Posted Tue, 12/02/2014 - 08:29 by David Barrett Admin
In this video snippet (Recording Study 2) I show you how to record to a study song jam track and reference it with the original track to check your rhythm: https://www.facebook.com/bluesharmonica
Posted Tue, 11/25/2014 - 09:27 by David Barrett Admin
Here's a little known fact...
If you play 2 draw and 5 draw at the same time (blocking holes 3 and 4 with your tongue... a standard octave embouchure size) you get G on the bottom (2 draw) and F on the top (5 draw). This creates a great bluesy dissonance that's used often by players.
You probably already knew this, BUT, did you know you can bend the 2 draw G down to F, without affecting the 5 draw F, creating an F octave? continue reading...
Posted Thu, 11/20/2014 - 08:40 by David Barrett Admin
I didn't know our accordion brother (also a reed instrument, commonly made in the same factory as the harmonica) can bend notes as well. Take a listen to this interesting NPR interview... the portion on note bending is at 5:52.
Posted Tue, 11/11/2014 - 08:31 by David Barrett Admin
As I spoke of yesterday, your focus is to use the front of your tongue, far forward in your mouth... this creates the small chamber needed to tune your mouth to the blow bend you wish to produce. It's common to hear someone describing their bending process that their tongue moves forward to produce the blow bend. This is consistent with us wanting to create the small chamber, and this will work for holes 8 and 9 blow bends, but not for the 10. Chew on this for a bit... continue reading...
Posted Wed, 11/05/2014 - 08:19 by David Barrett Admin
A student came in for her lesson yesterday and she had the issue of multiple harmonicas having draw reeds that were stuck. I unbent one side of a coated paperclip and handed to her so she could massage the offending draw reed across its length and it quick unstuck. I observed her playing and noticed that the back of her harmonica tilted downwards, essentially allowing gravity to do its thing by allowing saliva to travel down the draw reed plate, over time building up around the reed and its slot, causing the reed to seize. continue reading...
Posted Tue, 10/21/2014 - 08:50 by David Barrett Admin
I mention this often, because I mention this often in my private teaching and in your submissions on the site in regards to your tone. Let's focus on your mouth cavity... your tone chamber. If your tongue PUSHES on the face of the harmonica, not only does the tongue encroach into the hole(s) you're intending to play (narrowing it's passage and creating poor/bent tone) but the body of your tongue commonly comes with it, moving forward and commonly upwards in the mouth, robbing your tone chamber of volume... low/small volume equals thin, wimpy tone... high/large volume equals big tone. continue reading...
Posted Mon, 10/20/2014 - 08:47 by David Barrett Admin
Every now and again I'll have a poor student come in and their face is all contorted to the side when playing. I ask them to stick their tongue out with the harmonica still attached and I'll see that they're using the side of their tongue for the tongue block. They hear "block the holes to the left" and away their tongue goes, pointing far left in the mouth. The angle of the tongue on the harmonica should only be one click of the clock to the left... 11 o'clock. continue reading...
Posted Sat, 10/04/2014 - 13:02 by David Barrett Admin
Translation...
When students start working on pulls (found on the upbeat), they forget to slap their other notes (found on the downbeat). This sounds strange... don't do this. The main reason why we tongue block is to use the slap technique, so make it your default... you should have a reason why you're not slapping. Next, when using other techniques, like the pull, don't forget to record yourself and listen back so you can make sure you're not forgetting to use your other techniques, like slaps, dips, flutters, tremolo/vibrato and dynamics. continue reading...
Posted Thu, 10/02/2014 - 08:12 by David Barrett Admin
Most bullet mics are between 2-1/4" and 2-1/2" in diameter (the round holes in harp cases are 2-1/2"). Many of the cups and glasses in your house are this diameter, including standard 16oz water bottles. If you're new to playing a bullet mic, time spent with it in your hands is needed to gain a comfort level. You can of course play with the mic plugged into your amp, or unplugged (with cable disconnected if it's detachable) or even a household cup to create a mic analog. Either way, you're getting used to having that bullet shape be part of your harmonica hold.
Posted Tue, 09/30/2014 - 11:23 by David Barrett Admin
Tremolo is created at the vocal folds, opening and closing in a rhythmic fashion. This controlled muscle is also often used for articulation. In fact, it's the primary articulation (think slight cough) used for blow notes in post war Chicago blues (except for chugging, where the "T" and "K" articulations are more common). Though not common for draw notes, you can use it as well, especial for fast passages when tongue blocking (a lick in Little Walter's "Evan's Shuffle" comes to mind where I consciously used it, the 5 draw at 1:04).