Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David! I hope you are doing great. I have been practicing bends using tongue blocking... I can pucker bend waaay more easily but i'm making the switch to TB 100% for now. I have trouble with the draw 2 and 1 full bends. I can do it on the C harp tho. Any tips or suggestions for getting the bends on the lower register? Thanks. 

Hi David and the rest of the community! Sorry if I don't manage to separate this text into paragraphs! I believe the formatting in this forum is different... Anyways, I watched the wonderful Joe Filisko interview and I really liked it but something Joe said got me curious. He says that in blues playing the major third and major sixth on the I7 chord sounds too happy... Coming from playing guitar I find that statement conflicting. Many guitar players including BB King, Albert King, Eric Clapton, Matt Schofield, Robben Ford uses the major 3rd and sixth (major pentatonic scale). continue reading...

Dave Blowin my horn kicking my but ?? I have been practicing hard but this lesson is killen me ? 3rd chorus shows just how bad I am . Any reveiw or lessons I can refer back to ?? thanks

Hello David,

I am clear about LOA program but I would like to keep it aside for now and focus on learning right from level 1 for now. When I go to Lessons - By Skill Level - Level 1. I see Tongue blocking Study 1 as the first lesson. Is this the first lesson on Level 1? :) Then I move to Solo Harmonica Study 1? 

Hello David, i can't find the area of constriction for 1 draw.. Is it the "Key" or the "Koo" location?The tongue is on the right of the hole 1 and it's confusing me.. I can't move it like i do for the holes 2,3,4,6.

Hi David! YET another question, this time about the chorus #4 in the study song Temperature, I have a little trouble with the articulation of the upbeat 1 2 3 draw chords. It's OK to use the T or K articulation to "separate" that chord from the tongue slap note that lands in the beat 1? I find hard to do 2 in breaths consecutively + the tongue slap. Thanks in advance. 

Hello David.  FYI

Secret Mathematical Patterns Revealed in Bach's MusicBaroque German composer Johann Sebastian Bach produced music that is so scrupulously structured that it’s often compared to math. Although few among us are emotionally affected by mathematics, Bach’s works—and music in general—moves us. It’s more than sound; it’s a message. And now, thanks to tools from information theory, researchers are starting to understand how Bach’s music gets that message across. continue reading...

Hi Dave (and the rest of the community). Sorry for asking so many question in little time.I recently watched the INCREDIBLE Robert Bonfiglio interview. Lots of food for thought, specially when he talks about practicing. He doesn't pull any punches.To be honest, I want to seriously learn and play the harmonica but I'm already 34 years old and it's really hard to practice many hours now. I usually practice 1:30 or two hours a day diatonic and chromatic. Then I practice guitar as much as I can. continue reading...

Hi David!I have been practicing tongue blocking as you suggested. I already feel an improvement of my tone even though I can't play as fluent as I do with the puckering technique so far. The question is: it is normal that I tend to put the harmonica (chromatic and diatonic as well) a little bit tilted to the right side of my mouth/face? I know some player do this but I don't know if they do that for the same reason as me.It is OK to play like this? Is the most comfortable way for me to play tongue blocking.

Hi David! I hope you are doing great!My name is Norlo and I'm from Córdoba Argentina. I have been playing harmonica for a couple of years (and guitar for many years). I know all my music theory as well.My first teacher taught me how to play everything puckering: bends, scales, even a llittle bit of overblows. I can do tongue splits/octaves, a little bit of slaps, etc. No vibrato tho. I also play chromatic a bit and my former teacher taught me tango and jazz. Mostly using puckering technique except from togue splits.  continue reading...