Ask Instructor David Barrett

At about 1:10 in 'The panel plays' video, Joe Filisko plays his first solo and uses a lot of percussive effects - he seems to be blowing sharply into the harp without sounding a note. How's he getting that effect? It doesn't sound like the 'kiss-pop' technique I've heard, but it seems like a really cool technique to have for solo harp tunes. Also sounds like the kind of effect that might show up in train rhythms.

I just discovered the Joes series......very valuable....I learned that tongue switching the 1 is best for tone and to totally eliminate air through the nose on 1-2-3 holes ... which is a bad habit but helps in the beginning because it opens up the chamber allowing the reed to move...I have noticed my doing this and wondering if this was the correct way to get the reed to move.....and I have been gradually closing my nose on these holes which you also mention is the way to gradually address this problem. My tongue is slowing getting down and out of the way. continue reading...

My latest assignment is to take a lick I like from any song and work the chorus forms. So, I pick Jimmy Reed's "Baby What you Want Me To Do." It's a song I'd like to learn and sing, so why not start by working the licks. It seems like a pretty simple song: 2 vocal choruses, a harmonica bridge, another vocal chorus and a fade out. Pretty simple words. Seems like a key my voice can hit. And there don't seem to be any harmonica techniques that are too weird. I've just barely gotten to the point where I can SORT OF play along with a simple song--when nobody else is around. continue reading...

i dont know if this subject has been brought up but as far as artist studys go i would like to see
chitlin con carne, evans shufflre, matchstick would be great and if possible would really love the getting out of town by rick estrin on the blow out cd or bye bye bird both along the same lines but may be easier to get the rights from rick and a great song to teach rythmic playing just a thought

Hello David. I love the new site. It has rekindled my passion for harp and taken me out of the rut I was stuck in. Keep up the good work. I just tried to upload my first submission "Walk with Me" and recieved the error message "The uploaded file was unable to be saved. The destination directory may not be writable". Any thoughts? It is a mp3 file and not very big? Thanks for any help with this - looking forward to hear what you have to say about my playing.

Todd

I do not understand your system for refering to licks for the improvising section for example what does section
4.1 mean, section 4.4 and what do the roman numbers mean.

Your instruction and website IMHO is the most professional on the web keep up the good work

I've looked though the old threads and I don't think anyone has asked this before, when i play my G harp 2 and 3 holes i find that it's easier to produce clear notes when i decrease the size of my mouth cavity, unlike when playing the 3 hole draw on the A where dropping my jaw to increase my mouth cavity size makes it easier to sound the note. I'm assuming this has something to do with the resonance frequency of my mouth being wrong for those particular notes on the G harp? continue reading...

dave any chance that I could get the tab sheet for this. thanks

I still consider myself a beginner. On TB Study 3 and Bending Study 2. Have not got into the Solo Harmonica Study yet (although my next question may lead me to the need to focus here as well)! continue reading...

David, I'm spending a lot more time now practicing amplified, but I'm struggling a bit with the mic.

I have a JT-30 Hohner Blues Blaster with the XLR connector. I'm not sure that I'm holding it correctly. I've watched your videos, but I have a couple of questions:

First, should the harp be centered over the face of the mic? Typically with my hold, I have holes 1 - 6 over the face of the mic, with 7 - 10 hanging off of the edge. continue reading...