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galacticjocko
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« on: September 02, 2002, 10:34 PM » |
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Does anyone else have a jumpy right foot when trying to develop independance for playing jazz?
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For example, follow my practice schedule:
swing ride + 2&4 hi-hat + any combination of quarter notes on bass= easy
swing ride + 2&4 hi-hat + bass + any phrasing I want to do on snare drum = be-bopping along
swing ride + 2&4 hi-hat + snare + any phrasing I want to do on bass drum = out of control mess!
I feel like I should be anchoring the beat with my foot, not soloing with it, and can't keep my ride pattern going while trying to play off-beats on the bass.
BASS DRUM SOUND JAZZ GOAL: flowing water
ME NOW: a rusty robot playing "we will rock you"
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Can anyone on here help me out with what I should be thinking about, sitting like, accenting, "leaning on", etc...
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(Note: I already have the exercises I want to play in "Progressive Indepence For The Modern Jazz Drummer" by Ron Spagnardi)
(Note: I already have the music I want to play to in "Kind of Blue", "Love Supreme", "Time Out", etc...)
(Note: I know that I'm not supposed to be super-funky or do constant solos with my bass drum foot and crowd everyone out in jazz. I'm supposed to "listen" and play "lez ismore". But I want to have the ability to accent notes here or there on the fly while keeping the flow and I can't!)
I appreciate the time it took you to read this long question. Anyone know the feeling (of trying to advance through jazz?) or got the feeling (of how to play jazz?)
Thanks!
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felix
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Y no keno!
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« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2002, 05:26 AM » |
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Just work on it...don't expect to have a foot like Elvin in a week.
I still work on my feet every day if at all possible at least one half hour with just foot exercises.
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Yaay!
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Ratamatatt
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« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2002, 08:22 AM » |
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Try playing the exercises in the Syncopation book with your foot while keeping jazz time, play snare on 2 and 4. Use a metronome at about 100 BTM or slower to start. You can also play 4 on the floor with your foot and play the exercises on the snare.
Ratamatatt
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John_M._Hicks
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« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2002, 08:56 PM » |
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ease your way into the bass drum parts. play quarter notes on the ride cymbal with the hi hat closing on 2 - 4.
use a metronome with a triplet setting and play single beats first.
count: one trip let two trip let three trip let four trip let.
play beat one for four bars.
play the trip of one for four bars.
play the let of one for four bars.
and so on for the entire measure.
next two beat combos.
beat one and trip of one
beat one and let of one
beat one and two
beat one trip of two
beat one let of two
and so on.
three not combos
one trip let
one trip two
one trip - trip of two
one trip - let of two
and so on.
you get the idea if you have any questions just email me and I can snail mail you some exercises.
John
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animus
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« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2002, 01:43 AM » |
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Mel Bay's Jazz Drummer's Cookbook has great exercises that isolate both the snare and bass over a ride pattern then it puts em both together at the end of each section. It helped my jazz coordination a lot. The book also contains hihat foot variations to help your independece with all four limbs.
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Bart Elliott
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Be Thankful
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« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2002, 05:03 AM » |
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Sounds like a basic coordination issue to me ... because of the uncomfortable feeling you are having when not having the kick drum leading the groove.
Jazz IS very different in that the time is coming from the Ride & HiHat (for the most part), while other styles, the Kick and Snare provide the time backbone.
Here's what I do with my students ... and they have a LOT of success with it.
Break everything down to just two limbs first. For instance, get your HiHat chicking on 2 and 4 .... then start playing figures with the Kick drum. Or start with quarter-notes ONLY on the Ride cymbal ... then play the Kick drum patterns. Don't play the "jazz ride patter" in the beginning; get comfortable with the basic quarter-note pulse coming from the Ride cymbal. You'll be playing with a "walking bass" line, coming from the bassist, so it's good to get used to feeling that anyway. I've recommended this to other Cafe members, and they have had good reports about this practice technique. Matt Self (Gaddabout) was one of them I believe.
Once you get this feeling good, you can work with the basic "jazz ride pattern".
I would then work on putting the snare on 2 and 4 ... lightly ... perhaps even using the cross-stick technique. You will be doing this more for coordination purposes more than musical ones ... as 90% of the time you would NOT be playing backbeats with the snare drum.
The Progressive Indepence For The Modern Jazz Drummer is a nice, thorough book. Ron sent me a copy to review years ago, and I use it a lot because it goes a lot further than Chapin's book. I guess then nicest thing about it is that everything is written out for you ... you can see it on paper and not just in your minds eye.
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My doctor says it's bad for my blood pressure if my mind is blown for more than five minutes at a time.
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galacticjocko
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« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2002, 10:27 PM » |
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Thanks guys (or gals?) for the postings. I feel your computer love. Thanks Bartman, for answering. That "two limbs and build" method is timeless, yet, needs to be discovered over and over! A-1 props!
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