Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi Dave:

It occurred to me that it would be great to have a sit down with say James Cotton, Billy Boy Arnold and/or any of the other living guys who played in the 50's and get their answers to your standard questions.  ie to speak with players who didn't have You Tube, or CD's or even many records.  I would love to hear what their learning process was like etc

Hi Dave

Just working through my artist study for Jerry Portnoy doin blues for big Nate. I'm having trouble with the first chorus, basically running out of air with all the draw notes. Any ideas?

By the way really glad I started the LOA

thanks

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I believe you mentioned along the way that your tendency is to use the on/off flutter tongue and that most players tend to gravitate towards that or the side flutter type. My tendency is towards the side flutter but I'm working on the on/off as I figure the tongue is a muscle that needs a variety of exercise if it's going to reach its potential. To that end I've developed a simple practice routine and was hoping for your comment. continue reading...

Hello, Teach, continue reading...

Good afternoon, David:

Yesterday, I started to practice the scales that you recommended in my lesson. I am practicing the C Major Scale and am not sure when it can be used. I guess I need some confirmation of my thinking here.

Let's say that I have a C harp in hand. The band calls a tune in C. I would be okay to improvise using the C major scale on a C harmonica. I will focus my lines to resolve on the C.

Now the band calls a tune in G. Can I still use the C harmonica, and the C Major Scale, but just adjust my playing so that I now resolve everything on the G? continue reading...

Hello Teach,

I'm new here. I'm a subway busker. I sing and I ukulele daily and I accompany myself on just about everything with diatonic harp, played on a rack. I play RISA Solid soprano electric ukes. I stepped out of the woodshed with a couple of tunes on guitar about a year ago. I maintain about a two and a half-three hour repertoire. I'm totally committed to live sound. I love fermata, for one thing. I love changing tempos midstream, for another. You can't cheat the time signature of a backing track, which is one big reason I'm opposed to performing with one. continue reading...

Looking ahead LOA 7 includes Improvising Study 3. LOA 8 includes Improvising Study 7. If I want to work on Improvising Studies 4, 5 and 6 even though my main focus is on LOA when would you suggest they would offer the most value? Thanks!

Wondering who's playing on this jam track or where it came from? I found it in LOA 4 and really like it and am curious to know if it shows up later as a study song or is used in any other context. It gives me a good reason to use a Bb harmonica and to hear a quick change.

Hi David,

I've been studying Blues for Paul De Lay for a month now, almost done.

In your video on the 5th chorus you talk about the 6+ 9+ octave and the powerful sound of those octaves.

I've been practising with a small amount of tremolo on those, in acustic.

Now I play through an lone wolf harp break and of course with some drive added.

The 6+ 9+ octave comes out with a really powerful sound but the surrprise is that the tremolo present in your continue reading...

Good morning David,

Wanted to tell you I very much enjoyed the Unstructured Playing tip of the day post. Like the other student I too had trouble finding fills but then I started taking a good look at the study songs, and other sources, and now I have many. I learn and practice them by starting hole and use little names so I can write them down for future reference and daily repetetion. continue reading...