Ask Instructor David Barrett

In your intro to Minor Mambo, you mention that it's one of the Top 10 modern harmonica instrumentals. What else would you put in that list? (I don't expect you have a formal list, but what instrumentals spring to mind?)

My timing is awful, just the worst.

To get better at it, I've been going back through your Solo Harmonica studies. I spend about 10 minutes a day with a metronome, doing different solo harmonica patterns from the studies, going at different tempos. 

I have also been doing some work with scales, doing scale patterns in eighths, triplets and sixteenths at different tempos. 

What else should I do to improve my time?

Im beginnig the tongue blocking exercise and noticed that i need an A harmonica for the lesson. I only have C major, can i proceed with the lesson or do you have a different plan for beginners that start out with C harmonicas? thanks for your help. 

Hello David

This is a small point but one I want to check out.

C Major Scale, Second scale degree triad is D F A.  The D scale has two sharps F# C#.  I dont see how the second of that C chord is Dm.  As I understand it Diminshed means that both the 3rd and the 5th would be flattened a half step.  I only see the F as flattened a half step in hte key of D.  

Thanks

gary

Hi Dave,

Is there a jam track you can suggest for Gary Smith's Minor Mambo (not the rhumba, but the minor one)?

Thank you.

Sorry, but I can`t find the artist studies site, even if I search for www.bluesharmnica.com/artist-studies .

Thanx for help

Dave 

What is the cost of the tests and do you also pay again for retests?

David Hi

I am working on my LOA6 Improvisation song writing. Part of my process is to go back and review lesson LOA5 Improvisation and your feedback.   continue reading...

Hi David,

 I tried to submit I Want You With Me-version 2.  I got a message saying it was too large to be sumitted.  Do you have a suggestion?

 Thanks

I have inherited a Hohner Chromatica 10 hole. When trying to use it for lesson 3 I have been shocked how "airy" it is. Now I don't know if I have a poor specimen or this is a common problem when switching over from a diatonic.

Any advice on the matter would be welcome.

Thanks.