Bad habits/Incorrect technique
Fri, 10/02/2015 - 19:46
Good evening David,
I am hoping that you would not mind sharing with us some if not all of the common bad habits/incorrect technique that you encounter students forming during the learning process and how to correct them. I think i might be forming some.
Thanks in advance!
Mark
Hey Mark. I focus on telling students what I want instead of what not to do, this is why you don't see such a list. If you're serious about this, go back and watch the lessons you've completed to this point. Many comments I make in the videos will resonate much stronger now.
To specifically answer your question, here are the most common issues.
Playing too loud = Play softer
Playing with too much tension = Relax your shoulder muscles, neck muscles, lips, jaw, throat, tongue, hands... tension is not needed to play the hamronica
Squeezing for bending = Bending is created by tuning your mouth to the pitch you're trying to hit. This has to do with tongue location, not pressure. Your tongue and mouth should be relaxed.
Listen more = Students have a tendency to play on top of the provided track right away... you must listen first, then try to copy what you're hearing
This is all covered in the beginning lessons... I really do recommend you review this. I'm in to sea kayaking right now and I review past books regularly... I'm able to pick up more from them each time I read/watch them. The material an author puts in a book is selected as the most common/most important, so review is always a smart plan.