Re: [Harp-L] RE: Riff Versus Lick

[Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>]

"I wouldn't bundle groove with "key". Groove is a stand alone thang."

I think whether it is minor or major has to do with groove. It affects the
whole feel of the song or jam.


On Wed, Jun 4, 2014 at 3:40 PM, The Iceman <icemanle@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> I wouldn't bundle groove with "key". Groove is a stand alone thang.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Wed, Jun 4, 2014 1:39 pm
> Subject: Fwd: [Harp-L] RE: Riff Versus Lick
>
>  Yeah, groove is often used alongside riff, but they are not the same thing.
> A "groove" is the rhythm itself combined with the key signature of the
> song. It is a little bit broader than riff. A riff fits into a groove. In a
> band setting, it is the drummer and bass player that usually set up the
> groove. The other accompanying instruments play the riff (either guitar,
> piano, sax, or harmonica) that fits with the groove (rhythm and key). A
> riff functions as an arpeggiated chord, and helps determine where the
> melody goes. But the groove determines the overall feel, rhythm and key of
> the song, and determines where the riff is able to go.  It's all about
> foundation underlying foundation. Think of it like a pyramid, with each one
> standing on the shoulders of the one beneath it:
>
>
> Melody and Leads
> Chords and Riffs
> Groove (Rhythm and Key)
>
> This is all a sliding scale of degrees, though. It's gray, not black&white.
> A riff can set up the groove, too, as can a melody. It's when things don't
> function in the normal way that the music gets interesting (or bad.) A solo
> performer, like Tommy Emmanuel, is responsible for setting up ALL the
> parts... groove, chord progression, melody and lead. Boy that's hard. The
> better a musician is, the better he is able to accomplish all those things,
> I think.
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 4, 2014 at 12:15 PM, Dan Hazen <bluesmandan76@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > Yes. Look up the songs/videos that I recommended, and you'll start to
> > "get" what a riff is. To be very basic, a riff is a repeated sequence of
> > notes played while the singer is singing. A lick is either an embellishment
> > or a little isolated part of  a longer solo, typically when no one is
> > singing.
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Jun 4, 2014 at 12:09 PM, Randy Redington <rwredington@xxxxxxxxx>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Opps
> >> Dan: I intended to include the group. My mistake.  Please forgive me when
> >> you see this same email again :-)
> >> By the way, I reread your description agin. I think I get what you are
> >> saying now.
> >> On Jun 4, 2014 12:00 PM, "Randy Redington" <rwredington@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Taken from this discussion then, am I to assuming we are saying that
> >>> riffs and licks are differnt based on context?  I guess I'm not getting the
> >>> distinction.  I might need to go back and reread this discussion from the
> >>> beginning.
> >>> Then dare I ask, how does the term "groove" fit into this?
> >>>
> >>
> >
>
>