Re: Get me going on the blues - 25yrs



Hello Bob,

Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 12:42:49 AM, Bob wrote:

BM> One thing I've learned over the years that if the band has a strong rhythm
BM> section (and this is NOT based on the solos they play), it will make a
BM> mediocre lead section sound great,and a poor rhythm section will easily
BM> expose a weak lead section's faults.

You may already have more proof of this essential concept locked up in
your memory banks. Check how you played--and how you felt about what
you played--when a rhythm section you joined at a jam wasn't good, let
alone great. Unfortunately, it also doesn't have to be that both the
bass and drummer are bad--experience has shown me time and time again
that if _either_ the drummer or the bass player can't cut it, then the
rhythm section isn't going to work well, period.

Did you have trouble playing your best? Did you have _time_ to state
even simple ideas on your instrument? Were you able to feel the tempo
as a part of your playing, or did you constantly have to adjust to
make things work? How did simple phrases with extended notes feel? Did
they work? Or did you have to busy up just to try to make sense of the
thing? Maybe you weren't even aware of why your playing didn't satisfy
you, didn't _feel_ right, but hindsight should give you clear clues.

That's the importance of a groove, of solid rhythm. A poor lead player
working with a strong rhythm section will only wreck the part they play
and they won't throw the rhythm off...once their part is over, you'll
notice the good lead players sliding right in with solid stuff--but a
poor rhythm section will hurt _everyone's_ playing.

Good groove, and the complaint (if there is one) might be: "the
<whatever> player sucks (but, as Bob said, with a good groove, even a
mediocre player will generally sound OK). Bad groove, and the complaint
will often be: the whole band sucks. The audience won't know why,
maybe--but they'll know someting really didn't make it...it'll just be
a general distaste for what they heard.

By the way--another hint (and I pass this along to the beginner
players I teach): if you want to know who you should pay attention to
when you're playing--and especially when you're developing solos--pay
special attention to the bass lines; that's where the signatures are
(or should be), that's where the groove is (or should be,) and you'll
likely play lines that are a lot less cluttered and busy than if
you're taking your guidance or examples from lead players--especially
rock lead players that have little experience with blues and funk.

Best regards,
 Ron/datadigr                            mailto:rdg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx





This archive was generated by a fusion of Pipermail 0.09 (Mailman edition) and MHonArc 2.6.8.