Ask Instructor David Barrett

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...

Hi David,

I love the tune you're doing in the Cub10

testing. Is there a note for it somewhere

on the site?

Thanks Ga

Hi David. I was watching Sharon's lesson number 4, and you were teaching her the flutter. Is this a LOA 2 skill, or will it be presented at a later time? 

Just a quick clarification

In Music Theory 3 we get into triads and chords

Im a bit fuzzy in what you mean by Scale Degree of the Chord (Page 4).  Does that begin with the Root and move up through the 7th scale degree?  So in key of C, C is Root, D is second scale degree of the chord?  

Gary

This is impossible.  While puckering I can nail all my blow bends quite easily, even on Eb harps (haven't tried high F).  I jut push my tongue forward and rigid, and bam!  But can barely move a note while tongue blocking.

  continue reading...

In Accompanimwnt Study 2 (LOA 2), Long-Held Root Notes, you suggest to play " a nice vibrato" on each held note.  Should I jump to that particular lesson to learn vibrato, or should I wait until it comes up later in due time?

Also in LOA 1 Solo Harmonica Study 1, Do we at some point revisit Section 2-Bass Lines?  (I might have asked this already)