Ask Instructor David Barrett

hey David,

I'm a beginner and i'm just starting to learn to play the harmonica, i've been practising for about three weeks now but it seems i can't get these high notes to sound good. Especially when sucking from hole 8-10, i don't get much sound out of them or they sound pretty false. Have you got any tips?

thanks in adavance

Dries

Hej David !

Let's say that I do the blow puls... +1+2+3 and in moment that I block all the holes and I do the pulls...  I must inhale the air for the moment or I just do it when i blow it?

I hope you will understand me.... :)  I know that is the stupid Question.

Hello David,

In solo harmonica 1 you said that there would be lessons on chugging. I was wondering if any of these lesson are up and if so can you point me in the right direction? 

I love this site!

Everything that I have found on this side in relation to pulls and slaps talks only about the 4 hole.

Does one pull/slap the 1, 2, and 3 holes?

If so, for the 1 hole are you playing it from a TB position (blocking holes 2,3 and 4) and then (for a pull), move the tongue to the left, covering the 1 hole and then pull off?

For the 2 hole, do you move up covering 2, 3, 4 and 5 and do the slap and pull from that or do you draw/blow using only the 1 and 2 hole (and 3)?

Same question for the 3.

Or am I just missing something fundamental?

  continue reading...

Hi, I am a beginner at the harmonica and would like to get better att acompaniment, my problem is that I can't find any lesson about which chords there are on a harmonica and how I can use them. For example, if I am chugging I suppose it would sound best if I changed the chord along with the band? I have played accompaniment on guitar for quite a while but haven't yet been able to transfer my knowledge from the guitar to the harmonica. Hope you understand my question and can help me!

//Miriam

David,

I am looking for help in tongue block bending dirty notes like the 3 and 4 together (3 full bend 4 half step bend).  I can bend single notes fine but every time I try adding the 4 it just sounds airy and I lose the total bend.  Any suggestions or videos on the site would be appreciated.

Anthony 

Hi David, 

I am new to music, so don't have much knowledge. I just bought a harmonica and it turns out to be C. The first lesson says i need a A harmonica. CAn i use m C harmonica or should i buy another one in the right key? 

Mohit

Can one learn Chromatic Harmonica using this wesite?

Hang on, I've had a look and i've seen that there are Chromatic lessons peppered throughout the main course work.

Looks great.

I printed out the Folk Songs Repertoire Builder 1.5 PDF and have been working on Silent Night and The Marines' Hymn.  Looked for the mp3 versions on the website and didn't find them.  Any chance those two songs can be put on the BluesHarmonica.com website for downloading and practice?  Thank you.  Dusty

Hi David,

is there a link for the unlocked artist studies.

cheers

Gareth