Ask Instructor David Barrett

Please this is all very difficult at my 75 years old. I would like to go over your videos several times but unable.

For whatever reason slapping hasn't come easily to me especially doing it quickly. My question is this: I'm on Level 3 and thinking in a few weeks I'm ready to submit test material including the song Feelin for the Blues. In the test material exercise 2.4 shows 108 bmp and I can't seem to accurately slap at that rate those quick notes together. Can I just slow that down for the test or do I need to keep practicing and not submit testing until I have this better accomplished?

Does Harp Ninja help at all with knowing if you are playing octaves correctly?

Thanks, Dave

I don’t understand most of the interviews. People say things such as, “...When I’m moving to the 4th Chord...” Now I understand Scales, I play 5 Major Pentatonic, 6 Minor Pentatonic and 2 Blues Scales on the Harp. I understand there are 7 notes in a Major scale so I know when one says the “third”, they mean the third note in the major scale.  But I have no idea what it means when someone says they move to the 4th chord. How do you move from notes to chords on the harmonca? What does 4th chord mean? continue reading...

I am a new player who has just started on LOA1.

I spent the first 5 weeks since picking up a harp and having some private lessons lip pursing and am now constantly practicing the tongue block since I discovered your lessons.

What I'm noticing as I'm practicing 'Walk With Me' is my draw 3  4  3 4 3 4 ~ at the start of chorus 3 is quite weak in comparison to if I play it using pucker. Is this a normal thing for a beginner to experience?

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Dave, was looking at your newest amp review of the Sonic Pipe Windy City and I could see the videos regarding specs, mics and recording but when I hit Sonic Pipe Windy City Review I just get a black screen with a white play button but no activation. Maybe it's just on my end but an FYI for you.

Hello David, 

I've registered on the site and I am willing to start learning. I can see the first lesson is for A harmonica but I have only C one. YOu've mentioned we can find study material for C harmonica for the first couple of months, where can I find this material? 

Thank you in advance, 

Srebrina 

I have bought C harmonica and am the beginner...... Is it fine if I start?

Hi David,

I switched from lip pursing to tongue blocking as I started Level 1. That was more than one year ago. I would say that I now tongue block all the time.

Nevertheless, is there a point to tongue block all the time ? Charlie McCoy in the interview section says he can't tell which one he uses because he does the two without thinking about it (if I recall correctly). continue reading...

1. I think I recall seeing somewhere that you "unlocked" bonus tunes somehow, somewhere. Can you refresh my memory about that?
2. I used to have your book Building Harmonica Technique. There was a tune in there called Big Boy Jam, and I think that's the tune that made me say, "I want to play like that." Can you give us access to that here?