Piano Diana Blog: Rhythm

Showing posts with label Rhythm. Show all posts

What Is Jazz?

Photo Credit: WeHeartIt.com

Mark Levine, the author of The Jazz Theory Book said, "A great jazz solo consists of:

1% magic

99% stuff that is

Explainable
Analyzable
Categorizable
Doable"

I think once you learn a lot of music theory, you'll get to the point where you no longer need to think about theory, if you know what I mean. Charlie Parker once said, "Learn the changes and then forget them." In other words, get beyond the theory.

HOW JAZZ MUSIC WORKS

Jazz is like a musical language. When the musicians play, it's as if they are talking to each other in jazz language. Most jazz music is based on a tune or a theme. The tune might be made up specifically or it might be based on a popular tune. A jazz group, or line-up has two parts: the rhythm section and the front line.

THE FRONT LINE

Front-line instruments are the ones that play solos during a jazz piece. They are given this name because the players usually stand in front of the rhythm section. Front-line instruments include the clarinet, trombone and the right-hand side of a piano.

THE RHYTHM SECTION

The rhythm section is a part that keeps a steady pulse. It also plays harmonies for the front-line instrument to improvise over. Rhythm section instruments include the bass guitar, double bass, drums, and the left-hand side of the piano.

RHYTHM AND SYNCOPATION

Most rhythms have a regular pulse or beat. Normally the stress, or accent, comes on the first beat, in a measure. In Jazz, the stress sometimes comes on the second beat, or in between the main beats. This is called syncopation. A tension is created between the steady pulse and the syncopated rhythm.

JAM SESSIONS

When musicians get together without an audience and experiment with tunes, it is known as a jam session. It is during sessions like these that most Jazz evolves.

COMPOSING JAZZ

Although jazz involves lots of improvisation, there are some fixed elements in a piece. Instead of writing down every note, jazz composers provide a rough outline, usually consisting of a tune and the chords that go with it. Chords are two or more notes played or sung together. They are usually written as chord symbols, which tell the musician which chords accompany a tune. The musicians improvise around this hotline. Most jazz composers base their work on music they come up with during jam sessions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1468872

All You Need Is Seven

I love playing 7th and 6th chords. The changes in this tune are in the style of the standard tune Don't Blame Me, popularized by Charlie Parker. Give it a try!

CMaj 7 = C/GBCE

Fmin6 = E/BbDEG

Emin7b5 = E/BbDEG

A7 = A/AC#EG

Dmin7 = D/CDFA

G7 = G/DFGB

C6 = C/EGAC

Dmin7 = D/DFAC

D#dim7 = D#/D#F#AC

Emin7 = E/DEGB

A7 = A/AC#EG

Dmin7 = D/CDFA

G7 = G/GBDF

CMaj7 = C/BCEG

You may be interested in Tritone Xtravaganza

All the best,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Where's The Beat (Part Two)

Note asymmetrical flutes of highly modified parachute so kiting occurs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Asymmetrical Meters

"Many composers of today are using meters that are asymmetrical. This occurs in music when you have an odd number of subdivisions, which means that the measure cannot be divided into equal pulses or beats. There have been a number of different methods used for notating asymmetrical meters; the more traditional method of notating these time signatures is commonly preferred like (5/8 and 7/8).

Making asymmetrical meters easy to recognize is the top number of the time signature. In many cases it is an odd number, for example (5/8 and 7/8). Asymmetrical meters can be counted in the same manner as compound meters. In order to determine the best possible group pattern, young musicians must pay careful attention tot he beams provided above or below the notes. Where possible, each beat is divided into three-note groupings. One beat or pulse will have one less eighth-note, thus making the meter asymmetrical.

Many musicians overlook the effect that meter changes will have on the conductor. Conductors use different conducting patterns to successfully conduct many different meters. The conductor's pattern should emphasize a strong downbeat. This may aid many young musicians in keeping their place in the music. Watching the conductor is extremely important when dealing with asymmetrical meters.

Another compositional method used in many of today's concert band music is the alternation between simple, duple, triple, quadruple and asymmetrical meters. Many young musicians of various experience levels frequently play these rhythms incorrectly because they don't realize that they're only rearranging the eighth-notes to create a different pulse or beat. In return the asymmetrical meters are often rushed, especially the beat or pulse with the fewest notes. For example, if the grouping of an asymmetrical measure (3+2), the last count with only two notes would usually be rushed, as well as any following simple, duple, triple or quadruple metered measure.

