Ask Instructor David Barrett

My name is Jason and I'm 37. I am just now deciding to play the harmonica. I have always wanted to play but with growing up in a family with not alot of money things just didnt seem to work out.  I am a disabled veteran and have some time now. Few days ago I bought my Hohner Special 20 key of C harmonica and saw the free offer for your sight. After doing research I saw on several sites that your site is the place to go to learn the harmonica. I am not sure there is any particular style I want to learn but it seems that you teach all the basics and then some. continue reading...

Hi Dave

I have been practising accompaniment playing 2 (I want you with me). I was wondering if you recommend playing this with slaps (the 1 hole excepted).

I also tried playing the solo with a wa wa type technique i.e. basically playing two bars using one or two breathes. Do you recomend playing this way.

Thanks in advance

Hi Dave

I have a query in relation to producing Wa Wa's. In your video you say to leave the hands in the open position after the last wa wa so as not to muffle the sound as you continue to play. Is this just for a bar or few notes? I ask this as it appears contrary to the closed hand position that we use foir normal playing.

Thanks in advance

Hi David.

I'm studying Snake Oil, chorus 3. Any suggestion for that dip on 1st draw on bar 5?

I'm figuring out, cause I'm approaching to that hole from the right, in place of moving the tongue to the right to tongue block the holes, to continue left to the 1st hole and pucker that dip. Is it ok ? Any suggetion ?

Thanks

Hi, David.

I'm pretty far along with "Take It Easy Now." This song is the most complex one I've attempted so far, in that the riffs don't always break into neat measures and the accompaniment is rather spare. There are often pick-ups to the chord changes. This is a challenge for me because, in the other songs so far, I've been using the backing track's bass and drums to help me keep time. Should I be counting as I'm playing? continue reading...

Hi David.

I was doing a search in the forums for discussions on the TB Bending and did find one by someone named bender back in January 2010.  When I click on it, it goes to the Uh Oh...You're not supposed to be here page.  Any chance of being able to find that?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

J.D.

David, if I was there with you and I had the Harp Ninja running on my Ipad and I was playing a study song in the key of C, what areas of the Harp Ninja would you be telling me to watch as I play the tune?

You always use the C scale as a baseline, and I was going to find a song in C and go thru some drills with this great software.

Can you simulate what you would do with one of your students that would be using this tool while playing a song.

My bends are not that bad, but I need the background with scales, circle of fiths, keys etc.

Thank you David. continue reading...

Hi David,

I am having real trouble dending draw one.  Can you please help.

Kind Regards,

Paul (St Helens England)

David,

In your intro video to Level 3, you suggest having fun with a song called (I think) Roll and Rhumba. Where can I find that on the site? I could use some light relief between sessions of trying to bend tongue blocked!

Thanks!

Hi David, continue reading...