Ask Instructor David Barrett

Good Afternoon Sir,

I am a fairly big man with even bigger hands, I've been playing randomly for a while but this is my first time taking it seriously. I watched the video on holdong the harmonica but my hands are too big to cup each other and the harmonica without any openings or gaps somewhere like it showed in the lesson, do you have any suggestions that may work for someone with bigger hands than normal like myself? Thank you in advance for your time.

Respectfully,

Cpl Joshua Nelson

Hi David,

I'm working hard on the accompainement study song "Blues creepin over me".

Harmonica solo chorus, bar 11.

As written I'm supposed to slap every eight note but B that has a dip. According with your video it looks like you don't slap evey note and I also find myself doing some legato. Is that ok ?, I would slap the 1st note of each triplet.

Thanks

Hi David.  Is good acoustic tone considered a fundamental?  (I haven't practiced amplified yet).  Or, is it something which will continually improve over the years?  I believe I'm practicing good technique and habits.  I'm wondering, because being a perfectionist, I sometimes feel I shouldn't move on to a next chorus of a study song until it sounds exactly like your recording.  I'm at the 2nd chorus of Gary's Blues right now (I know you're playing amplified) and with the slaps and pulls I'm getting a little frustrated with focusing on more on tone that it' continue reading...

Sorry David, I Don't understand how many exercises I have to record. :)

In the Level 4 test, playing the major scale in all three octaves is a requirement. In the requirements, but you don't mention putting it to a metronome, although you do mention that in the lessons. What are you looking for, in terms of rhythm?

Also, is there a lesson on the site that teaches the blow bends, so I can work on that 10'?

David,

What would you say to the band when performing "Blues in the Dark" at a jam, or other situation where there's no rehearshal? Let's assume good musicians.  Shuffle, ii V I, what else?  I'm worried about the opening mostly.

Thanks,

Steve

Do I need to get all the Solo Study 1 exercises in reasonable shape before moving into Level 2 material? I'm having trouble with 1.12 and the pulls on the bass lines. I notice there you mention the Level 4 song Gary's Blues, so I'm wondering if this isn't more of a cyclic thing, where some of this will work better as I acquire technique down the road. 

Thanks,

Kirsty

Hi David,

I'm going throug that study and at the end of the pdf there is the 2.5 exercise.

I didn't find anything from you in level 2 and 3 videos. when this will be studied ?

Thanks.

  continue reading...

Hi, David:

I'm currently working on Bending Study Song 2.5, "Take it Easy Now." In Chorus 5, bars five and six, there is a series of slapped triplets. I've struggled playing this, and I found it sounds much better and much smoother when I omit some of the slaps. Playing with all those slaps makes it almost too percussive; the notes sound better when I slide into them. Are all of those slaps required? Specifically, I am omitting the slaps on the 5-4-5 combination, but retaining the slap on the 6+.

Is it a matter of further refinement of my slapping technique and speed?

Should the 1 and 2 hole notes in the Solo Study exercises 1.1 and 1.3 be played tongue blocked or lip pursed?  And if tongue blocked, how? Left or right? I'm new to tongue blocking (!), so I'm not sure how things work down at that end.

You must have been asked this before, so apologies for any repetition; I did search the forum for an answer, but couldn't find anything.

Thanks,

Kirsty