Young musicians will see that the second beat or pulse has one less note than the first beat or pulse and will automatically assume that there must be a need to compensate for the missing note by speeding up the note value of the first pulse or beat. Remember, the eighth-note must stay constant.

The table below illustrates the most-used asymmetrical meters.

Asymmetrical Meters
Meter                                               Beats/Pulses             Time Signature
5/8 is considered Asymmetrical Duple, because it contains one compound pulse.
(1&a), and one simple pulse (1&), or vice-versa; (3+2) or (2+3)
Asymmetrical Duple (3+2)            (1&a)(2&)                     5/8
Asymmetrical Duple (2+3)            (1&)(2&a)                     5/8
7/8 is considered asymmetrical Triple, because it contains two simple pulses (1&) and one compound pulse (1&a), such as (2+2+3+), (2+3+2), or (3+2+2).
Asymmetrical Triple (2+2+3)    (1&)(2&)(3&a)             7/8
or (2+3+2)    (1&)(2&a)(3&) 7/8
or (3+2+2)    (1&a)(2&)(3&) 7/8
11/8 is considered Asymmetrical Quadruple, because it contains one simple pulses (1&) and three compound pulses (1&a), such as (2+3+3+3), (3+2+3+3), (3+3+2+3) or (3+3+3+2)
Asymmetrical Quadruple (2+3+3+3) (1&)(2&a)(3&a)(4&a) 11/8
or (3+2+3+3)    (1&a)(2&)(3&a)(4&a)    11/8
or (3+3+2+3)    (1&a)(2&a)(3&a)(4&a) 11/8
or (3+3+3+2)    (1&a)(2&a)(3&a)(4&a) 11/8
*** In the examples above, the numbers in (1&)(1&a) can be replaced with any number that will best demonstrate the correct counting of the measure in question.

Points to Remember

1. Thoroughly explain all meters:
simple, duple, triple, quadruple, and asymmetrical.
2. If possible, have the children listen to the composition and clap only the strong beats: 1-2, or 1-2-3, or 1-2-3-4.
3. ask them to identify the meter of the song, based on their clapping or counting.
4. Duple and quadruple meters may cause some confusion within the group. Don't be alarmed. Sometimes young musicians will have trouble distinguishing between the two meters. Locating the strongest beats in each measure may resolve the problem.
5. If you have the ability, use new compositions when dealing with compound and asymmetrical meters.
6. Once they have found the beat, have them to count along with the music; (1&)(2&) or (1&a)(2&a).
7. To check for understanding, ask the following questions:
     1. Can they quickly decide which meter is used in the music?
      2. Is the meter simple, compound or asymmetrical?
8. When dealing with asymmetrical meters, remember, the eighth-note must stay constant. Young musicians will have a tendency to rush. Select a slow tempo to start this exercise and gradually work your way up to the performance tempo. This method of teaching will ensure that all notes are being played evenly."

Simple Songs in various meters

"The farmer in the Dell" (duple simple)
"Five Little Ducks" (duple simple)
"Joy To The World" (duple simple)
"Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (duple compound)
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home: (duple compound)
"Green Sleeves" (duple compound)
"Three Blind Mice" (duple compound)
"Found a Peanut" (triple compound)
"Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (triple simple)
"Amazing Grace" (triple simple)
"Home On The Range" (triple simple)
"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" (triple simple)
"Jesus Loves Me" (quadruple simple)
"The Cat Came Back" (quadruple simple)
"Do Your Ears Hang Low (quadruple simple)
"Dry Bones" (quadruple simple)
"Silent Night" (compound duplex)
"Humpty Dumpty" (compound duple)
"The Muffin Man" (quadruple simple)
"The Alphabet Song (quadruple simple)
"The Animal Fair" (compound duple)
"The Ants Go Marching" (compound duple)
"The Bear Went Over The Mountain" (compound duple)
"The Eensy Weensy Spider" (compound duple)
"Pop! Goes the Weasel" (compound duple)
"Hickory Dickory Dock" (compound quadruple)

Dr. Girtmon is currently director of Bands/Music Education-chair/associate professor of Music at Belhaven College, Jackson, Miss. He oversees all aspects of the Marching, Jazz, Symphonic Winds, and Pep Band programs, as well as the large and small ensembles in the spring terms.

