When I practice and play something that isn’t what I want or I know to be the correct Note/s, I typically stop, go back and fix it because I believe we fight the way we train, We play the way we practice… However! If I’m playing for someone or in a performance setting. If I miss a note or a reed sticks. I make a lightening fast note and keep going with the song. There’s something to be said for the momentum of a song, like the rhythm or flow that’s better if it’s not interrupted. In fact the listener/s may not know it’s not what I intended if I don’t make an issue of it. This is bound to happen to anybody that plays any kind of music not just the harmonica. Could this be what’s going on in the classic recording of ‘Juke’; second chorus, end of the first two bars? A bit of a stutter step while the he locks onto the the same time as the drummer or vise versa. I’m not dissing Lil Walter. The song is classic partly because it that hiccup rather than in spite of it. I guess that’s a separate topic. What are your general thoughts on a goof or a missed note in a song?

Learning some songs is much like that old challenge, rub your tummy while you pat yourself on top the head. The song “Hoof and mouth” is like that. It almost doesn’t have anything to do with the harmonica. Almost.

Liam, you have a YouTube video that’s a song study of the first few lines of the classic Easy, by Big Walter. The audio drops out just after you you say ”Let’s have a listen to the original” Just curious if that’s a glitch in the video or done to avoid a copyright conflict? I have the original and it’s available elsewhere I just wondered why it drops out, not a big deal, just curious…

Seems basic because it is. The importance is overlooked because, as students we strive to overcome the next challenge, achieve the next milestone. Improve, move on. Every once in a while I’m introduced to a song that stands out above the all others. The one I’m thinking of is the Leonard Cohen song, Hallelujah Part of its beauty is its simplicity. Clean single notes. No bends or overblows, no flutters or fluff. So if you’re just starting and struggling with single notes, be encouraged and stay at it. Some of the most beautiful music ever written is clean single notes. Just sayin

is kicking my tail.

The vast majority of songs I study and learn are accompanied by a band. Problem is I don't have a band. Are there Blues songs that come to mind that are 'stand alone' tunes? Something that I might play at an open mic, harmonica songs that lend themselves harp playing without back up? I live in a remote section of the Appalachian mountains. Study time alone is not a problem but if I play at an open mic at a bar or club I need to make a road trip out of it. Won't have a band when I get there. I realize it's almost an unfair question because any song can be played with or without a band. But, do any come to mind?

Origin of the song? I heard it was an adaptation of a radio jingle but you hear all kinds of stuff. I'll dig deeper and report back.

In the old days if you wanted to learn a song and or something about the artist that performed it, you had your work cut out. Ideally you would own a copy of the 45 or LP If you didn't have that you would wait to hear it on some hissing, distant radio broadcast... fast forward 2024 I don't think music exists that can't be instantly downloaded to a laptop and hand held devices. We can pause it, rewind, and play it back. There's an app (probably several) called the amazing slowdowner that is priceless for learning a new song. It allows you to slow a song down without changing the pitch. Another feature is cool, I didn't have the same Key of harp as the original recording but I could change the recording to match the harp! Online karaoke songs are great for some harmonica tunes. A lot of karaoke vids tell you what key it's in. Lyrics displayed on screen that give you a visual on the melody. Just sayin, there is technology available to a student that was once difficult or impossible to obtain. Just sayin...

I'm a student of the harmonica. I may be stretching it a bit to call myself an intermediate player but it's somewhere in that neighborhood. Still learning, enjoying the journey. I'm thinking of volunteering to play at a nursing home near me. Wishing I had a guitar player but one hasn't showen up yet. I haven't talked to anybody yet but has me thinking, wondering about. How long to play, song selection. Did this years ago with a guitar player in Texas but this will my first time pulling it off on my own. Talking to the activity director or ...who ever.

I found interesting and amazing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-KXhyCnN_jo&pp=ygUnUmV0dW5pbmcgYSBoYXJtb25pY2EgcmVlZCBvbiBhIGhvaG5lciBj(https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-KXhyCnN_jo&pp=ygUnUmV0dW5pbmcgYSBoYXJtb25pY2EgcmVlZCBvbiBhIGhvaG5lciBj)

Just a thought I'm struggling to articulate or put into words. I think we can all agree there is a mind's eye or imagination. We could imagine, for example, directions to a nearby store. It seems there's something like that with sound as well. Sounds, notes and intervals between notes that we can picture. Picture isn't the right word. It's auditory. Liam said something once I hope I have close. Correct if I'm wrong. Something like "You can't go anyplace with your instrument you haven't gone in your mind" There's a blues musician in the Dallas area named Hash Brown. He once paused a few seconds then said "first I have to hear it in my head...then I play it" What's this got to do with anything? It means I can practice in my head without a harp in the room. School is in session anytime I'm actively listening. Sometimes the greatest improvement is a result of listening. Something like that.

A brief statement for context, then a question. All of us are not born equal when it comes to our ability to discern a pitch or a specific note. Some musicians can hear a note like on a keyboard and tell you the note and if it's sharp or flat. Question: Can this ability be improved?

As we know, people have one hand they favor the use of over the other. I throw a baseball right handed, hold a spoon right handed and sight a rifle with my right eye. So I noticed something odd related to playing the harmonica. Given that we have a dominat side where exactly is that line? I have come to believe it is a vertical line that runs directly down the center of the tongue. Tongue slap is a perfect example. I point my tongue to the left side of my mouth. Play from the extreme right side of my mouth then lift or "slap" the comb with the right side of my tongue. If I make the simple adjustment of reversing that with the other side of my tongue, switching sides it sounds like I'm drunk. It always makes me laugh. The tongue blocking lessons cover techniques that require one to pick a side got me to thinking about the dominant line location...

I'm located in south eastern Kentucky. On Tuesday nights some of the local musicians get together and play. Following is a recording of one of those sessions.

A Saxophone, a tuba, guitar, violin, piano... Think of the special care, time and space required to play music on any of those. Years ago I hung out in a blues club in Fort Worth Texas. I watched the drummers bring in bags, large zipper bags 5 or 6 of them maybe more. A small tool kit, setting up stands, adjusting...played for several hours then carefully puts it all back in the bags. I'm not picking on drummers. I'm guessing a drummer at home has a section of the house to set for drums, a spare room. A whole room? A sax travels in a case, assembled each time, extra reeds, a cleaning cloth. It's like we get a free pass on all of that. We can play harmonicas in the rain. Nothing to plug in. Just sayin

I have a reasonably solid understanding of the classic blues chord structure, the 12 Bar Blues. 1,4,5 chord and where they change, If I can improvise to a band, recording or backing track it's because I know the chord structure. I understand that the music will follow a 12 bar pattern that's redundant and predictable. Im using 12 bars as an example. Question: Are other forms of music similar to this, in that they too follow a predictable pattern? Does folk music have a classic chord structure, classical, country, Bluegrass...? I listen for patterns in other forms of music and sometimes I can pick up a pattern, other times I don't. I'm looking for similarities between what I understand that will apply to what I don't, something like that. Thanks in advance, michael