Re: [Harp-L] Back to Phrasing...

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

Here's an exercise I use with students to help them understand phrasing  
through placement....2 measures
 
4 beats     = 1      2     3      4       (foot taps, quarter note 4/4)  - do 
 this twice, or 2 measures long
subdivide  = 1&a 2&a 3&a 4&a   (triplet to  each beat, blues groove) - do 
this twice, or 2 measures long
                                               tap  foot on beats, say "1 and 
a, 2 and a, 3 and a, 4 and a" to feel the  groove
 
Now, we place one of the "mutha of all blues licks" -    4  hole inhale 
sustained, followed by the "dismount" - 4 inhale, 4 inhale  bend, 3 inhale, 2 
inhale  - 4 hole inhale sustained, starting on the 1st  beat and held through the 
3&a. The dismount begins on "4" with 4 inhale, the  4 inhale bend falls on the 
"&", the 3 inhale falls on the "a" and the final  note 2 inhale falls on the 
"1" of the second measure. 
 
To change your phrase through placement, you still start with the 4 hole  
inhale sustained, but begin the "dismount" on the "a" of 3&a, keeping  everything 
that follows the same length. Now each note of the "dismount" will  fall a 
beat sooner. It feels awkward at first to change the timing/phrasing, but  stay 
with it until you relax into it. To find out if you really "own" this new  
placement, try to alternate the two measure phrases that you have just learned  
without breaking the constant steady beat.
 
Once this is absorbed, begin the "dismount" on the "&" of 3&a.  Continue 
until you relax into this as well. Add it to the arsenal you are  building.
 
Finally, start the "dismount" on the "3" of 3&a.
 
What we've done is take a lick and create two more ideas by placement -  same 
lick, different sound/feel.
 
You can continue moving the "dismount" backwards and forwards,  experimenting 
with other placement.
 
Take it slow. Once you "click" with it, it opens many new doors and a  better 
understanding of placement in phrasing.
 
The Iceman
 
ps - when I typed this out, all the numbers and "&a"'s line up  underneath 
each other in the example above. Sometimes everything shifts when  posting on a 
forum. If it looks funny on the "L", just copy everything onto a  piece of 
paper and place it properly for you to  view.



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