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What's New: Gary Smith Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: Different Roles of a Harp Player

Posted Mon, 07/02/2012 - 11:43 by David Barrett Admin
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Join Gary Smith and I in our continuing journey of the accompanying harmonica player's role.

Videos include:
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: How the Band Affects what We Play, Part 1
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: How the Band Affects what We Play, Part 2
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: Starting the Band
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: Blues Break
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: Fragmentation
- Submission #32 - Accompaniment Playing 4: Knowing What You Want in Music continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Sticky Windsavers - Part 3

Posted Mon, 07/02/2012 - 08:56 by David Barrett Admin
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Following the advice of Sissi Jones ("Sissi Jones Interview – Hohner Chromatic Service Tech" on the Equipment Page) use a small strip from a brown paper bag and place the strip between the lower and upper windsavers. With slight pressure from your thumb, push downward on the windsaver sandwich as you pull the strip out. This strip works as a slight abrasive and cleans the material causing them to stick that was between the two windsavers that was. continue reading...

What's New: Mark Hummel Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells

Posted Sun, 07/01/2012 - 14:13 by David Barrett Admin
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Join Mark Hummel in his latest submission where he speaks of the influence of James Cotton and Junior Wells.

Videos Include
- Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells: Cotton, Part 1
- Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells: Cotton, Part 2
- Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells: Wells, Part 1
- Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells: Wells, Part 2
- Submission #21 - James Cotton & Junior Wells: Final Thoughts

What's New: Music Theory Study 3 - Intervals, Chords & 12 Bar Blues

Posted Sat, 06/30/2012 - 23:29 by David Barrett Admin
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Join me for our third lesson on Music Theory for the Blues Harmonica Player, where we explore the intervallic relationship between notes of the scale, chords and our familiar 12 Bar Blues Progression. In this lesson you'll learn: interval names; the three triad chord qualities; about 7th and 9th Chords; the notes of the 12 Bar Blues Progression; about minor keys and chords; and how to play the notes of each chord within the 12 Bar Blues Progression. This lesson is for intermediate skill levels players. You'll need a C Harmonica for this study. continue reading...

What's New: Jim Liban Interview

Posted Sat, 06/30/2012 - 23:11 by David Barrett Admin
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Singer, songwriter and stellar blues harmonica player Jim Liban was known throughout the midwest in the 1970's as the leader of Short Stuff, the innovative Milwaukee based ensemble that pioneered the blues & rock sound later identified with bands like the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He continues to perform in a more traditional vein with his trio. He has international cult status as one of the foremost post-war blues harmonica stylists, and many of his original songs have been recorded by national blues artists like Johnny Winter and Lonnie Brooks. continue reading...

What's New: Ryan Walker Lesson #8 (Intermediate Student)

Posted Sat, 06/30/2012 - 23:07 by David Barrett Admin
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In this lesson Ryan continues his studies on improvising and starts his theory studies.

- CHECKING IN - Between Lessons #7 and #8
- Lesson 8 - Intro & Ryan plays Ending to Strut
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: AAA Chorus Form with Fills Review, Part 1
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: AAA Chorus Form with Fills Review, Part 2
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: AAB Chorus Form
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: AAB Chorus Form with Fills
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: A B/A C Chorus Form, B = Contrast
- Lesson 8 - Improvising: A B/A C Chorus Form, B = Little Change continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Sticky Windsavers - Part 2

Posted Fri, 06/29/2012 - 07:09 by David Barrett Admin
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Today's tip is a simple one... warm up your chromatic harmonica before you play. continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day - Sticky Windsavers - Part 1

Posted Thu, 06/28/2012 - 06:41 by David Barrett Admin
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Let's first be clear on what wind savers do and how they're installed on the chromatic harmonica. The chromatic harmonica has many more parts than a diatonic harmonica, including a side assembly that can have up to five parts. All of this equals an instrument that has issues with air leakage. This is helped by the use of windsavers. When playing the draw reed of a given hole, a valve (windsaver) closes over the blow reed slot to stop air from bleeding in. When playing the blow reed of a given hole, a valve closes over the draw reed slot. continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Playing 2 Amps (A/B Box & Chaining)

Posted Wed, 06/27/2012 - 07:38 by David Barrett Admin
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When connecting two amps together, the best solution for tone and usability is an A/B Box. You can choose to play through one amp (A), the other amp (B), or both (AB) at the same time. If "A" is your more distorted amp, it can be used as your main blues harp sound. If "B" is your cleaner amp, it can be used for the songs where you want a cleaner sound. When you need a lot of volume (band gets loud... or you just need some boost for a powerful section of a song), then use both "A" and "B" at the same time. continue reading...

David's Tip of the Day: Two Small Amps = One Big Amp?

Posted Tue, 06/26/2012 - 12:00 by David Barrett Admin
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If you have experience playing on the bandstand, then you know how important it is to have enough volume coming from your amp to be able to hear yourself... If you can't hear yourself, you can't play. Usually the answer is to use a big amp, like the Fender Bassman (4x10" speakers). Another way to go about it is to use two smaller amps. If you want variance in tone, bring two small amps that sound very different... one clean and one distorted. The clean one usually helps you to hear better and the distorted one is the one usually mic'd into the house system. continue reading...