Re: [Harp-L] groove vs swing

[Slim Heilpern <slim@xxxxxxxxxx>]

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