General Discussion

So I'm at the jam and when I pick up my C harp (the second time in the set), the 1 hole is jammed!! No sound draw or blow. Luckily I packed a spare harp, picked it up and finished. Got home and took the covers off, 'plucked' the reeds on the 1 hole and then when I tried it again, no sound. Looked more carefully and found a hair stuck in the draw reed. After I carefully took it out, all was well again. continue reading...

David suggests that we all do a six-month tour of learning the drums, guitar, and base, just so we know how to communicate with the band. I say, we should all do a six-month tour of what good blues dancing is, even if it's lecture and demonstration. continue reading...

Just wanted to share this: At our Sunday jam yesterday, I decide to bite the bullet and said I'd take the vocals for the first song in the set. Followed the steps from David's Performance Training (had a head start at the Masterclass weekend) and it worked perfectly!!! continue reading...

I think this is a must learn song.....
Here is a link...
anyone else learning this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KWot536gTM

I would like to hear from anyone who has tab or would like to learn it too...
Thanks...!
Steve
Porltand, Or

I have been teaching myself to play Little Bitty Pretty One/Rockin Robin from the Rod Piazza CD I have as I really love playing it & thought it was coming along ok-I know (or i think I know) hes playing a D harp on the recording I have & this weekend i went to a jam & tried to play it however when the band played in G it sounded really wrong.Can anyone help and let me know what key it should be in if it isnt this or if there is anything else i should be telling a band so they know how to play along with me as I'd really like to give it another go,thanks, Pat continue reading...

I finally got through the entire Tom Ball interview and really enjoyed it. Great stuff David! The first harp instructional book I ever bought was Tom's Sonny Terry book. I missed a chance to see him and Kenny play up in the hills outside of Santa Barbara many years back and still kick myself for not going.

Has anyone used a software package called "Transcribe!" ?? It was recommended to me by an outstanding harp player (IMHO) who uses it in much the same way as I use Amazing Slowdowner. It has (as I start to experiment with it) the advantage of being able to 'mark up' the sound track into sections (chorus), bars, and beats. I've tried it on 3 of our songs and it certainly does help with identifying the chorus, bar etc. and I'm trying to get to what else it can do. continue reading...

To make a long story short: as a result of the recession I've had to move several times this year and I plan to move one more time at end of my lease in about 8 months. I was wondering if people had any words of wisdom or just wanted to share how playing the harmonica and listening to the blues a lot has affected, or not, their choice of housing.

I'll start: during the past year I've had occasion to live

--with roommates. My area of the house had two rooms, so the front room acted as insulation so that my roommates wouldn't have to hear me play the same thing over and over again. continue reading...

Tom Ball and David talked about this in an interview, so I had to look it up.
Check it out.
Juggling and playing harmonica at the same time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPzcZNgVfpA

Hey David - so glad to hear you are taking some time for yourself and your family. Enjoy it - you deserve it!!