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Harmonica Blog •

What is the Best Blues Harmonica?

What is the Best Blues Harmonica?

Harmonicas come in all shapes and sizes, and it’s possible to play some semblance of the blues on virtually any type of harp. However, when most people think of a ‘blues harmonica’ they are generally picturing a ten hole diatonic, usually with a wooden comb, that will closely resemble something like Hohner’s Marine Band. It doesn’t have to be exactly like this, though, and in this article we’ll look at different approaches to the design of a diatonic harp, and
Harmonica Blog •

How Lee Oskar Changed Harmonicas Forever

Lee Oskar may have initially found fame as a virtuoso harp player in the funk fusion band, War, but today he is better known, even to keen harmonica players, as the creator of an eponymous line of diatonic harps. How this happened, and how the harmonica world was shaken up by Oskar’s approach to their design, is an interesting story, and one that has had the effect of permanently altering the line up of harmonicas from many other manufacturers.

To appreciate exactly what Oskar changed about dia
Perfect Daily Grind •

Everything You Need to Know About Mahlkonig’s EK43 Grinder

I don’t think many in the speciality coffee industry who foresaw the current popularity of the Mahlkonig EK43 grinder.

Sometimes the future takes an unexpected turn, making forecasters look more than a little foolish. Just ask former IBM president Thomas J Watson who in 1958 stated: “There’s a world market for about five computers”.

Yeah. How many computers are in your house?

Then there’s the 19th century British MP. Based on the rate of population growth in London and the horses needed to su
Perfect Daily Grind •

Barista-Certified Rules for Dialing In Your Coffee Grinder

If you’ve spent time in a coffee shop, chances are you’ve overheard a barista mention dialing in a coffee grinder. This refers to the process of balancing dose, grind, output weight, and extraction time to achieve a delicious tasting coffee. In this article, I’ll focus on dialing in a coffee grinder for espresso, and how variables can affect its taste.

SEE ALSO: The Barista Guide to Buying a Home Espresso Machine

Espresso extraction involves forcing hot water through a finely ground coffee puc
Harmonica Blog •

Music and the Art of Focused Practice

Music and the Art of Focused Practice

I’ve written in the past about the role of practice versus natural ability in the learning of an instrument, and the 10,000 hour rule for mastery of a skill, popularised by the writer and intellectual Malcolm Gladwell. It is only recently, however, that I’ve begun to think in detail about exactly how this focused practice needs to be structured for the best results. It’s probably prescient at this point to say that I’m not a dogmatic adherent to the theory
Harmonica Blog •

432Hz Tuning - What's all the Fuss?

The eagle-eyed of you may have noticed a slightly strange new harmonica on our website – the Seydel Classic in 432Hz tuning. So, what does this rather long-winded title mean, and should you buy one? Read on and I’ll explain.

What’s a Frequency and Why Does it Matter in Music?

Put simply, a frequency, such as 432Hz is merely the rate at which a sound vibrates through a medium – in most cases with music, a gas, unless you have a predilection for underwater listening! The Hz figure describes how
Perfect Daily Grind •

Puqpress: Valuable Barista Tool or Trendy Gimmick?

Tamping: a small act, but one that can affect espresso extraction, work flow, and even barista health. Training staff to all achieve the same tamp, while avoiding injury, isn’t easy – it might even be impossible.

Enter the Puqpress: an adjustable, electronic tamping device. It removes the human variable, and the resulting human effort, from the process. And in doing so, it promises repeatable, reliable results every time.

But does it live up to that promise? Let’s find out.

SEE ALSO: Barista