Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David,
After completing tounge blocking 5 and bending 5 studies I would like to tackle the advanced artist studies. Out of Little Walter, Big Walter, Gary Smith, & William Clarke, what would be the best order to study them? Also out of curiosity, do you eventually plan to have a George Harmonica Smith artist study? And if so, what will be the key focus (it seems like the more recent artist studies have a focus)?
Taylor

Dave I have been playing the examples for improvising study four. Even though I cant play alot of them, I have listen to all of them alot. In your video, you explained that it could take two years or more to get a handle on the examples. You also said that we should keep going back to them to pick up a couple more each month. I still go back to some of my study songs, so I know what you mean. My question is...............Can I move on to study five? continue reading...

A quick question David, is there a way to move the Solo harmonica study 2 songs into the Slow Downer ? Thank You.

Hello David,
Please tell me what would be the most important songs for every beginner to learn? I've just finished TB1 and BS2, I'm now doing solo Harmonica2 and learning TB2 i'm at chorus 5... and I am looking for great songs that I can learn with my level of skill. Can you please suggest a short list of songs to learn alongside with my regular lessons?

Thanks......

I am into Walter's boogie just now, and I am having problems just at the beginning (1st chorus).
I find very difficult to articulate properly the sequence:
3' 2 3' 3'' 2 3'' 3+ 2+ 3+ 3+ 2+ 3+ 3' 2 3' 3'' 2 3'' 3+ 2+ 3+ 3' 2 3'

The draw part is not bad but the blow one is very different from Horton's (of course!!!).

Did he play this passage puckering?

Hi, David -

I have been working with your "Basic Blues Harmonica Method" book, Level 1(published by Mel Bay) and prior to that I'd been using other books and just getting the hang of clean single notes, and the cursed 2-draw. It's getting better and my single notes with pucker are going well. I researched the forums here and see that the general advice--including yours--is to go with tongue blocking primarily but that puckering is also a good technique to have at one's disposal. That makes perfect sense. So, I am working on learning tongue blocking. continue reading...

Hello David, It would be really nice to have a lessons in Artist studies covering Snooky Pryor, Slim Harpo, Lazy lester, Jimmy Reed, Sylvester Buckley & Moses "Whispering" Smith !!!... I'm listening to a lot of their music and love the harping.

David,

I'm confused about what the blues scale is. I think at one point you taught me a 6 note version (in order to leave out bends, maybe?). And then I see the notes you choose for focus notes, are they the full blues scale? If not, is there one identifiable blues scale, what is it, and how does it related to the other two sets of notes I just mentioned, if at all?

Thanks,

Annamarie

David,
What is a " fly in " lesson? Is that where we come to the bay area?
Also do you offer a site for blues piano?

Hi David,

I will be in chicago on Thursday until Satuday and was wondering if you had any recommendations on places to listen to some classic Chicago blues harp. I was wondering as well if there were any harp 'destinations" in chicago that I should check out while I'm there.

Thanks.

Mike