Ask Instructor David Barrett

Dave I have an Apple computer and I let it do some upgrades and when I try to play my lessons it says sever failure or format change . Any Ideas ?? Your site looks and loods different but it always played until now. I will do some research on my end . Thank you 

Working through Feeling the Blues with bends etc.  Bends are coming along well.  Breathing is still an obstacle to real substantial progress but daily 45-hour practice is moving me ahead.

I have by-passed Shakes as I figured I could add that technique later.  Its now later. continue reading...

What would be a good example of LW tongue block switching?

Hi David, you start ex. 2.4-2.6 with 3 blow, but when using slaps doesn't this give the wrong chord? Wouldn't it be better to use 2 draw with slaps?

regards

Hannes

Hi David:

How many BPM is the "walk with Me" sond in lesson one. I can not seem to get it right with my metronome. I need the non-slow version please.

thanks

jim

Hello David,

As you know i just started on Level 3 in the LOA program.   continue reading...

Hi David,

I'm practising Walk With Me and working towards Level 1.  After much practice and thinking I wasn't sounding too bad, I thought I would record myself and have listen. Oh...

Anyhow, one thing I noticed is when I move between some notes, I arrive at the next note a bit late.

It feels like my mouth gets to the next hole in time but my tongue is trailing behind, it's mainly when moving to a lower hole. continue reading...

hello! I just bought my C tunne harmonica and saw its needed the A to do the lessons. Can I do it with my harmonica? Thanks

Good afternoon David.   I'm looking for some motivation!!!   When you play Half Steppin, do you REALLY tongue block the entire song?   i.e. particularly the 3 draw whole step and a half, and the 2 draw whole step?   I can get to the half step bends on 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 but can't seem to get CLEAR bends, surely can't flutter or vibrato, the 3 whole and 3 whole and a half, and 2 whole.  Should I just pucker those?   Your notes come out so very clean and strong... is it just more and more practice?  Thanks

Hello David,

I have a problem with Solo Harmonica Study 1, Ex. 2.1, because of air leaking through my nose. I can play only two measures in a row and then I have to exhale. If I close my nose with my fingers, I can play 4 measures and even more easily.

I have read all your tips on closing the nose here in the forum, but nothing works for me when drawing more consecutive chords like in this piece. Would you advice an exercise to address and practice this particular problem?

Thank you very much,

Marek