[Harp-L] too many notes and funky

[rainbowjimmy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

You're worried you are over playing and you want to be funky. How do  
you know what notes to leave out?

Get out the metronome. It helps if your metronome lets you know where  
the 1 is. You can't be funky if you're putting a 3 in it.

Practice your regular riffs to the metronome (set it to eighth notes).  
Pick a beat and leave it out. Pick two notes--try the 2 and. Try  
leaving two notes out every other measure. Pick two notes to play  
louder. Pick four. Play eighth notes, quarter notes and whole notes  
and mix it up--eighth notes on the one, quarter notes on the one, etc.  
The music magically becomes funky.

It's a game--make up your own rules. You can play all your old riffs  
just play with the beat.If you're playing along with a CD, try only  
playing when the bass plays, when the keyboard plays, when the guitar  
plays etc.


When you get bored with that, play all your blues and rock riffs in  
waltz time. Smoke Stack Lightning takes on a really jazz feel. It's fun.

Rainbow Jimmy
http://www.spaceanimals.com
http://www.soundclick.com/theelectricstarlightspaceanimals.htm