Ask Instructor David Barrett

Good evening David,

I am going on a two week vacation to Sweden in a week and will not have internet access. I have some ideas for practice (Artist songs, Bending and Chromatic) but wanted to ask for your input. I am pretty much complete on LOA5 so aside from that what would you recommend? Looking for somthing outside the norm.

Thanks,

Mark

i will bring forward my contact with you, your answers/questions, and my answers also:

From Jeff:

I just started listening to The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson on Rhapsody. Very distinctive!! At times he has notes that sound like a wa-wa, but just one wa. Do you know how he does that?! His tremolo is also amazing, Do you think that is all pharyngeal or does he move his harmonica for that effect. He has a nice vibrato at times when he sings.  

From Dave: continue reading...

Hi David,

listening 4th Chorus V7 in Gayry´s Blues with amazing slowdowner I always hear 4 1 4 4´4+ 1+ instead of the notated 4 1 4 4´1+4+

am I wrong?

best regards

Klaus

David,

I've been working on the bending exercises for a few weeks now and can get consistent bends to varying degrees on holes 2-6.  As I try to bend the draw note all the way down (ex. on the 4 draw bend to the flat 5 in 2nd position) I start to get get a slirping sound in my mouth that affects the tone of the note.  It feels like I'm cutting off the air flow to the point that my tongue and cheek are almost touching, which creates the sound in my mouth. continue reading...

Hi David,

I watched the Performance series on openings and endings and breaks and I wanna jam one time with walter's boogie, but I can't figure out the opening, wonder if you could shed some light about this type of opening.

Thanks,

Kobi

Hi David, 

I have been thinking about song writing and specifically solo pieces. My question is regarding if some of the chorus forms are more appropriate for a solo harmonica piece than others. continue reading...

TB 2: Section 2 - Study Song “Temperature

2:48 - 6th Chorus (ABC Chorus Form)

The opening note F, which is very quick and short, but was marked as a staccato. continue reading...

Hello David, 

I am loving your site and videos. So I am practicing with the LOA 1 material and had a question in tongue blocking-

What side should my tongue be on while playing Hole #1? How about Hole #2? Is there a switch with those two or should I always stay on the same side? I tried taking a class years ago that may have learned more toward puckering on Hole #1 and #10 so I am stumbling there.

Thanks for your thoughts,

C

Hi, David:

I'm working out the notes and hole changes for different positions. Would you double check my work?

On a C harmonica:

2nd Position- Key of G

I- G B D F

IV- C E G Bb

V- D F# A C

3rd Position- Key of D

I- D F# A C

IV- G B D F

V- A C E G

1st Position- Key of C

I- C E G Bb

IV- F A C Eb

V- G B D F

Thank you!

I am having trouble with tongue switching on the 1 and 2 holes.  I am under 5' tall and my dentist will testify that I have a very small mouth (the mouth of a child).  I taught myself to tongue block a long time ago, and have no problem with the right side of my mouth.  But the left corner of my mouth is getting sore, and it is difficut to cover all the holes I need to cover with my tongue.  Is it common for people to do better on one side of their mouth?