Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David

Watching the new vids with Ryan ( Great Stuff !!! ) What Harp are you using in the Tremolo Review ? Want to use the same Harp while watching.

Thanks Harplayer

Hi David

I practice 1st Position ( C ) Blues Scale. When I get to 3 1/2 step bend and 2 1/2 step n 2 whole step . It Doesn't sound the same ( when u do it ) The same thing when I practice the Major Pentatonic when I get to the 3 whole step. its that nice hollow sound u get. trying to adjust my tongue position n mouth chamber. I notice that if I move a little closer the
( 2 ) n draw it sounds a little more ( Hollow but still not like when u do it )

Thanks Harplayer

I' ve been self taught ( other than 4 group classes with Jon Gindick) for 14 mos now. He primarily teaches the pucker embouchure which I already used beng self taught. So that was all fine & good. Recently I started the beginners lesson plan on this site and it's all tongue block embouchure. I knew at some point, to play the blues, I'd have to learn tongue blocking. So why not now. I'm doing better with it now although at first it felt ackward. I can see the advantage of TBing though. Gindick is going to be holding a weekly class in Feb in my home town. continue reading...

David, I just got back from competing in the IBC in Memphis and doing a showcase for Blind Racoon. What struck me more than anything else was the extreme differences in tone achieved by both the first timers and those that have been winners there before. I played with Grady Champion and noted that his tone was actually pretty clean, then listened to a young player from Wyoming who was about as "overdriven" as you can get. I asked the Wyoming player what he was playing through (Rum Boogie Cafe) and he told me just the Fender amp (looked like Hot Rod Deluxe) that was there. continue reading...

Hi David,

Have been studying your tongue blocking 1 on the website and in the videos below it mentions 5 sections followed by your closing thoughts. Only Section 4 is not there. Is it just an error in numbering? Or then was there a fourth section there that you have omitted now? Just wanted to know.

Regards
Sridhar

Going through withdrawals. Getting the shakes.

Hi David,

I'm just trying to get this straight. So on Improvising Lesson 1 Section 6, our homework is to play along to an entire jam track like this:

1) AAA
2) AfAfAf
3) AAB
4) AfAfB
5) A B/A C
6) A B/A C

Is that correct?

-Taylor

When I (and others) listen to my improvisation stuff (jams and home recordings), it is quite 'marching band style'. Best description would be that I seem to lock in to the 1 and 3 beat. I try to get over to the 2 and 4 beat (up beats) but seem to lose it and fall back to the 1 and 3. I've programmed my metronome app to emphasize the 2 and 4 and try to play simple stuff to get the feel but....... continue reading...

Hi David,
In viewing a bunch of harp players on YouTube I noticed the absence of hand wa wa's. Is that a technique we lose when using a bullet. Is there a substitute such as tongue flutters?

Hi David,

On Sonny's Bird, when you are playing on the recording, are you using more pulls or just the ta ta ta (with regards to the cords that aren't notated as clear pulls)?

-Taylor