results in better tone and no possibility of unintentional bending. continue reading...