Ask Instructor David Barrett

Hi David, 

When playing The Tub, should I be trying to slap all the notes (except hole 1 and slurred)? The bent eighth notes are sometimes a little awkward to play and (at least now) don't always sound as musical as I'd like when slapped. Thank you for your advice. 

Eric_C

Greetings David

One of the songs that you provided with the Self Accompained Playing work shop was "Time Machine in my Pocket", what a cool cool tune. By chance is there a lession on Blue harmonica . com for this??

Thanks Thomas

Is there some special difficulty to bend 5 draw? I am studying Take it Easy Now, and find that hard (and also with a A harmonica, to which I am more used).

I can bend 4 and 6 down to the middle pitch between blow and draw. If I could do that for 5, I should reach 1/4 tone, but I don't.

You demonstrate going further down approaching the bottom note, even to the point of being sometimes too low (to my ears) for 4' or 6'. I can't go that far. Is the same skill that is required to really bend the 5? (I mean at least a 1/4 tone down.) continue reading...

Hi David,

I've been playing on and off since high school days, then two years ago, picked up the harmonica again and started playing more seriously. I can play a bunch of easy songs with some blusey melodies, but my dilemma is that I learned the harmonica upside down ( with the scale on the bottom), but got used to it after all those years and have been playing that way since I started. Shoud I turn the harmonica the right side up and start to r e-learn the harmonical the correct side up, or just stick with the way I've been playing all these years?

  continue reading...

I need help with the above, i can play the notes, but i cannot get the  same swing to the notes, that you get, is there a particular note that you are concentrating on to get the right rhythm. thanks

Hi David... Just started the 30 day trial and I have a "Golden Melody" Progressive harmonica in the key of C made by Hohner. Is this harmonica OK to use or should I get a harmonica in the of A?

Thanks

Steve

Hi David. I am trying to purchase new harmonicas in order to complete LOA level 7. One of study song requires Low F harmonica. I am playing on Hohner Marine Band Crossover series, and it looks like Low F doesn't exist there, I have checked on Hohner's site . What type of Low F harmonica you would suggest me to purchase? Thank you!

Hi Dave, i have rewritten my improvisation song, it is now essentially a new song. is that OK ?

bonjour David excuse moi de poser cette question peu etre un peu bete mais il faut que je te la pose dans cette leçon tu dit qu'il y a du tong blocking et jaimerais savoir ou il se trouve sur la tablature si tu pouvais me le montrer en faisant une capture d'ecrans comme je fait pour t'envoyer mes exemples par gmail je te met la leçon ici merci si tu peu me repondre par mail ? avec la capture ?        continue reading...

Hello David, I posted this in the general section as well.

I recently purchased the Harpninja app for my iPhone. I think I have the app for diatonic harmonica; I think there was a chromatic app as well; not sure.

I have ios 14.7.1, there is an update to ios 15.2 available.

Anyway, I get an opening screen for the key of C major diatonic. I can't get past the opening screen. There is a settings button but only a few choices and none seem to work.

There doesn't seem to be any support available that I can find.

Any suggestions, anyone?

Hank