Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hey Dave, 1.12 awesome lick.. It''s my 2nd month on the site, really enjoying it. I have 1.12 down but i'm on a constant inhale, when do I breath lol?

Hey there David,

I'm working on the dynamics lesson in Improvising Study 4. I'm working on volume control in bends. Is there any kind of decimal reader application or software that you would recommend to make sure my volume in bends isn't changing? 

Thanks,

Andrew 

Hi David,

I'm working on the tongue blocking and I'm not sure I'm doing it right.  I taught myself years ago on some basic harmonica and don't know if that's causing the issue meaning I have to 'unlearn' what I used to do.  I can play single notes but I think it's because I'm narrowing my lips some as I don't feel the tongue touching the face of the harmonica.  Watching your video, it looks like the tongue is actually supposed to physically touch and cover the holes.  Is that correct?

Thanks for your help,

Michael

Hi David

Perhaps its old age but learning scales across all octives up and down is one of the hardest things Ive ever stepped up to.  Ive been stalled on this for a very long time.  After nearly 5 years in your program I often feel I should be farther ahead.

At first I tried just memorizing by mustle memory and got frustrated as it was a slippery way to learn.  Nothing was sustained.

Then I began to make progress by verbally repeating the notes out loud and trying to play it. continue reading...

So the 3rd note of the V Chord in G Major, is in fact F#....

But it's ok to play the 5 draw/9 draw, which is NOT a F# because the F# is not there? So we just "turn a blind eye", and play it wrong? Simply because the F# isn't in C scale (and that's the harmonica were playing)?

So then, if I'm doing the "masking" exercise (restricting to holes 1-3), then I should use the 2' (F#) for the V Chord and NOT 2'' (F)...? Even tho it is ok to use F at 5 draw/9 draw.... Then reserve the 2''(F) for the flat 7th of the I Chord....?

OR... continue reading...

So, Ive reviewed the accompaniment lessons in LOAs 2&3 and have a question re the naming convention. I get that all diatonic harps are intervalically identical (with some nonstan exceptions) and that standardizing on the C for discussion purposes can be useful. However, using the note letters off the C harp when discussin an other harp seems as it could be confusing. Wouldn’t it be better just to speak in term of scale degrees instead? It seems to me that this would be more neutral And universal. 

hey, David. Hope all is well. I’ve been looking for one specific video to rewatch but can’t find it. It’s the video in which you talk about driving someplace and playing along to music with just one hole on the harp. Do you know which one this is? 

So, in doing the Improv section I’ve been trying as much to both intellectually understand the theory and also to internalize as much as possible. My question concerns the I, IV, & V chords. Why are these the chords on which blues based? Why not the II, III, and VII, for instance? Also, why only three chords? Why not four or two? 

This might be a bit like the kid who asks his mom why the sky is blue but I thought I’d ask anyway. 

Where do i go to oder matieral. at the bottom of notation you can order DVDs on written info. i click on link and it takes me to home page 

Brand new to the harmonica. Got the free month code with the purchase of my Hohner Special 20 (C). Says its not really a "blues" harmonica. Not sure what the difference is. But will this be good to learn your lessons with? I also see that the first lesson says I'll need a harmonica in "A". Should I be doing a different lesson? Thanks for the help.