Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David, 

Im feeling frustrated as I know one of the vital building blocks of mastering the challenging instrument is to understanding chord structure and working with those chords for improvising, playing fills etc.

As Ive said as an old sax player we never had to worrry as we just read the charts.  

Im looking for any hints of practice suggestions on how to do this.  Im trying to play  roots, thirds and fifths along wiht the study songs from memory but its very slow.  

Any practice sugggestions?

gary 

David, do you have any tips on controlling the high end of harmonica?

I try to draw "radiant-ly", "gent-ly", and "yawning-ly" from the diagram.

8 draw sound OK alone, but "thin" in speed lick (like in "Take it easy").

LOA6 - Improvising Study 2 - Assignment 2: Focus Notes & textures - Doubts

1)How many choruses do I have to record concerning to Focus Notes (1 2” 2 3 4 5 6+ 7 8 9 9+)? 

2) Am  I free to choose the BackTracking in the site lessons, or do I have to play upon the Improvising Study 1 jamtracks? 

Thanks in advance!

Hello Mr. Barrett, continue reading...

Hi David,

I practice Accompaniment Study 4, Ex. 2.1 and I try to use a lot of various licks as fills. In the track John stops singing at the 1st beat of the 3rd measure (in the 1st line) or 7th measure respectively (in the 2nd line), and the fills in the example you have provided start at the 3rd beat of the 3rd and 7th measures. That means there is a 1-beat space between vocal and the fill. continue reading...

Hi David;

Someone told me that Hohner was bought out 5 or 6 years ago by a Thai company, and they were no longer a German company. I have my doubts, but have you heard anything like that? I know that those certified in the Hohner Affiliated Customizer program are required to get their parts directly from Germany, so I'm thinking it's just a rumor.

Greg

Hi David - i have been using the site for 3 years now and was wondering that by now if i should be able to play some reasonably sounding blues along with my buddies who play guitar .. If i play stuff ver batum which i have learned on the site (in the accompanyment and solo lessons)that i can play with them and sound pretty good but if i try to improvise - well i feel like i shoild maybe take up golf or something - i put in hours of practice just about every day and am feeling a bit frustrated with my improvskills - or am i  expecting to achieve this prematurely -- thanks Frank

David,

First, big congrats on this site. I've been looking at different sites since I picked up the harmonica in April of this year and this is, IMHO, the best and most complete. I'm now 1/2 through the free trial offered through Hohner and definitely plan to subscribe.  continue reading...

Hola queira saber cambiando alguna configuracion o algo podria escuchar los videos en español

Hello David;

I am just starting with level 2.

I would like to know if we need to block the right holes with the cheek as a default way of playing or just when getting ready to Wa Wa.

Thanks;

Steve