Re: Re: [Harp-L] groove vs swing

[Tin Lizzie <TrackHarpL@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I recently bought an interesting book called “Beyond the Metronome:  Becoming an Inchronous Musician” by Malcolm “Mac” Santiago.

I’ve only just dipped into it, because I still have lots of work to do  *with*  the metronome, but it looks really, really good.

It’s well written and well organized.  Of particular interest is the CD that comes with it.  The tracks are like having an extra pair of hands to “play” the metronome while you play/practice your instrument:  One set of tracks starts with the clicks at a given tempo, but after a certain number of measures cuts the clicks to half as often, then half again, etc.  Another set of tracks starts with clicks at one volume, and gradually decreases the volume and then brings it back up again.  There are other exercises with displaced clicks.  The exercises are well described and the diagrams are excellent.

Tin Lizzie



On Sep 9, 2013, at 1:56 PM, Michael Rubin wrote:

> From: Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>
> Date: September 9, 2013 2:17:29 PM GMT-04:00
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] groove vs swing
> 
> 
> A good start with groove is to recognize it a largely a timing issue.  Can
> you create a rhythm that will get people's bodies moving?  You want to have
> practiced tapping your foot with a metronome while you are playing
> harmonica (and have your playing intentionally start and stop at different
> downbeats and upbeats) so much that when you play with others, you can
> quickly emulate their rhythmic pulse.
> 
> Although I appreciate jam tracks and use them, especially band in a box, I
> feel they are fairly useless when it comes to teaching groove.  If the
> person using the jam track is extremely strict with themselves and is
> always tapping their foot on each downbeat, or at least every other
> downbeat, then training occurs.  Otherwise, jamming to a jam track is about
> relaxing and training the improvising muscle.  There are a lot of musicians
> who can improvise great ideas but their timing is terrible.  Metronome is
> the light, the way.
> 
> After a while, be able to keep a steady beat without the metronome.  Be
> able to suggest the chord changes without the rhythm players.  Estrin told
> me, "If it doesn't make sense without the band, it doesn't make sense with
> the band."
> Michael Rubin
> Michaelrubinharmonica.com