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improvising

You’re playing all night

Posted Fri, 05/05/2017 - 14:52 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Students that come to me to study improvising commonly say that they feel that they’re good players, but when playing a couple times around the form they run out of ideas. The issue is that players commonly have enough vocabulary, but they’re using up all of their ideas too quickly. I teach them how to use phrasing (how the repetition of a lick within a twelve-bar section is important for developing a memorable solo) and to understand that soloing is not all about fireworks, it’s about telling a story. continue reading...

  • improvising

David's Tip of the Day: Repetition Found in Famous Songs - Examples

Posted Wed, 05/25/2016 - 13:44 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Last week's tip focused on how repetition is the key element in making your improvising and songwriting memorable. Here are a few examples of famous classic blues harmonica instrumentals... note that repetition plays the key role in making the head (the opening 12 Bars) memorable. This happens just as much with modern instrumentals, but you most likely already have these songs in your collection for convenience of review. continue reading...

  • instrumentals
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  • songwriting
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  • improvising
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  • repetition

David's Tip of the Day: One Hole Away - Charlie Musselwhite

Posted Wed, 09/16/2015 - 07:56 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Let's continue with more memorable quotes from artists...

At my 1998 Harmonica Masterclass Workshop, Charlie Musselwhite was fielding questions from students and just answered a question about playing on the high end of the harmonica. The next student asked, "But what happens if you play a wrong note?" and Charlie said, "Well, I'm only one hole away from the right one." continue reading...

  • harp
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  • harmonica
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  • high end
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  • playing
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  • soloing
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  • improvising

David's Tip of the Day: Laws of Blues Harmonica - Repetition

Posted Mon, 09/14/2015 - 08:20 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

The listener wants more repetition than the player is usually willing to give

  • phrasing
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  • blues harmonica
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  • improvising
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  • soloing
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  • harp

David's Tip of the Day: Laws of Blues Harmonica - 2 Draw

Posted Wed, 09/02/2015 - 07:39 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Whether you're improvising or accompanying, if your lick focuses on the 2 draw, you can play it through the IV7 Chord as well and it will sound good (like the A A B Chorus Form for example).

The simple theory is that the 2 draw (referencing a C Harmonica in 2nd Position, Key of G) is G, the Root Note of the I7 Chord. 2 draw is also the 5th of the IV7 Chord, so it works there as well. If your lick also includes the 3 draw, remember to obey the 3 Draw Rule and bend it down to 3' when on the IV7 Chord.

  • soloing
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  • accompaniment
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  • improvising
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  • blues
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  • harp
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  • harmonica

David's Tip of the Day: Laws of Blues Harmonica - 3 Draw Rule (Relative to Chords)

Posted Fri, 08/28/2015 - 15:59 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

If the 3 draw B (or 3 draw quarter tone bend as discusses yesterday) is an emphasized note in your first lick of the 12 Bar Blues progression, and you wish to continue the chorus with that lick as a theme (think Chorus Forms as taught in the Improvising Studies), then when the lick is repeated over the IV7 Chord you should bend the 3 draw down to 3' Bb and 3" A over the V Chord.

Here's the basic theory...

I7 = G B D F (referencing C Harmonica in 2nd Position, Key of G) and 3 B is the 3rd of the chord. continue reading...

  • blues
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  • harp
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  • harmonica
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  • rules
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  • playing
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  • improvising
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  • phrasing

David's Tip of the Day: Joshua Redman on The Checkout - When NOT in the Zone

Posted Wed, 07/15/2015 - 07:31 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

In this podcast at 20:04 tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman talks about the commonly-referenced "flow" state, and more importantly when the flow state is not happening http://www.wbgo.org/checkoutjazz/saxophonist-joshua-redman-joins-the-bad...

  • sax
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  • saxaphone
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  • improvising
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  • flow state

David's Tip of the Day: Dynamics and "In Memory"

Posted Wed, 06/24/2015 - 08:53 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

Listen to "In Memory," the song featured in today's release of Recording Study 4. The pitch content of what I played and the textures I used in which to present them are of course important, but dynamics are center stage in this song to convey emotion. The use of dynamics (primarily volume change) is what's commonly missing from players in their first five years of study. The addition of dynamics easily doubles the emotional impression on the listener... I can't emphasize this point strongly enough. continue reading...

  • harmonica
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  • harp
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  • blues
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  • songwriting
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  • improvising
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  • approach
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  • technique
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  • dynamics

David's Tip of the Day: Footage from CD Release Concert

Posted Tue, 05/05/2015 - 08:19 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

For those that weren't able to make the CD release party, here's Aki and I improvising a tribute to Little Walter.

David Barrett and Aki Kumar pay Tribute to Little Walter
https://youtu.be/y0hCpyiBAmg

  • harp
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  • blues
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  • improvising
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  • little walter
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  • harmonics

David's Tip of the Day: Value of Repetition, Part 18 (Themes)

Posted Fri, 03/20/2015 - 08:19 by David Barrett Admin
David Barrett Admin's picture

The theme in “Gary’s Blues” is presented in the first two notes, the 3+ eighth notes. This eighth note figure is restated throughout the song. You see this at the end of the first line, with the 4+ 3 played in the same eighth note rhythm. The second chorus starts with these 3+ eighth notes and you see them again in the third bar of Chorus 3… and at the end of Bar 4. This repeats in other places, but I think you get the idea. This type of thematic element is not commonly noticed, but it’s no doubt part of what makes a song cohesive. continue reading...

  • theme
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  • improvising
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  • blues
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  • chorus forms
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  • harp
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  • harmonica
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  • soloing
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  • songwriting
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