Ask Instructor David Barrett

There are a number of videos in Ryan's list that clearly indicate they're associated with Improvising Study 2 or 3. There are also a number that just say Improvising. Some of the titles seem a bit outside of Improvsing Study 1 or at least seem to indicate the material is a bit different. Would it be reasonable to continue on through these Improvising videos at the LOA 4 level? Thanks!

Hi David.

I've started looking at blow bends, trying to follow your advice to tongue-block them if you're new to blow bends and tongue block all the rest.  I'm finding that getting full-toned puckered blow bends is no problem, although accuracy will take quite a bit of work, but that, when I tongue-block, I really have to seriously restrict my air flow to get any kind of bend at all, and tone and volume suffer.  Is it worth it?

Hi there,

  continue reading...

Hello again David. I hope you're doing fine. I have a couple of questions again!

ex1.I am able to play eights with ease (1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and) and tapping my foot on the downbeat and raising it on the upbeat.

ex2.I am also able to play eight triplets with ease (1-and-a,2-and-a, etc) tapping my foot on the downbeat and raising it on the "a" continue reading...

I've been using four or five different B licks that I got from you earlier on as part of Tongue Blocking Study 1 and 2. The licks are blow note oriented and give a strong sense of the IV chord in A B/A C. Coming to LOA 4 Improvising Study 1 I really like Ex. 5.1 but noticed that the lick does not rely heavily on the blow notes but is much more like any other blues scale lick that could easily have been an A lick. Did you mention somewhere that the B lick can be almost any lick and doesn't have to always give a strong nod to the IV chord? Thanks!

Hi David, i have one more question. I was wondering if you know any other website like yours, associated with blues singing though?? Do you have any suggestions??

Hi David!

One question, how would you organize your practicing, assuming you had 8 hours per day to practice?

Can you get a little bit specific?

Hi...ever hear Sonny Boy 2 play Help Me? Seems like its in F minor. Is he playing in 2nd position on that? I hear notes that almost sound wrong. Thanks David.

Not sure if it has been discussed here but I wanted to share a very useful app called iLift:REMIX

For those that use an Ipad to access the site while away from the computer or while traveling, this allows the user

to pull songs from their Itunes playlist and slow down, change pitch and quickly loop sections with only a few swipes of the finger.  

While not as many options as Audacity or ASD, it allows you to study passages without converting files to MP3. Comes in handy to study tricky passages while on a plane- not bad for $1.99! continue reading...

Hi David,

I have just started on Ex 1.1 and !.2 During the video you refer to the fact that you stay on the root note. But could you for example start on draw 3 for one chord, 2 blow for the four chord and draw 4 for the five chord but still add in the transitions for the chord change in the appropriate place.

Many thanks,

Paul