Tomlin’s Harmonica Podcast

Tomlin Leckie
  • 4.8 (42)
  • How To
  • Updated Semimonthly

Learn Harmonica today with Tomlin from Tomlin harmonica School!

  1. 22h ago

    Why do my triplets fall apart in a musical context? | Ask Tomlin

    Triplets make sense on their own, then you drop them into a tune and your mouth ties itself in a knot. Phil has hit exactly that, so in this episode we take it right back to basics. Phil is working through the Advanced Beginner course and can play triplets in a scale all day, but the moment they land in a musical context he panics and rushes them. When he plays for me, the first thing we spot is that what he's playing isn't actually a triplet at all - it's eighth notes, and you can hear it in where the accent falls. So we slow right down, count "one triplet, two triplet, three triplet", and strip the scale out entirely, just playing four blow, four draw, four draw with a proper triplet feel until the pulse is solid. We also talk about how many reps something really takes to move from conscious to unconscious, why getting some movement in your body helps you lock into the beat, and one practice detail that makes a big difference - building pauses into your repetitions so you practise hitting it from the start rather than always needing a run-up. If your timing falls apart the moment you put a technique into a tune, this one is for you. ⏱ Audio Chapters 0:00 – Phil's question: triplets fall apart in a musical context 2:55 – How many reps it really takes 4:50 – Where the two licks join 5:45 – Phil plays the blues scale in triplets 6:21 – That's not a triplet, it's eighth notes 6:49 – Slowing down and counting yourself in 7:41 – Stripping it back to three notes 8:15 – Getting movement in your body 10:04 – The metronome is your first musical context 10:26 – Why you should build breaks into your practice This episode is brought to you by the ever-growing Tomlin Harmonica School - where you get a proper step-by-step curriculum, real feedback from real teachers on your own playing, and a genuinely warm community of fellow Harmonicats. Try it free for 7 days at https://bit.ly/4gTxSei

  2. Sep 7

    Why Do My Harmonica's High Notes Sound Squeaky? | Ask Tomlin

    Second position sounding strained once you climb above hole six? In this "Ask Tomlin" episode I help student Robert smooth out his upper octave major pentatonic scale. In this Ask Tomlin episode I sit down with student Robert, who's started exploring second position blues harmonica up in the high end - holes six through ten - and can't get his major pentatonic scale sounding as sweet as he'd like. He describes the airflow up there as a different beast entirely, and when a note doesn't come out clean it genuinely gives him a headache. We work through why the 6 draw feels so much more strained than the 6 blow, and I explain the physics behind it - your vocal cavity needs to shrink as you climb higher, the same way you'd tune a resonating chamber. I also show Robert how switching to a lower key harmonica, like a G, makes the upper octave far easier to access while he builds confidence, before working back up through A and eventually C. We finish on tongue blocking technique for the high end, including which side of your mouth to play from, and a simple daily practice plan for anyone finding the top of the harmonica unfamiliar territory. ⏱ Audio Chapters 0:00 – Robert's struggle with the upper octave major pentatonic scale 0:31 – What's the one thing to work on today? 1:19 – Robert plays the high end for the first time 2:21 – Getting the 6 draw sounding as good as the 6 blow 4:36 – The physics behind why high notes feel so tight 6:16 – Why it's okay to feel like a beginner again 6:54 – Using different harmonica keys to build up gradually 9:44 – Tongue blocking: which side of your mouth to use 13:07 – A practice plan for owning the upper octave This podcast is brought to you by the ever-growing Tomlin Harmonica School - where you get a proper step-by-step curriculum, real feedback from real teachers on your own playing, and a genuinely warm community of fellow Harmonicats. Try it free for 7 days at https://bit.ly/3RJKzA5

  3. Aug 31

    How Do I Bend the 2 Draw on Low Harmonicas? | Ask Tomlin

    Struggling with the 2 draw whole step bend on your lower key harmonicas? It's not a small mouth problem and it's not a talent problem - it's completely normal. In this coaching call I work with Patti, one of my students, on getting her 2 draw whole step bend working on the B flat and A harmonicas. We start on the C and straight away hit a useful lesson about bending apps - handy at first, but leaning on them stops you trusting your ears. Then I explain why low key harmonicas are harder to bend: you're tuning your vocal cavity to the note you want, and the lower the harmonica, the bigger that cavity has to be. Think of the C as your easy dumbbell, the B flat as the next weight up and the A as the one you're building towards. It's not about power - it's about finding the position and getting comfortable holding it. We finish with a simple practice plan for working down through the keys - perfect if you can bend on your C but come unstuck when you play lower harmonicas with other people. ⏱ Audio Chapters 0:00 – What we're working on in this coaching call 0:22 – Patti's problem: the 2 draw bend on lower keys 1:35 – Testing the bend on the C harmonica 2:08 – Why you should wean yourself off bending apps 3:19 – Why low key harmonicas are harder to bend 4:55 – The dumbbell analogy: building bending strength 6:24 – Trying the bend on the B flat 8:00 – Trying the bend on the A 9:23 – A simple practice plan for lower key bends 12:32 – From practising alone to playing with other people This podcast is brought to you by the ever-growing Tomlin Harmonica School - where you get a proper step-by-step curriculum, real feedback from real teachers on your own playing, and a genuinely warm community of fellow Harmonicats. Try it free for 7 days at https://bit.ly/4hA2CD1

  4. 09/11/2024

    Why aren't we surrounded by Blues Harmonica players???

    ► WIN one year of tuition at Tomlin Harmonica School AND a Hohner Special 20 in C https://kingsumo.com/g/1dy2e91/back-to-school-blues-harmonica-giveaway/     In the sixth (and final) episode of this series for Beginner Harmonica players, I’ll be talking about the reason that most people never learn how to play Blues harmonica despite it being the biggest selling instrument on the planet.     ❤️ Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode!   —————————————————————————   STAY CONNECTED! 🔗   👋 Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tomlinharmonicalessons 👋 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomlinharmonicalessons   ► Tomlin's Free Blues Harmonica Toolkit https://tomlinharmonicaschool.com/p/blues-harmonica-toolkit

  5. 09/04/2024

    The 3 Most Common Mistakes Students Make on Harmonica

    In the fifth episode of this series for Beginner Harmonica players, I’ll be telling you the 3 mistakes I see everyone making when they start learning harmonica. Avoid these mistakes and improve faster!!

  6. 08/28/2024

    Lip Pursing vs Tongue Blocking on Harmonica

    There is a lot of arguing online about lip pursing vs tongue blocking on harmonica. As a beginner harmonica player I think it is really important that you understand the difference between the two and why you might want to learn both. In this episode I will explain the difference between the two, the advantages of both and how to pick which one to learn first!

  7. 08/21/2024

    Are You TOO OLD to Learn Harmonica?

    In the third episode of the series for Beginner Harmonica players, I’ll be answering the question “are you too old to learn harmonica?”. I’ll also be sharing some tips from some of my older students.

  8. 08/14/2024

    SIX Reasons Why everyone SHOULD learn Blues harmonica

    A lot of people think that they don’t like the Blues or that they just want to play a few simple tunes on the harmonica BUT I think that everyone should learn Blues Harmonica and this episode will tell you exactly why.

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4.8
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About

Learn Harmonica today with Tomlin from Tomlin harmonica School!

Information

  • Creator
    Tomlin Leckie
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Tomlin’s Harmonica Podcast

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