Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David, 

I was interacting with an old friend on Facebook who has kept his music up all the years since High School.  He plays woodwinds (fairly accomplished amateur of sax, clarinet and fluit) like I once did.  I mentioned Im working hard to be a musician again and focused on Blues Harp.  He said "Oh I tried that too as it looked easy to pick up, but I gave up as it was way too hard." [insert laughter]

My question is this.  He said "are you sitting in on Jams?"  I said no I dont think Im ready.  He said forget it...jump in. continue reading...

Hi david,

When listening to my recordings I've found that I have a small tendency to be late coming in on notes, particularly low ones.  My sense of rhythm is just fine, and I know when I'm supposed to be coming in while I'm playing it.  I'm thinking this may have to do with the actual attack of the instrument.  I'm used to playing instruments where this just isn't a concern - push a key, pluck a string, bang a drum, etc.  Do you ever deliberately come in a split split split second early to allow the sound to develop and land on time?

  continue reading...

In the tune "The Strut" on the last half beat of measure 10 of the first chorus.  (I'm not counting the four measures of the intro).  Does it call for a tongue switch or quickly sliding the harmonica side to side.

Thanks

Ive passed this subject by somehow but Im getting to the point on Scales where I find myself absent the skill.  Where in the lesson mater do I get the into to Blow Bends...cant find it?

Gary

Ive passed this subject by somehow but Im getting to the point on Scales where I find myself absent the skill.  Where in the lesson mater do I get the into to Blow Bends...cant find it?

Gary

David - looking ahead at test material required for Level 4 under Chorus Forms it says to take a lick and play along with the jam track to all 5 chorus forms. So are the 5 chorus forms AAA, AAA w/fills, AAB, AAB w/fills and ABAC?  What about after AAA the 2 bar version and the 1 bar versions and the same on the AAB - then 2 bar version and the 1 bar version. Then all of that w/fills. That would make a whole bunch of chorus forms - Am I making this more difficulet than it is?

Hi David,

When you ask interviewees about chromatic influences, George Smith is almost always the first name that comes up, but William Clarke is never far behind. I don't have any of his stuff: is there an album of his that you would recommend starting with?

Thanks

David, I started experimenting with bending and feel overwhelmed.

Thanks to you excellent instructions I was able to bend straight away.... My issue is I bend too far.

6,5,4 are nice and easy, good tone.

2 full step is good, as long as I keep the throat at "y-UU" position.

1 is hard and I feel I need a throat surgery to do it, but that's OK, I will get there.

On 3 I almost always go very bottom (3'''). Controlling it to be in the middle (3'') is very hard, inconsistent.

So, the question is - do I try to run before I crawl? How to control it? continue reading...

Why "bass lines" are called so?

I'm dedicating some time to scale work, and I'm trying to think more thoroughly about the scales rather than just memorizing how to play them. So, by "blues scale," we mean R, b3, 4, b5, 5, b7, O, correct? On the "Movement Exercises: Essential Scales" document, the C Blues Scale (which is both the I chord blues scale in first position, and the IV chord blues scale in cross harp, correct?) omits the 5 and 6 holes, and in the accompanying video you say that the middle octave is void of any bluesy notes. continue reading...