private

In yesterday's tip you left a message for two instructors. When there are multiple instructors to choose from it's to your advantage to meet them to find which one is the best fit for your personality, learning style and goals. Most likely you'll speak with them on the phone first, so here's how your conversation might go before the first lesson... continue reading...

Ring ring... ring ring...

"Hello, school of generic music in generic town."

Hi, this is David Barrett. I'm interested in speaking to one of your jazz guitar or piano instructors about private lessons. I play harmonica, but am interested in working with an instructor that can help me with my musicality. I prefer someone who has formal music training so they can help me with some basic music reading for rhythm training and music theory when it's needed. Any experience in blues is a plus. continue reading...

You of course have me to help you on your path to becoming a great blues harmonica player, especially those who submit recorded material regularly, but there are instructors local to you that can help too. Harmonica instructors are hard to come by, but guitar and piano instructors are not. They can help you with your timing (this is what I spend most of my time helping students with), rhythm training, music theory, improvising, accompaniment playing... all of the elements in music that are common among instruments and not specific to the harmonica. continue reading...

If you do have the opportunity to work with a private music instructor, I highly recommend you record your lessons. I record the lessons for my students (using the Tascam DR-40) at School of the Blues. A student asked me to give him some thoughts of how to best use his recorded tracks from his lessons. I thought you might like to see this as well.

Purpose continue reading...