Tip of the Day

Do your fingers (such as your pinky and ring finger) of your harmonica-holding hand touch the back of the harmonica? You may have wondered if this affects the tone adversely... It doesn't. Sound escapes in all directions around your harmonica... so a couple fingers won't do any harm... it even warms the tone a bit (absorbing some of the high frequencies).

Do your lips get tired after playing the harmonica for a while? They shouldn't. Don't purse your lips OUT to the harmonica... open your mouth and INSERT the harmonica. If you need to tilt the face down a bit to achieve a single note go for it. This goes for pucker, u-block and tongue block embouchures.

You found that playing yesterday's lick (2 2 3 3 4 4 5+ 4) you filled up with air and had to stop and breathe... the draw to blow ratio was way unbalanced. Opening your nose for the 5+, even though it's only one note out of eight, will allow you to play the lick indefinitely. Work that lick for a while experimenting with HOW MUCH air you allow to escape. Try allowing just a little to escape... just the right amount to escape (to be able to play it over and over)... continue reading...

Now that you've experimented with opening and closing your nose while playing (both inhale and exhale), it's time to practice it in a passage.

Play this lick in a swing rhythm over and over until you run out of air.

Lick: 2 2 3 3 4 4 5+ 4

Now play the same lick opening your nose (remember, think like you're blowing your nose) on the 5+ only. How long can you play this lick now?

Yesterday's tip was learning how to control the nose... how to close it when not wanted, and this is important. Opening the nose when needing to get rid of air (and sometimes taking air in) is just as important. Most blues harmonica players play in 2nd Position the majority of the time. 3/4 of the time we spend drawing, so using the nose to get rid of air WHILE we're playing a blow note is important.

To train your nose take a deep breath and play 4+ softly. Start with your nose closed (if you can) and hold the note for three seconds... then open your nose by actively trying to blow your nose (with practice you won't need to "force" it)... you'll feel air rush out (shoulders will slump... it will be obvious) and play with your nose open for three seconds... then close it for three seconds... then open it for three seconds... and... you should be out of air now.

Jam sessions are both fun and scary. If you embrace the fact that chaos is part of the process, you'll come into it with the right mindset and you'll always learn, no matter the outcome. Also remember that luck falls on those that are prepared, so by studying the Performance Training lessons on the site you're practicing for success... or better able to recognize what went wrong if something goes bad. Lastly, the jam is for all those involved. continue reading...

a time to get upset if you mess up (or did't play up to your expectations).

It's a jam session... you have a 50% chance of walking away happy with what you just played and 50% chance of wanting to throw your harp away. Keep in mind that a jam session is a dynamic situation with strong and weak players backing you... each musician having different goals in mind... just roll with it and understand that the nature of a jam session is chaos. If you understand this, you'll go home with much less stress ;-)

a place to play your most polished piece (it's an opportunity to play new material... test it out... change it over time...)

all about you.