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David's Tip of the Day: Bending on the Chomatic

Posted Fri, 05/18/2012 - 06:50 by David Barrett Admin
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Though bending is not as commonplace on the chromatic harmonica, it is used. We use bending for expression (dips and slight changes in pitch to give a crying or whining sound). The tip for bending on the chromatic is to control the bend further forward in the mouth (similar to a 6 draw bend or blow bend at first). If you bend with the back of your tongue you'll commonly stall the reed. Experiment with being really far forward (too far forward at first) and as time goes on progressively control the bend further back on the tongue.

Amazing Slow Downer

Posted Thu, 05/17/2012 - 06:57 by David Barrett Admin
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If you're not using practice software like the Amazing Slow Downer you're wasting your practice time.
http://www.bluesharmonica.com/practice_tools_amazing_slow_downer

Hand & Mouth

Posted Wed, 05/16/2012 - 07:05 by David Barrett Admin
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Grab a harmonica... hold it... play it... now pull the harp away from your mouth and look at the index finger of your holding hand. The farther back you place that index finger, the more room your mouth/lips have to place the harmonica deep in your mouth. The deeper the harmonica is in your mouth (within reason of course) the bigger the tone.

For more detailed information watch the Lesson "Blues Harmonica Fundamentals" and go to "Getting Started - Blues Harmonica Fundamentals" and watch the video "Holding the Harmonica" @ 1:15

What's New: Gary Smith Submission #31 - Playing the Rhumba

Posted Tue, 05/15/2012 - 17:22 by David Barrett Admin
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In this submission Gary Smith and I dig into the Rhumba... speaking of accompaniment, improvising and the approach to writing an instrumental in a Rhumba.

David's Tip of the Day: Practice Triptych

Posted Tue, 05/15/2012 - 06:36 by David Barrett Admin
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Follow these three steps to becoming a great Blues harmonica player. Times are based on an hour a day practice routine.

1) 10m Technique - Use the exercises outlined on the site for each of the lessons or create your own repetitive, technique-focused exercises.

2) Song 30m - Work on a song that challenges you as a player and that embodies the technique, movement and vocabulary you wish to have in your playing. continue reading...

Find It... Fix It

Posted Mon, 05/14/2012 - 06:23 by David Barrett Admin
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What's the first weakness in your playing that comes to mind?...

Write it down...

Make a multilevel plan of attack and work a little bit each day on this weakness until it becomes an asset.

Find it... fix it!

P.S., this term comes from KJN Clampit of United Academy of Martial Arts in Morgan Hill, CA

Magic of the Major Scale & Positions

Posted Fri, 05/11/2012 - 08:01 by David Barrett Admin
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The scale we've been focusing on is the Major Scale. Let's change our though process a little bit and think of it as a movement pattern, representing the next higher or lower note available to us on our instrument without bending (a technique unknown to the designer). With that said, let's go ahead and access the missing notes of the lower octave with bending. continue reading...

Major Scale & Folk Songs - Part 7

Posted Thu, 05/10/2012 - 07:09 by David Barrett Admin
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I hope this focus on the major scale has helped to open up the entire range of the harmonica for you. I recommend you take a folk song, or a blues song that doesn't use a lot of bending, and move from octave to octave to practice this. The more you do this in the practice room the higher the probability octave substitution will happen spontaneously in your improvising.

Major Scale
Low Octave: 1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

David's Tip of the Day: Major Scale & Folk Songs - Part 6

Posted Wed, 05/09/2012 - 06:00 by David Barrett Admin
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With your increasing knowledge of the major scale, move "When the Saints Go Marching In" to the lower octave now...

When the Saints Go Marching In (Low Octave)

When the Saints Go Marching In (Mid Octave)
4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+, 4+ 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 5+ 4, 5+ 5+ 4 4+, 4+ 5+ 6+ 6+ 5, 5 5+ 5 6+ 5+ 4+ 4 4+

When the Saints Go Marching In (High Octave)
7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+, 7+ 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8+ 8, 8+ 8+ 8 7+, 7+ 8+ 9+ 9+ 9, 9 8+ 9 9+ 8+ 7+ 8 7+

Major Scale
Low Octave: 1+ 1 2+ 2" 2 3" 3 4+
Mid Octave: 4+ 4 5+ 5 6+ 6 7 7+
High Octave: 7+ 8 8+ 9 9+ 10 10' 10+

What's New: Ryan Walker Lesson #6 (Intermediate Student)

Posted Tue, 05/08/2012 - 18:40 by David Barrett Admin
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Join intermediate student Ryan Walker in his latest lesson. Videos include: CHECKING IN - Between Lessons #5 and #6; Lesson 6 - Intro; Lesson 6 - The Strut, Ryan Plays Entire Song; Lesson 6 - The Strut, Comments; Lesson 6 - How to Play The Strut with a Band; Lesson 6 - Solo Harmonica Study 2, Example 1.7; Lesson 6 - Solo Harmonica Study 2, Examples 1.8 and 1.9; Lesson 6 - Solo Harmonica Study 2, Examples 2.1 through 2.4; Lesson 6 - Solo Harmonica Study 2, Example 2.5 and Homework Assignment