Ask Instructor David Barrett

my ultimate goal is to play jump blues with the blues harp. I love the way Louis jordan had these playfull exchanges between his alto and whomever was playing trumpet at the time. i want to have that same exchange with another harp. Also creating a big band like sound with two harps.

However, sometimes when i hear people talk about jump or swing the chromatic is mentioned. Am i learning on the wrong instrument for my goal? I hope not because i really love what Im learning.     Peace, Eldridge

I'm working on the Pull technique.........is the pull between the 5 blows at Ex 1.5 10th measure IV chord a draw or a blow?  The Pull technique can be done on both blows and draws, or just draws?  Thanks

Hi

I just discovered the scale degree chart for cross harp...you know...4 6 1 4 6 1 4 6 1 4 for the blow holes and 

5 1 3 5 7b 2 3 5 7b 2 for the draw holes.  This seems a whole lot more useful to me playing cross harp than the 1 3 5 1 3 5 

chart.  Can you explain why you encourage memorization of the straight harp chart over the cross harp one?

Thanks!

Harpo Mark

Hi David,

If you have a bar of music with an assortment of quarter eighths, and sixteenths notes, does the interval start at the first note in the bar and whatever subsequent position the rest of the notes lie, the interval is always taken from that first note or does the interval go from note to note.

Hope this makes sense.

Thank you,

Paul

 David , I am currently using "melody assistant" to write music for harmonica but I find any difficult to report some effects . What software do you use ? Is it it available ?Thank YouRiccardo Migliarini

Hi Dave

I've really enjoyed and gotten a lot out of the videos you've posted with Mark Overman especially the Masco Chrolnicles Series. 

I was interested in contacting Mark about doing some work but I was not finding any contact information for Mark. My apologies if I've missed it. Is this something you could share?

Andrew

Hi David,

Loving the start of the LOA course, although I'm struggling with the tongue blocking method. Having gotten so used to the puckering method in folk music it kinda feels like back to square 1 but I plan to stick with it!

  continue reading...

Hello, I am new to harmonicas. But I am determined to learn in honor of my recently deceased grandfather who played harmonicas all his life. I started with buying a hohner blues bender, but the 9th hole is really hard to blow and I want to upgrade it. So I have been lookign at the Hohner marine band and the Hohner blues harp, and I am wondering which one of those would you recomend for me to get.

Second I would also like to know what key I should get it in, since the first one I bought was in c. But in the videos you said we should use a harmonica in the key of A. continue reading...

Hello, I am new to harmonicas. But I am determined to learn in honor of my recently deceased grandfather who played harmonicas all his life. I started with buying a hohner blues bender, but the 9th hole is really hard to blow and I want to upgrade it. So I have been lookign at the Hohner marine band and the Hohner blues harp, and I am wondering which one of those would you recomend for me to get.

Second I would also like to know what key I should get it in, since the first one I bought was in c. But in the videos you said we should use a harmonica in the key of A. continue reading...

I can play by puckering but I am just learning to tongue block and I am finding it difficult.  How will I know when I am supposed to tongue block versus puckering? Is there any notation or just implied by the title of the excercise? I know lesson 1 is tongue blocking but I am assuming in the shaking lesson and others that puckering is fine. What would you recommend? Thanks!