David's Tip of the Day: Speech Pattern = Easier to Play or Recall?

If you can turn a technique or phrase into a simple speech pattern it can make it easier to perform and remember. Take the slap tongue block technique for example... "HALL" works great. "HA" represents your tongue off of the harmonica, sounding the chord that precedes the single note. "LL" represents the tongue on the face of the harmonica to play the final single note. Together, "HALL" can help you to get the correct relationship of chord to single note in time with the music. This can work well for bending patterns as well. An example would be 4 4' 3 2 being stated as "AH U AH"... "AH" being the 4 draw and the "U" being the bend, with the "AH" helping to release the bend for the 3 and 2 draw slide. After practicing a lick slowly, think about a speech pattern that can represent it and you may be able to recall it better at next playing and most likely at a faster speed.