Ask Instructor David Barrett

what in yours or anyone elses opinion are the scales that you practice most often i have your book on scales and dont know what is the most practical or most used scales and which ones i should be practicing the most any help would be good i know they all would be good but just trying to narrow my focus a bit and i would rather play mostly cross and 3rd position stuff as i have a good liking to the minor sound thanks

Hi David

Do you know which day/ days you will be at the NHL weekend festival? I can't afford the whole weekend but might try and get down there for a day.

Thanks, Rob

David,

When playing a rhythm on the 1 and 2 holes only say:

2 draw ( slap ) then pull (1 2 pull chord ) to a 2 blow (slap) then (1 2 blow pull) then to a 1 draw, what would you do for the syncopated beat since there are no lower notes then the 1? Would you just play the 1 twice doing a singel note pull or would you throw in the 2 ( for a 1 2 chord ) for the 2nd beat?

12 bar mephis rhythum

rhythum would be like: da da da da da da da da
2 draw 2 blow 1 draw 2 blow continue reading...

Hey, David, do you offer the following transcriptions anywhere?

Little Walter:
Quarter to Twelve
Mellow Down Easy
My Babe
You Better Watch Yourself

After many hours of arching and moving my tongue to different positions in my mouth without bending a note, I finally was able to lower the 6th hole a 1/2 step, the 2nd and 3rd holes a 1/2 step and a whole step each. I thought I was arching my tongue at first, but now I realize that I'm flattening my tongue somewhat and doing something with my throat to get the desired bends. Is that an ok technique or have I taken a road that will cause problems.

Greenshoes

David,

I am practicing with my tuner and just realized that my 3 and 4 blow can be some time be sharp in pitch and I can adjust my umberture to bring it to zero, kind of bending. I did not know you could bend blow note on the low end of the harp some what? Is it normal to have some notes sharp up to +15 with a normal blow?

Thanks 528hemi

Dear David,

I am a beginner. May I know which video is demonstrating how to play a single note for very very beginner.
I heard my sound was unclear when I played blowing the second hole. The sound like playing a chord. I've tried using my fingers to close up all the other holes but the result were same. I am using the Hohner Marine Band Deluxe. Am I doing right or wrong???

Best regards,
Ian

In your recent tip of the day you mentioned the side-pull. I understand what you have written down, but I have no idea what it should sound like. Any soundbite, please?

What is a quick way to identify the key of a tune, without asking?

From my post in the sharing section:

"(1) In setting the high-mids and highs up, do I also lower the low tones or leave them at the 'flat' level??

(2) So by working on getting a tight cup on the mic, I'm creating an undesirable muddy tone - ???? Is this just on this kind of situation or ..........??" continue reading...