Re: [Harp-L] groove vs swing

[The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx>]

I teach students with the "Church of the Sacred Hut-tah Hut-tah" technique (mentioned in a previous posting).


Instead of metronome, I tell them to go for a walk and practice. Once walking, one usually finds a steady pace without thinking about it. 


This replaces a metronome.


As they walk, left foot first, they "Hut-tah" with each step. Left  Right  Left  Right =  Hut'tah hut'tah hut'tah hut'tah.


Even without harmonica, if they just say "hut'tah hut'tah" while walking around - even just think it - they start to create an internal groove. It can even change the way they walk.


Remember, it is hut...tah   hut...tah, like skipping. Same feel.



-----Original Message-----
From: Slim Heilpern <slim@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l harp-l <Harp-L@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Mon, Sep 9, 2013 3:25 pm
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] groove vs swing


My 2 cents on working with a metronome vs. a richer backing environment, such as 
a drum machine, band-in-a-box, or backing tracks:

Whatever backing you practice with, the richer it is (in this context, by 
"richer" I mean the more rhythmic content per bar), the more you will be playing 
along with the groove as opposed to creating it. Playing with a metronome forces 
your brain to fill in that big space between the beats accurately if you're to 
come out in the right place on each next beat. This is why it's generally harder 
to play in sync with a metronome than with a richer backing mechanism, and why 
in my opinion the potential for developing rhythmic accuracy is greater with 
metronome practice. And without the _ability_ to be accurate, your grooviness 
will tend to suffer. 

Yes, the most enticing grooves involve working around the beat, but in order to 
do that well you really need to know exactly where the beat is.

Of course, it's great to practice in as many different contexts as you can, but 
if you're having trouble with grooves, I would start with the lowly metronome. 
And if you haven't had the 'pleasure' of metronome practice before, don't be 
surprised if your first reaction is that the metronome is slowing down or 
speeding up (hint: that's not the most likely culprit).

- Slim.

www.SlideManSlim.com