Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David,

Thanks so much for your wonderful videos of teaching. I've been practicing the bending which I know it doesn't happen just over a night. It seems like I go so slow ever since. So I'd like to know how long it usually takes, so I know when to expect and if I've come the right way of practicing it.

Thanks,

Skon

Mr. Barrett:

I'm starting my 11th week of the Levels of Achievment Program and spend an hour to an hour and a half per day.

It would help me if I had a ball park figure as to the average length of time it should take to get through each of the following: Beginner Level 1, Beginner Level 2, Beginner Level 3, etc.

  continue reading...

Hello David. I have 2 questions. 1. I see that you get a wah wah sound by opening the bottom of your hands near your wrists. I have also seen people opening their fingers. Is there much of a different sound?

2. Some people I see online play their harmonicas upside down. Any reason why other than that they never had someone correct them so they fell into a bad habit?

Thanks...Francis

hey David. I want to thank you on this day for helping me in my attempts to be a player. after pretending to play harmonica for 15 years I joined 2 years ago. I could not really focus on practice as I found the amount of lessons and other good stuff on the site so voluminous! I almost quit the site when you launched the levels of achievement. At first I thought the badges and such was kind of silly but you have organized everything in a very impressive way and now I am able to actually focus on quality practice. continue reading...

Hi David,

I guess I have three questions.

How often do you check the tuning on your harmonicas with a tuner? How much can they be out of tune before you will scrape the reeds to adjust the tuning, or just throw them away/send them in to be worked on?

Also, it seems to me that harps are fine if some reeds are a bit sharp (the Crossovers seem to be tuned this way out of the box). Flat notes seem to sound worse. Why is that?

Thank you,

-Taylor

Hi David,

how do you articulate when you play the chording in the solo harmonica studies?

are you using only Ta-Ka ?

Thanks

Simon

Would it be o.k. to assemble a drummachine with a simple and steady rythm instead of a metronome in the LOA tests, particularly in the Solo Harmonica section? I like to play much better with a drummachine than a metronome.

Hi!

A few days ago I submitted a study song and got some helpful and thorough feedback. Of course, I am going to use this feedback to better my playing. Can I submit a new version of the study song, after I've modified my technique?

Draws 2 and 3 seemed to sound fine on the A Harp when I was practicing Walk With Me.  But when I moved to the G Harp, Solo Study 1, Example 1.6, the 3 draw and 2 draw get very airy sounds.  I've experimented with different embrochures: sticking the harp deeper in my mouth, trying to flatten the tongue, tilting the harp etc.

I feel sure you've run into this with other students.  Have you got any guesses as to what may be wrong and what I should try to do to improve this?  Thank you

Hi David, what happened to all the artist series study songs you use to have? Will you be bringing those back at some point? Thanks