Ask Instructor David Barrett

How does one decide/ know when certain articulations ( "Ka " , " Eww<- ?" 

"  Ga ", and any other ones......) to use under which  circumstances ?

Any basic ' rules-of-thumb ' ?

                 Thank you for your time

                                  Steven Barta

Hi David,

I'm excited to dig into the Portnoy artist study. I really like his work on Clapton's From the Cradle and Me and Mr. Johnson albums. Are there any other recordings that you would consider essential Portnoy listening?

Hi David,

From a chord progression can you find out the key that a particular song is in, or is it a case of working through your harmonicas to see which root note fit. I am currently trying to learn Baby scratch my back - Slim Harpo - so that I can use his licks in my improvisation. I hace used Chordify to review the chord progression but am not understanding how the progression works. Please can you or anybody help.

Thank you

Paul

I have very small hands, and am having a difficult time trying to hold the harmonica as shown in the Level One video, and the Hob Bosold video.  Before finding your site, I had developed the ability to single note and bend quite well using the "pucker" method and now I am going back and trying to learn tougue blocking.  I had also developed a personal style of holding the harmonica which gave me an air tight chamber and a good wa wa, but it is not suited for holding the bullet microphone and I am wanting to get to amplification at some point. continue reading...

Im at the stage when I'm trying to learn bending and like most students I'm finding it pretty challenging. So to keep my interest up I'm trying to learn other music as I'm learning to bend. My problem is finding it.Most sites on the Internet for harmonica tabs don't cater for the music I'm looking for.  I managed to find long train running on the Internet which I can now play, but looking for other songs that have harmonica solos is more difficult. continue reading...

Hello David, first post and brand new to the instrument, so apologies if this has been asked many times before!

When tongue blocking, should the tip of the tongue be against the back of the bottom teeth with the blade/top reaching up and over the teeth to meet the harmonica? 

Similar question for breathing through the harmonica - should the tongue be resting on the floor of the mouth with the tip against the back of the lower teeth or should the tip be resting on top of the lower teeth? continue reading...

 the 2 draw has always been a challenge for me.  I used to not get any sound at all.  Now I can get a good note, but it goes low, to the first bend (F# on C harmonica).  I can't seem to get my tongue to relax to get the G note. 

Do you have some strategies to help?  Also, it is OK to continue to substitute the 3 blow (G note) in the songs until I can reach that G on the 2 Draw?

Teresa

Hi David,

Is there anywhere on the site where you show how to do the throat tremolo? I want to take a crack at learning "Walk with Me" but I haven't learned the throat tremolo yet.

Thanks,

Jay

Hi David, I've just acquired an SJ2 (s/n 080) and was told you had some connection with this model amp in the past.

im interested in any advice you may be able to offer about it, as it comes with no documents and vendor has no insight about configuration, but I understand there are a number of possibilities re configuration of outputs.

any advice is appreciated,

thanks

Dave

Regarding playing the G minor Pentatonic scale, more specifically  - the low end ' G ' note...

Is there any advantage / disadavantage to playing the the low end ' G '

note on the 2 draw or the 3 blow  ?  Pros/cons of either choice ?

what do you prefer ?

                   Thank you for your itme continue reading...