Tip of the Day

Howard Levy and I were having a discussion a while back about teaching and the challenges students deal with. He recounted a story of a specific student that couldn't play a song... his rhythm was off and he would commonly be on the wrong hole of the harmonica and not recognize it. He asked the student to put down the harmonica and sing it, and the student couldn't sing it. continue reading...

Here's the second and final broadcast just released from Joe Filisko and the NHL (National Harmonica League) on Recordings by Singers and Sidemen: https://www.mixcloud.com/PodKast/rare-early-harmonica-recordings-by-voca...

Here are some key benefits of using a light touch with your tongue on the face of the harmonica...

1) Holes to the right or left (depending on which tongue block technique you're performing) will not unintentionally be blocked by your tongue squishing into the holes. continue reading...

It's always good to hear advice from experienced players on stage etiquette... we sometimes forget that it's not all about us ;-)

Derek Trucks’ 10 Commandments of Jam
http://alanpaul.net/2015/04/derek-trucks-10-commandments-of-jam/

I'm home rehabbing my knee and doing a lot of transcription work and I thought you would be interested in being a fly on the wall and see the transcription process. This is the last chorus of Gary Smith's “Alviso Rock,” a song from "It Takes Three." I turned on the screen capture and here it is: https://youtu.be/gOhmazFjP4U (make sure to click on the YouTube link below and watch it in full-screen mode). continue reading...

Join Gary Smith, Aki Kumar and me (David Barrett) to watch on the big screen the making of It Takes Three! You’ll see the creative process of working with the musicians in the studio, the challenges of getting just the right take and the antics of musicians that have nothing better to do than crack jokes as they wait around for the next take. Gary, Aki and I will narrate the movie, talk about the inspiration for each tune and even play a bit!

Date: Saturday, May 2nd, 2015

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (afterwards enjoy dinner in quaint downtown Morgan Hill) continue reading...

When I was studying Little Walter's legendary blues harmonica instrumental "Roller Coaster," the key moment of discovery in being able to perform the song successfully was in using the lightest touch possible on the face of the harmonica (both the tongue and lips, but most importantly the tongue). This was key in being able to play at his speed and level of dexterity. Here are the negatives of pushing too hard when tongue blocking... continue reading...

Yesterday I stated that your lips should be surrounding four holes. The purpose of this is as follows, with the more important reasons listed first...

1) You can play an octave very quickly with slight adjustment of the tongue (to the center, blocking two holes).

2) Your slaps, pulls, flutters and other techniques where the tongue is off of the harmonica have a much bigger sound, due to there being four holes sounding when the tongue is off instead of three. continue reading...

Place your lips over a four-hole span, using a light touch on the face of the harmonica. Use the top of your tongue just past the tip (called the blade of the tongue) with a light enough touch that the convex shape of your tongue does not completely flatten on the face of the harmonica. Cover the left three holes with your tongue, leaving the right-most hole to sound a single note. Move the harmonica latterly—the focus is to generally move the harmonica, not the face or jaw.

Special Note for Lower Holes continue reading...

Wynton’s Twelve Ways to Practice
http://arbanmethod.com/wyntons-twelve-ways-to-practice/