Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hello, I am new here since yesterday. Have done some Adam Gussow youtube lessons before, but never tongue blocked. My main goal is to learn improvise better. Is there a special serie of lesson I need to follow, or are they jsut incorporated in the Levels of achievement plan?

BR, Johan

David Hi. Today I blew two 5 draw reeds, one on the Low F and the other on the Bb. Both as you know are harps needed for LoA7. They have done a lot of miles over the last seven months. So whilst I wait for replacement plates I am working on my Chromatic study. I am finding the lesson 4 a challenge with octaves. Just cant seem to get my reference point as to what an octave should sound like on the chromatic in spite of listening to your video lesson and examples. Would you mind if I sent you a recording of the second chorus of the study song. continue reading...

Hello David. 

How to do correctly in one LOA?

1. learn all the songs for the same level and only then make a sound recording of them and send to the test?

2. learn a song and immediately make a recording, then learn the next song and make a recording, etc. At the end of the course to attach the recordings made earlier to the test?

Hallo David,

i'm looking over Accompaniment Study 5, Ex. 2.3 Hole Changes.

On Hole 9 there is a F# as the third of the V7 Chord. Have i to learn the Blow Bend first to komplete this Lession?

best regards

Thomas

Hello David, 

I have questions about Solo Harmonica Ex. 1.8 in the first four bars.

1. Are the 2+ blows slapped or just tongue blocked?

2. By the third bar I'm almost out of breath. I played around trying to breathe with my diaphragm and lowering my volume it seemed to help somewhat am I on the right track or do you have any other suggestion?

Sanshinboi 

About a month ago, I decided to start learning harmonica by watching youtube before I found this site.  I did not know about tongue blocking until now.  I can lip purse holes 1 and 2 easily enough but I'm having great difficulty tongue blocking hole 2 especially on the draw.  Are you tongue blocking on just holes 3 and above? Not sure what I am doing wrong.  It's like I can't get sound from 2 draw trying to tongue block. 

Thanks!!!

Hi David

Im trying to get my hands around the improv study.  Just for clarification, while the lick you provide can be played across all 3 of the standard Blues chords, I want to confirm that normally when we come up with a 4 2 or 1 bar lick we would need to transpose those into their respective chords.  

I know how to do the transposition using scale degrees.  Can the circle of 5ths be used in any way to do the transposition?  {dont tell me let me guess] Ill bet really senior players like your self can do that transposition mentally or from memory.  continue reading...

Hi Dave, 

I have a very nice 16 hole Suzuki Chromatic harmonica but do not know what to do with it.  Do you have any books or online lessons I can refer to?  Thank you, Craig

Dear David Barret:I misused the function of "recurring fee" to not be able to access my payment account.Could you tell me how to deal with this problem? how to activate my account again? I'm talking about the payment account.My order number is 174524.thanks !(I also have another account for free lessons for one month,this account is ok. This account number is 174371)

Hello David

I found some youtubes of your performances and Im wowed.  

Im working mow on Improve #1 questions

1- I was humg up on how the AAA licks you show in the jam track example (2.1) fit across all 3 of the chords.  You explained that the notes used in that exercies were all in the Blues scale.  So is this then meaning that the D, C, B, G, works because those notes are found in the G blues scale? continue reading...