Ask Instructor David Barrett

Just for curiosity.
I have seen several Piazza's videos and my opinion is that he blocks the right side of the mouth and plays with the left one almost half the harmonica. Is that right?

Hi David,

I'm getting Temperature down pretty well, just practicing it every day to work out all the bugs. I've moved on to Feelin' for the Blues so that I can start working on bending simultaneously. I'm guessing that the ' on the notes means bend down a half step and the '' means bend down a whole step. Am I correct? For example on Ex 1.1 of Bending Study 2, I should be bending my A Harmonica 2 draw down to D NOT D# correct?

In addition on, on the first chorus of Feelin' for the Blues, I should bend the 3 draw down to G in the first bar and down to F# in the 3rd bar? continue reading...

I've got Beginning Section 2 I would say at about 80%.

Do I sit just on these lessons until they are one hundred percent or do I move or move on to the next and build and come back? continue reading...

Hi David

How would you articulate the series of rising 3 draw bends Little Walter plays over the IV chord in Sad Hours (about 2:16)? I realised I've been playing it without thinking about the articulation and I don't want to waste time practising it the wrong way!

Hi David,

in bar eleven ,what is seem to me,
the band stay in the song key but play scale tones or chromatic in a descending way like a kind of "passing bar" to arrive at the fifth chord?

so for that reason are cool more scale tones or chromatic notes in turnaround licks before the downbeat of the 12th bar?

thanks

Best Regards

Marko

Dave, I have been haveing a hard time getting started with my chord forms, with fills. I was just going to send something to you, but I was not sure I was going the right direction. I wanted to use the forum, in case someone else, starting this part of your lessons, is haveing as much trouble as me. XXX Would I be correct if I took mesure 1 (lick 1) and measure 2 (lick 2) of Garys Blues and used that as my main theme Play that with my jamtrack, useing the G harp. continue reading...

Hi David, got a question about mic technique: I'm trying to figure out when to open the cup when playing amplified. I hear (or think I hear!) players opening the cup to accent certain notes - I'm pretty sure that Dennis Gruenling does this a lot for very subtle and deliberate effect. It seems like it's used on cuts, for example. I've been messing around with it, but it's pretty random and often turns out as an unintentional wah. I wondered if there are places where you'd typically choose to open the cup.

Last Newsletter was great and I now have the harp part for Baby, Scratch my Back under control - BUT - the lyrics, as simple as they may be confuse me in that they seem (to my ears) to be difficult with regards to 'timing'. Any tips or suggestions??

Or again, is it a matter of listen and mimic over and over until it comes??

Thanks

I'm looking at the sonnyboy artist study and like to try it but don't have a lowF harp can I use a different key harp for this study

Just curious if you were still going to be doing the newsletters each month? The June one is still up.
-Taylor