Posted Wed, 01/29/2014 - 10:45 by David Barrett Admin
Yesterday's dynamic change works best with live musicians that can react to your dynamic change. Our next two tips (today and tomorrow) works with both a live band or jam track.
Now use chord change as your trigger to change volume.
Play the I Chord (first four bars) at a given volume. When you reach the IV Chord (Bars 5 and 6) play at a different volume (louder or softer). When the I Chord returns in Bar 7, once again change your volume. Change again for the V-IV-I lick (Bars 9 and 10) and then again for the Turnaround (Bars 11 and 12).
Posted Fri, 12/27/2013 - 22:48 by David Barrett Admin
In this lesson Ryan continues his work on Improvising (V-IV-I licks), Accompaniment (Hole Changes), Solo Harmonica playing (Charleston rhythm) and the slow blues study song with breaks, "Blues Creapin' Over Me."
Lesson 23 - Intro & Accompaniment Study 3: Harmonica and Chord Review
Lesson 23 - Accompaniment Study 3: Hole Changes Review
Lesson 23 - Accompaniment Study 3: Blues Creapin’ Over Me
Lesson 23 - Solo Harmonica Study 3: Ex. 1.4
Lesson 23 - Accompaniment Study 3: Ex. 1-8
Posted Mon, 12/23/2013 - 09:05 by David Barrett Admin
Some of you know that I own School of the Blues in San Jose, CA and that we create house bands constructed from the student body (two new bands each year-long rotation). Within this training program they learn from me, the other instructors and through their experience working as a band in a jam session. Today starts a series of tips for you based on common challenges that these new house band deal with.
Posted Wed, 12/18/2013 - 09:34 by David Barrett Admin
The most basic way of playing with a vocalist is to play when they're not singing, called playing "fills." This naming comes from the idea that you're "filling" the holes left by the vocals.
The first challenge is to know when to start playing (this tends to be fairly intuitive) and when to stop playing (which is a little less intuitive... it's easy to play too long and step on the next line of the vocals).