Ask Instructor David Barrett

I am working in Improvising Study 1...
Creating fills is a major source of difficulty for me, at least one's that sound half-way decent!
Any special tricks? Or is this something that just comes with time and practice.

In another FORUM TOPIC about improvising I saw a comment from Winslow that stated trying working with 2 note combinations...trying to come up with as many different patterns as you can. Would that be useful to try when creating fills as well?

Thank you.

Hey David, I was going back to work on Tongue Blocking Study 1.1 - Tongue Agility (I didn't practice it as much as I should have during the last section). I can do the octave and tongue switching from the 4 to 1 hole but are we supposed to do the tongue switching when we move up to the 5 and 2 hole on this exercise? I thought we always play the 2 hole with our tongue to the left and only the 1 hole with our tongue to the right.
-Taylor

Hey David, Real quick question: When holding the bullet mic with the harmonica, is the back of the harmonica actually touching the mic metal to metal or just very close?
-Taylor

Hey David, I'm playing Lee Oskar hamonicas and the corner of the top jetted out part of the plate scrapes off all the skin on the left corner of my mouth. I noticed from pictures the Special Twenty is a bit more rounded. Is there something I'm doing wrong or is this common? I feel like if I don't put the harmonica as far in my mouth, I don't get as good of a tone. It's starting to look like I have herpes on the left corner of my mouth.
-Taylor

Hi David, continue reading...

For which player level will be this study?
I'm very enjoiyng Portnoy and Guyger songs (especially Snake oil is a top notch exercise for bend control) and I'm very very glad new artist studyies are about to be up. Thx! so much!!!

David,

For the 3rd chart Chord Tones for each Hole for the I7 chord hole 3 you have the 3 draw listed but forgot the 3 Blow which is the same as the 2 draw or root note of the 1 chord which is G..

See, I';ve been studying. :)

Hi David,

Are you going to SPAH this year?

Regards,
528hemi

Dave, just wanted to send out a thank you, for your on line lessons. I took private lessons for awhile, and came away with nothing, so i wasnt in a real hurry to take more lessons from somebody else., but i AM SO GLAD i SIGNED up for your lessons!!!! I just finished playing Improvising Study 1 Chorus Forms(AAA), and I swear, me playing with the jamtract, sounded very good .. . Nothing I have done in the past has sounded really like a pro, but i do try to practice alot, and i plan on getting better. continue reading...

Hi David!

i like to carry with me a harmonica all day, in a Hohner soft case,
especially now that i study the Improvising series for to be ready in case of an inspiration!!!! :)

do you suggest to carry e C or better an A harmonica??

in the contributor section the last videos, Submission #12 - Song Writing 1 "Ready, Steady, Roll" i think Mark Hummel like to have an A harmonica with him.........
thanks

Best Regards

Marko