Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David!!!

I am studying the chromatic song "Cool Blue",
i like it very much , and i have fun to play it :)

i have a question about the song at the 00,23' ,
i hear a glissando kind of sound without notes ( like TRRRRR )
can you tell me what produce this kind of sound ? :)

Thanks,

Best Regards

Marko

I'm trying to work out how to do the pull-slap technique you mentioned in another thread. First of all, just to check I understand what it sounds like, are pull-slaps what I'm hearing on the Rice Miller lick at about 2:02 in the 'closing' video of Gary Smith's interview? continue reading...

for chorus 4- are we to slap all the notes like the 1st bar (3 3 4b 3) and 9th bar (4 14 4b)?

i have been trying with and without slaps. it always sounds cleaner w/o, but on the video i think i hear you slapping but not distinctly and not on every note. perhaps it is a quick slap or almost a slur?

David,
Regarding the pull....I have asked this question before in my earlier studies....what about not moving over to cover the hole to the right on the pull.... just stopping air .... pressurizing.. and then pulling... on the blow or draw...
I know it is suppossed to be an articulation but it sounds like one to me.....only the one hole is not being covered so that is 1 out of 4.....it does not sound like a flutter to me.
I can barely tell the difference if at all....and it is much faster....
Where any of the greats 'cheaters'? ... just kidding...
Am I totally off base? continue reading...

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