Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David

When practicing Walk with me. 4th Chorus " lick " 5 + 6+ 6 6+ 6+ 5 5 5+ 5+ 4 5+ 4 . I don't hear the Turnaround I pause for a second and start again. But it doesn't sound right. I've watch many times when you do it. and try to get the same sound. But I can't get it.. It sounds if there should be another 6 + there when I listen to it

Thanks continue reading...

Blowin' My Horn - 3rd position study 4 chorus 14

Is there some technique that would help in executing these 'quickies' in the first two lines. I know in the video, you said it took you a long time to get them. I'm up to 80% speed and hanging on for dear life when I hit these and wondered of there was something like the 'jaw shift' thing that you had mentioned somewhere that is a help in executing these at that speed - ??????

Or is this another "just keep at it and gradually build up speed" kind of things?

Thanks David

DAVE, Im trying to get a handle on my AAA chord form. I have never been accused of being a great student, but I would definetly lile to completly understand this concept, before I move on to the AAB form. If I wanted to play my 2.1, (3 times), my 2.2 (6 times), and my 2.3 (12 times), useing my fills at the apropreate time, would this make up a complete song? I cant wait to move on, i just want make sure I know what Im doing. continue reading...

Hi David

Walk with me 6 th chorus the last ( 6+ ) 5+ 4 5+ I don't see where the shake is..

Thanks

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!!!