Re: [Harp-L] Rhythm and Tone

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

> They should be able to show you what it means to play behind,  ahead  
> of, or on the beat.  Or, when you're trying to figure  out why you  
> love certain harp players, think about their  solos'  cadence, not  
> just the notes.


 
 
The way I approach this concept with my students is to get them to  
understand where the beat is by attaching themselves to the groove and playing a  
simple repetitive rhythm groove - from the "Church of the Sacred Hut-tah  Hut-tah" 
(one of my old incarnations). This is done like "wax on - wax off"  in "The 
Karate Kid". 
 
When it becomes second nature, I then show how the groove attachment  still 
exists even when stepping away from actively creating something on it. At  this 
point, the groove pulses the student whether he plays or not. 
 
Finally, I show how to let this groove take the responsibility away from  the 
student and put it into the realm of the universe providing the foundation  
for the student to leap up into the air and float above it for a moment, 
gravity  and the arc of the projection pulling the student back to the groove  
eventually. In the mean time, one floats free of the attachment but is  committed 
to rejoining the groove already in progress (like after those news  breaks that 
interrupt the flow of the tv show and then the announcer says "and  now we 
rejoin the program already in progress"). While floating above the  groove, one 
can create very unique ideas and move away from playing ON the beat,  placing 
notes all around the beat with almost no way to crash and burn  unless one 
loses their confidence in surrendering to the unversal groove and  feels they 
have to resume responsibility and MAKE the groove  happen. 
 
The Iceman



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