David's Tip of the Day: Improvising - Focus Notes, Part 2

Not only does the use of a focus note answer the "what do I play next" question, it helps us to move around the range of the harmonica. A common trap new improvisers get into is overplaying their comfortable note range, commonly holes 2, 3 and 4. If you play a 2 draw focus note one chorus, then cross it off in your mind and don't start on that 2 draw again for the rest of the song. If the next chorus you play a 4 draw focus note, then it too is no longer an option in subsequent choruses. As you go down the list of focus notes, crossing them off as you play them, then by default it forces you to spend time on the entire range of the harmonica. This goes a long way in helping to make your solos interesting.