Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David,

I'm new to the site and I'm really enjoying learning how to play. I'm having one problem. my harmonica plays well as I'm running  through the exercises a couple times, but after several minutes certain reeds get stuck. They eventually seem to free up but it is a major distraction. 1) any idea why this is happening. 2) what is the best way to free up unblock the reeds. This has happened on two A harmonicas. A Special 20 and an East Top.

thanks,

kevin

Hi David,

I'm new to the site and I'm really enjoying learning how to play. I'm having one problem. my harmonica plays well as I'm running  through the exercises a couple times, but after several minutes certain reeds get stuck. They eventually seem to free up but it is a major distraction. 1) any idea why this is happening. 2) what is the best way to free up unblock the reeds. This has happened on two A harmonicas. A Special 20 and an East Top.

thanks,

kevin

Hi David,

I'm new to the site and I'm really enjoying learning how to play. I'm having one problem. my harmonica plays well as I'm running  through the exercises a couple times, but after several minutes certain reeds get stuck. They eventually seem to free up but it is a major distraction. 1) any idea why this is happening. 2) what is the best way to free up unblock the reeds. This has happened on two A harmonicas. A Special 20 and an East Top.

thanks,

kevin

Howdy,

I'm just getting started, and the first fundamental lessons say we can go do tongue blocking exercise 1.5. It's the C scale and there's a picture underneath of the layout of a C harmonica. The intro says we should be using an A. The rest of the exercises (to a rank beginner), also look like they should be a C.

Am I wrong?

Thanks,

  -- taters

David:

I bought a USB microphone and installed Audacity - Audacity version 2.3.3 does not at all match the tutorial on the Equipment tab.

I have figured out how to record harmonica via the microphone with Audacity , but I can not figure how to record while playing the backing track.

Thanks

Hi David,Regarding accompaniment study 4, I was wondering what notes we should target apart from other notes from the chord to signal chord changes. Would the notes from the next chord be a good idea and they will fit the current chord in the background? Many thanks,Eddie

I'm sorry - I don't understand what I need to do for the test for "Accompaniment Playing Study 3" - where you write "Use a jam track of your choosing and play one chorus per hole of the harmonica, for the first six holes. Make sure that the note you play is a chord tone of the chord you’re playing over. Use Accompaniment Playing Study 3, Example 2.3, as reference. Present each note in whichever rhythm you feels matches the track you’re playing to best." What does it mean to play one chorus per hole?

I'm sorry - I don't understand what I need to do for the test for "Accompaniment Playing Study 3" - where you write "Use a jam track of your choosing and play one chorus per hole of the harmonica, for the first six holes. Make sure that the note you play is a chord tone of the chord you’re playing over. Use Accompaniment Playing Study 3, Example 2.3, as reference. Present each note in whichever rhythm you feels matches the track you’re playing to best." What does it mean to play one chorus per hole?

Dave, where is the jam track to this? I just see the MP3 with the harmonica included.

David,

Being my online instructor and all, I'm curious if you could take a listen to a piece I did and (at my wife's insistence) posted online:

https://youtu.be/e-Qelsnwbvs continue reading...