Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hello David,

When rewriting the instrumental for focus notes and textures, do we still have to strictly keep all the chorus forms represented or is it a bit more flexible?

Also which should be the chorus with the most intense, climatic feel? On a song with 6 choruses I feel (and from what I’ve gathered being the most common) it should be the 4th, so in general around 2/3 of the song, in order to have the next chorus settling things down a bit before the return of the head. Does that make sense? continue reading...

Hi David

My apologies for repeating this often asked question - I know I've seen it on here and seen your answer, but I can't for the life of me find it anywhere.

Just starting Level 4, I discovered I needed a D harp so put in an order and decided to move on to another section. Ooops... Bb for that one! Before I put in another order, would you mind giving me a quick recap of which others I'll need on here?

So for I've got (or ordered) C, A, G, D, Bb... was it just the F# you recommended for the basic set or also an E (or any others)?

Thank you

Joel

Hi David,  

Kurt Thompson here.  I just submitted for Level 4 the recording for Accompaniment Study 4 - I Want You With Me.  I had already paid the $45.00 when I submitted 5 previous recordings.  When I submitted the next recording, you asked me to remind you that I had alrady paid.  Hope this makes sense.  Also, assuming you pass the recording I just submitted, I have one module to complete for Level 4 certification.  That would be Improvising Study 1.    Let me know if you have any questions.  Thank you

Hi David,

How did you get that beautiful, warm horn sound on the Level 5, Chromatic Study 3 song "Easy Baby"?

Is it all your embouchure, or is some of the tone due to the microphone and amp you're using?

Thanks,

John H.

Hi David,

How did you get that beautiful, warm horn sound on the Level 5, Chromatic Study 3 song "Easy Baby"?

Is it all your embouchure, or is some of the tone due to the microphone and amp you're using?

Thanks,

John H.

Hi Dave,

After a year off from my harmonica studies due to a job change, I’m back at it and working on the level 4 Tremolo and Vibrato lesson.  In example #2, at the end of the first line is a triplet 4  3/4’  3’.   How is the 3/4’ played?  I’m assuming it is the 3 and 4 played together with 4 bent ½ step but the 3 won’t bend that much as it requires a larger oral area to bend?  The triplet is played quickly enough that I can’t tell what you are doing in your recording, even when I slow it down, I’m not hearing 2 notes played together. continue reading...

I have read all your amp reviews with great interest, but now my mate is practically giving away his marshall DSL15 head and MX112 cab for a very good price if im wanting it.....Powered by two 6V6 power valves with four ECC83s in the preamp, the DSL15H might be small, but its guts are as serious as its big brother, the DSL100H.

Iwonder if i used a new attenuator if i could be onto something good for home use, otherwise he will sell it for a lot more if its no good for me........thanks for your time  David.

Hello David,

I hope everything is fine. I was doing example 1.1 of Music Theory 2 and while I was doing the F# scale in 7th position I did not know what to write down next. From 6th positon to 7th is 1 tone so it had to move from D# to E#, but as far as I remembered from E to F is half a tone so it had to skip to F directly,and after from F to F#. I checked the solution and the gap was filled with E# but I did not get it since E# does not exist in the piano scale. Why is that so?

Thank you.

Hello there David,

I have been stuck in Level 4 for quite awhile now. I have progressed with Gary's Blues to the point of trying to play along with the jam track, but I am having a lot of trouble knowing where I am in the progession, which, of course, makes it hard to play the choruses.

I am trying to just listen to the jam track without playing along and I even have trouble with that. I don't usually have any trouble knowing where I am in the progression but for some reason this is hard to follow on Gary's Blues . continue reading...

Hello David,   When I am playing note blow 2 I feel there is a leakage of air. I feel as if I have my lips tight but I can hear air leaking from somewhere.  Sorry, I may not be explaining this well.