Ask Instructor David Barrett

David, I'm starting to have some success at bending, but when, for instance, I hold the 4 draw bend for a while, sometimes I get a really high pitched metallic screeching like feedback. Am I playing too hard, or maybe bending a little beyond, (lower), than I need to. Or maybe both. Is this what's producing this phenomenon? It sort of hurts my left ear a little.

I just got a new challege.  Just met a new friend in our community who is a pretty accomplished piano bar style player/singer who owns a grand piano and wants to have a 'piano party'.  In fact he can play and sing very well.

He's ask if I could sit in with him and another guitar player friend.  I like the idea but Ive just fell out of my comfort zome.

Hi wants be to be prepared to play Piano Man, Yesterday and Scotch and Soda with fills and an occasional solo.

He want to play Piano Man in C and the other two in Eb. continue reading...

Hi David,

 I've just watched the video :

Submission #7 Part 3: Masking the Harp: Holes 1-4 and 1-5

and there is your part starting at 1:13. Is it possible to get that part in written form?

I just love it to hear and I would like to learn it too :)

Forgive this rudimentary question. I have been away from the harp and the site for over 6 months unfortunately, and I have forgotton when TBing hole 1, does the tongue stay to the left and rest on the portion of the comb to the left of hole 1, or do I tongue switch and play hole 1 with my tongue to the right; or does it depend on the passage. Both feel natural, I just can't remember which, (or maybe both), I did before. (I looked through all the materials I had printed out and didn't find the answer. Maybe I should just review the beginning videos.)

Thanks David

When doing the 1st study on Tongue Blocking, I notice that if I play a scale up an down, my jaw is kind og moved/inlcined when I am finnished.  My mouth isn't straigth or aligned anymore. It is probably because I am doing something that I am not used to, but If I don't interfere now, it might become a bad habbit, that causes more cramps than needed.

Is it normal that beginning tongue blocker do thing with their jaw that shoud be addressed from the start. And how to learn it properly? very slowly...?

  continue reading...

Hey David, continue reading...

Hello David 

Sorry we bother you. 

You did a video on playing solo harmonica. The lesson was based on the 123 draw and 123 blow chords and how you only hold the harmonica lightly and when you blow on the chord it should push the harmonica away ( SOMETHING  LIKE THAT ANYWAY). but I'm not sure where the lesson is . It might have been you teaching sharon or rob . Any ideas about what lesson I'm talking about.  I've been trying to find it since

Thanks 

Mr. Barrett:

Thank you for your time.

I'm studying Improvising Study I - Chorus Forms.

My assignment is to compose and record each of the five chorus forms for your review.

Following your suggestion, my composition will consist of licks and fills borrowed from our study songs.

I'm trying to think of the easiest way of "copying" selected licks and fills from a study song PDF and then "pasting" the selected licks and fills onto blank staff paper, so I'll have a written version of my chorus forms to practice and record from. continue reading...

Hi David:

In accompaniment study 6, we're assigned to play 1.2 & 1.6 along to the jam track. Do you want just 1 chorus of each? Thank you.

Hi

Just received a harmonica as a gift and subscribed to the free lessons that came with it. The model of harmonica is an Enthusiast, C. However, when preparing to take the first lesson i noticed it said i required an A harmoina. Is it ok to use my c model?

Thanks

AT