Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David,

My first post here ! I'm just too curious so I gotta ask, I'm studying "Gettin out of town" at moment. Well, if that sounds too ambitious at least I listen to it a lot : ) and there is a few place in the song where he sustain the 3 draw hole step bend on a low c. I can do it lip purse (couldn't sustain it TB) but I'm not sure if it's the way he did it because in your interview he said he TB pretty much all time.. (I TB everywhere else in the song but just can't seem to find the way to sustain the TB bend here). continue reading...

David,

In the Improvising study 4 under support material section 2 exercise 1, Why do we have parenthesis around the 1 chord arpeggio notes? Do they represent draws? If so it is not consistant with the other tabbing. Also, is there a typo with the 2 as well? Should it not be the 2 draw?

Thanks for having a look,

528hemi

Hi David.

I've been listening to your playing of Blue Lights, History Of The Blues Harmonica Concert cd, and the original by Little Walter.

Are you playing the intro on the 1st octave or the 2nd on a 64 chromatic???
Is Little Walter coming on the 2nd octave?

Thanks

Hi David.
I want to ask you about your Rice Miller's Bye bye bird transcription. What version did you transcript?
I cannot find that version, all the versions i got began with a 54bend and something like 4 4 bend 3, this two times.
This one: http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-unissued-1963-blues-festivals/id205...

Thanks in advance.

high i have recently purchased a 1953 valco supro amp iwas curious in your opinion what would be the best mic element combo to go with this amp i figure you have one or have played through one and i know the eelment is personal choice of the sound you want i have the green bullet and it sounds fine i was just looking to upgrade and also were i could start even looking for a mic from a dependable source to purchase one i know you have fritz here on the site but didnt know if he has mics for sale with a cm or crystal i have emailed with greg hueman about making a wood bodied mic but i think the continue reading...

David i would like to personally thank you i am an official tongue blocker, i started playing lip pursing and switched while learning Take It Easy Now. I have the bends but still having trouble with high end notes but i love the full sound and the tongue slaps i'm hooked. Still don't play up to par with the lip pursing but getting there quick. When i raise the harmonica to my mouth i instantly place my tongue in position seems it's becoming habit thank you again. Never did i imagine i would be a tongue blocker

How come there aren't any chorusforms-studies featured in the chromatic studies for lesson four and five?
Are there going to be more lessons on the chromatic? I hope so.

Hi Dave.

I received your book about improvising a week ago and I need your nice help in order to clarify some questions.

It is supposed that knowing the chords and the notes who composed them you'll be always in the right place, but Where we left the blues scale here?

Playing by the chords mean in some cases that you're playing notes out from the blues scale,then Why I want this scale?

Is there an easy way to memorize all this stuff? Sometimes is overwhelming. continue reading...

Hi David,

I've been working on the Steve Guyger Artist Study alongside the Jerry Portnoy Study. I'm really digging Snake Oil. You mentioned in the Minor Playing Lesson that classic harmonica players didn't typically play in Minor keys. I'm assuming in recent years more and more modern players have done so. I'm still trying to train my ear to the difference between Major and Minor. Besides The Work Song and Snake Oil, are there some other 2nd position harmonica songs in a Minor key that you would recommend listening too?

-Taylor

Hi David,

I might be premature by asking as the lessons on" Theory and Quality of the notes" which you mentioned will be coming might answer my question.

When Jamming and someone says Shuffle in the key of G...I assume that means G major. At this point if the band is playing blues you would just improvise using the notes of blues scale? Would that also mean we would never want to play the 3 draw (unbent)? Would the other band members ever play a B? which is the 3rd of the G major and not the flat third or blue 3rd? continue reading...