Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi.  I'm able to get all the draw bends with an acceptable degree of accuracy almost all the time, but the tone is often atrocious.   I know the bent notes will always have a different timbre than unbent ones, but when good harmonicists like yourself play them they sound sweet and smooth.  But when I play, for instance, the 3 whole step bend on a G or A harp, it sounds more like a duck call than a harmonica.  Any hints on how to work on this?  Thanks

Trying to figure out how best to approach the many interviews. I've asked other subscribers if they had any suggestions so will see where that leads. Obvious approaches include favourite player or subject matter. One question for you. Does the listing under the Interviews link refer to the chronological order of when the interview was done or possibly posted by you? Or is there some other reasoning? Thanks!

It was mentioned that swing is assumed.However the triplets on the last bar of line 1 and the triplets on the second line were not swung when you sang and counted it.

example:  A four AND A on the last bar of line 1 instead of A Four     A

Am i missing something?

In the turnaround of chorus 6 the 11th bar is a held root note on 2. The 12th bar begins on the the same note but the tab suggests 3+. Is the purpose for this to help facilitate a tongue switch to the final note of the turnaround at 1?

I'm having much more luck with tongue switching than I'd have ever thought possible. Just comes down to muscle training through slow repetetion. In fact, it becomes quite natural and done without thought.

Thanks!

Hi Mr. Barrett-

I can't seem to figure out how to blow bend using the TB embouchure. But I am very comfortable with my draw bends. Could you share some tricks/tips?

Thanks!

Hi David,

When improvising, will it be ok to say mix licks from temperature and rollin rhumba even though temperature is in second position and rollin rhumba is in third position.

Regards,

Paul

Hi Dave

I have asked questions about the hand wa wa before but now some more things have occurred to me.

I have been looking at your post of 27.8.13 "Wa Wa without dips". As I understand it you are saying that the dip should be played on only the first "wa of the Hand". However, the notation in Ex.1 of the cupping and hand effects study seems to go against this i.e. bar 8 and 9. Is this a special case for this particular exercise? continue reading...

Recently watched the Ryan video with the special mic. Not having one I looked around and found an inexpensive Garrity flashlight in the basement. It's 2 1/2 inches in diameter at the light end. It's a good sized flashlight as it takes large D cells but just two so it's not crazy long or heavy. While the light only goes forward it's possible to see issues in the cup on the front end as the light hits my face or chest. Light reflecting off my face can be enough to show other cupping issues. continue reading...

Ho David!

In the level 5 submission, ex 2.3 is asked to play the 10 holes in 12 bar blues.

Until now we never studied blow bends, on the hole 9 there is that F# that is a blow bend, should I learn to play it now or I can skip that one like the one on the hole 10 ?

Thanks.

In your Accompaniment book's  Ex. 2.7 on page 7, and elsewhere, there's a + sign used as notation over the music that I can't identify in the Harmonica Notation listed on page 3. Hoping you can clarify it's meaning and intent. Thanks!