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Once you can tap your foot in time while playing (this takes practice in your formative years), it can be the best indicator of when your rhythm gets off. If your foot stutters or stalls, this indicates a part of the song you don't own the rhythm of yet. Practice this part of the song in isolation until you can comfortably play the passage without your foot hesitating.

P.S., it doesn't matter whether you tap the front of your foot (ball), back (heel), alternate between the two or tap both feet alternately... as long as something is tapping consistently.

Have a great weekend everyone!

In this lesson Ryan and I work on Accompaniment Study 7: Tramp Bass Line; Transitions; Walking Bass Lines; Solo Harmonica Study Final Ideas; Tongue Block Study 5: Blues for Paul deLay (all choruses); Music Theory Study 3, Sections 6 and 7.

If a reed doesn’t produce any sound it could be broken. But first it might be stuck with dried salvia or way too much spit in the harp. Do not try to force the reed free by blowing or drawing hard on that one hole (if the reed suddenly releases, this powerful force can break the reed), OR stick something in the hole to free the reed. Play a gentle chord (include the offender in the chord), blow and draw, with a big flow of air. continue reading...

I mentioned some benefits of playing softly. One of the key benefits is the longevity of your harps. However, a major epiphany for me as a player was when I realized just how softly and relaxed Big Walter was playing (he’s my favorite classic player). Everyone recognizes Big Walter’s tone as being fantastic. Both Big and Little Walter played softly for the majority of what they played, giving them great dynamic range for when they wanted to “hit it hard.” continue reading...