Ask Instructor David Barrett

In Ex 1.14 simple shakes are used for the V and IV. Shakes aren't my strong point but they are improving after making sure to start the shake clearly on the lower note. In order to be prepared to hit the IV shake squarely on the first beat of bar 10 I find I'm letting the V shake trail off before the end of bar 9. It sounds a bit weak to my ear. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

While watching a Gary Smith accompaniment interview this morning I noticed a bottle of Sterisol on the shelf in the background. Recently I asked Kinya about a cleaner for bamboo combed Crossover's and he recommended a product I could only find in Canada on Amazon at $15 for a small bottle plus shipping which I thought was a bit much considering it was a third of that on the US Amazon site. So in my local music store I found the horn mouthpiece cleaner Sterisol. It was labelled as being safe for wood so figured it was similar to what Kinya recommended. continue reading...

Hi there.

I'm pretty new to the harmonica.  I've been playing for a couple months, mostly working from youtube videos and such.  I just joined the site about a week ago.

I hadn't seriously tried tongue blocking until last week, and I've got some questions about it.  My primary concern is that while tongue blocking I seem to have dramatically less control over my saliva, and the front of my harmonica ends up really wet.  I'm concerned that a lot of it is getting into the reeds.  Is this just a matter of practice? continue reading...

It's kind of hard for me to get the side-flutter to sound good, like at the beginning of Skeet a Little Taste, but I find that if I place my tongue for an octave, then do a shake with my head, I get more or less the effect sought for.  Is this an acceptable way of doing it?

Thank you

Hello instructor, how´s things??

I´ve started as a pucker player, and I was just trying to figure out WHY my bended notes don´t sound "solid". in fact  they are pretty much hard to get.. Also they sound a bit "airy" on A harp (-2), I pretty sure that when I try to get the maximum tone, they just "breake". It´s easyer for me to bend on C and D, but on the F it´s almost impossible (especially -2). continue reading...

To my untrained ears, I sometimes think the notes are being swung on the eight notes from 3rd chorus. My playing seems flat compared to yours.Or is that just better timing on your behalf??

On the "wa" at the end of measure 8 of Sonny's Bird, it doesn't sound like you're doing a dip despite the marking, just a Wa.  Is that right?

Thank you

Would like to ensure I'm 100% about the chorus form concept.

In LOA 1 I took two licks and made them A. I then used them as A in five different chorus forms each. Each chorus form is a different solo as much of the material changes except the A stays the same so I've got five solos for each lick. I wouldn't be likely to keep using the same A over and over so given I started with two A licks I'm more likely to have two solos. Of course I could always come back to an A lick I like and repeat it in the same chorus form or change it up a bit. continue reading...

hello instructor. I´m very sorry to disturb you... but there are some things that I don´t understand! continue reading...

Hi David,

We have met on a couple of occasions. Germany 2012 & SPAH last year.  I just subscribed to your site for 12 months.

I am very very happy with the content of your site.  I signed up because of Joe Filisko.  He's truly an inspiration.

I was wondering where I could get the tabs for the Boogie Woogie Base lines that Joe plays in the interview he talks of the importance of "Understanding Blues Structure"

This is the most comprehensive, interesting, informative site out there. Inspirational!

I wish you lot's of luck.   continue reading...