Ask Instructor David Barrett

I'm really struggling to keep my two draw on my G harmonica from playing flat. It sounds like there's a solid 15 cents between my 2- and 3+. I have sanded my reed plate and gotten a new comb, hoping an improved seal might get me where I need to be, but I'm wondering if I might just have an out of tune reed. What's the ratio for how long you'd fight the intonation with your mouth at six months in vs just installing a new reed plate or buying a new G harmonica? If it's just an experience/technique issue, I'd like to keep after it. continue reading...

Two-note combinations are always explained with the main note being the lower, to which one adds a bit of the higher one.

I find that sometimes adding a bit of the lower one is fine (the melodic line being held by the higher ones). Is it unusual? or only shown in future lessons I don't know yet?

bonjours David j'amerais savoir tous se que je vais apprendre ici avec toi comment je vais pouvoir l'integrer moi dans ma musique de tous les jours si je doit jouer avec un groupe par exemple improviser comment me rappeler de tous se que tu enseigne ici les thecniques a mettre dans mon jeu plus tard construire de phrases et morceaux avec tous cela car moi je suis autodidacte je ne connais pas les notes les porter enfin lire la musique quoi je fait toute a l'oreille c'est coùmpliquer quant meme tu crois que je peu y arriver comme cela ?? continue reading...

Hi David,

Just a few days ago I bought ''BLUES HARP MS''  Hohner harmonica.

My question is what the key of this harmonica and will I have some issue to learn to play by this model or I would to buy another one like ''Crossover'' as beginner .

Hello David,

I would like to submit a recording of Temperature for evaluation, but I am not sure how to do it. Please direct me to the instructions on this.

Well, I stumbled around and got it to work.

I uploaded my mp3 file to SoundCloud, copied the URL and pasted it here, below.

I suggest you copy and paste it in Chrome or Safari. I couldn't get it to play in Firefox.

https://soundcloud.com/user-377157897-14293636/tempfinal_harp1?si=af9f36... continue reading...

Hello David

Do you have plans for continuing with the student lessons, into Level 3 and Level 4? I find it helpful to see and hear how others are doing; helps me to be less self-critical.

I can see how it would be quite a committment for a student to take on. So perhaps doing it a Level (or maybe two Levels) at a time would ease the pressure some.

I keep forgetting about the effect Corona Virus has on up-close-and-personal encounters; I wonder if such lessons could be done on Zoom.

Just curious about this.

Hank

Hi David,

could you please remind me in what lesson sequences were explained, cannot find this myself?

Thank you in advance.

Hi David … this started as a question but then I found an answer. After watching your series on  the Amazing Slow Downer, I tried connecting it with iTunes … only to find that iTunes is in the past. I can’t get by the paywall for Apple Music to the Harmonica playlist folder I created on iTunes. Looking closer at ASD I found the Import Tunes at the bottom of the page, and an option to browse. I selected Desktop and pulled the study song into ASD. Not as planned but it works.

vraiment David tu est un vrais  genie se morceau est une tuerie vraiment tres beau quel talent tu as de l'avoir creer et pour moi l'etudiant que je suis novice il est super a travaziller avec enormement de technique et de belle notes bluesi je tenais a t'en remercier David car tu le merite beaucoup !! 

This week I suddenly succeeded in deep bending!

After months of struggle straining my tongue in different positions, I could only make shallow bends (and often not reaching a true half-step), and all that I was missing was actually "relaxing" my tongue. I suppose it *has* learned to keep the tip on the harmonica, and now I can trust that more. continue reading...