Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hey David, 

I've done the first three Music Theory lessons and I've memorized the pitch names of each hole with blows, draws and bends for the C harmonica. But I'm starting to think that the truly complete way to get the music theory of blues properly infused with the physical layout of the harmonica would be to commit to memory the different scale degrees that each blow, draw and bend is capable of producing. That way you'd have the same information for each key of harp since the transposing would be the same. continue reading...

I really enjoyed the private lesson with you in san Jose. You set me straight on a number of problems I was having and gave me some great advise on accompanyment playing. I have been advancing well since then.

I found a few of your transcriptions in Newsletters. Is there some way to find more? For example Big Walter's 'Walter's Boogie'. Also do you take commissions to transcribe harmonica songs?

Richard E Hamilton

Dave, I'm having trouble on a Marine Band Crossover, Key of D, bending 3 draw to full step ben . There is air escaping. Is it my technique or should that hole be gapped closer to be more responsive?

David Hi

Im going through a period of revision of my study and am looking for the lesson on sequencing. You talk about the three kinds of B chorus form namely small change something totally different and then a sequence. This is the video when you ask us to imagine graph paper. Not sure if it's in Music theory or in the improvisation segments. Looked in both without success. Many thanks in advance. Hoping this will give me some ideas for my song writing segment LoA8. 

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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.