Dr. Girtmon has an active conducting schedule and is a frequent honor band clinician and adjudicator for concert band and large and small ensembles events.

"Poolside Piano Practice," June 11, 1960

Buy From Art.com

I hope you enjoyed this basic training article on mastering the mysteries of multi-metered music by Paxton Girtmon.

Improve Your Piano Playing
Access Free Piano Tutorials Here

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Where's the Beat? (Part One)

Source: Uploaded by user via Patty on Pinterest

I was reading an article in one of my 2010 Jazz magazines called, "Where's the beat?" written by Paxton Girtmon. There's so much to learn in this dynamite, knock-out lesson but I thought I would share some valuable snippets with you, so we can learn together.

"The term 'meter' can be defined as a repetitive pattern of strong and weak beats in an arranged rhythm. This does not imply that the rhythms themselves are necessarily repetitive, but a repeated pattern of pulses or beats is clearly evident. Duple meter in the music will feel like "strong/weak/strong/weak." Triple meter in the music will feel like "strong/weak/weak," and quadruple will feel like "strong/weak/weak/weak."

Paxton Girtmon teaches middle school musicians to recognize different meters, remembering to emphasize that the beats and subdivisions are all equal and even. He found that students tend to rush the upper beat or the "&" of the count. He goes on to say... "Remember to emphasize to the student that the numbers (1, 2, 3, and 4) always come on a pulse or the strongest part of the beat."

Identifying Various Meters

"Simple and compound are the two main categories of meters. In a simple meter, each beat is basically divided into two parts 1&, and the quarter note should be constant. In compound meters, each beat is divided into three parts, 1&a, and the eighth-note should be constant.

                           Constant Note Value
                                                Quarter Note                   Eighth Note

Two beats per measure               Simple duple             Compound duple
Three beats per measure            Simple triple              Compound triple
Four beats per measure              Simple quadruple      Compound quadruple

The table below illustrates the most-used symmetrical meters.

Symmetrical Meters
Meter                           Beats/Pulses       Time Signature
Duple Simple (1&)(2&)    2/4
Triple Simple    (1&)(2&)(3&) 3/4
Quadruple Simple (1&)(2&)(3&)(4&) 4/4
Duple Compound (1&a)(2&a) 6/8
Triple Compound (1&a)(2&a)(3&a)    9/8
Quadruple Compound (1&a)(2&a)(3&a)(4&a) 12/8

I hope you like the information on mulit-metered music. Part two is coming.

One music resource in my library that you may be interested in, Jazz101

Rhythm

Buy From Art.com

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Feel The Beat

Shanda Music Beats (Photo credit: Louish Pixel)

TIME AND FEELING

One of the most important elements of melodic phrasing is the placement of notes relative to the basic beat. The three recognized placements of notes and their relation to the basic pulse are:

Ahead of the beat (on top)

On the beat (right on)

Behind the beat (laying back)

Playing ahead of the beat does not mean rushing. It simply means the player is constantly anticipating the basic pulse, but not rushing. Playing on the beat means phrasing your notes so they coincide exactly with the tempo of the rhythm section... the tempo that was counted off. When people play behind the beat, their phrasing will tend to trail the basic pulse or seem to lag. Playing behind the beat can imply a lazy or "laid back" feeling, where playing ahead of the beat usually implies excitement and forward motion. Playing right on the beat gives a solid, secure time.

Beginning improvisors should learn to play on the beat. If, later in their musical development, their personalities suggest they play ahead or behind the beat they will at least be able to find the basic pulse because they have played there. Listening to the rhythm section and connecting the flow of your notes to theirs is vital.

When playing behind the beat, players must be careful to keep the quarter notes consistent with the basic pulse laid down by the rhythm section. If they place their notes later and later in the measure, they are guilty of dragging. Phrases that drag often resemble something dying! On the other hand, if the player's notes (phrases) come earlier and earlier in relation to the basic pulse, they are guilty of rushing, which, of course, is also undesirable. Our considerations of time and note placement hold true regardless of the meter - 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8.

Players hopefully will find their own "groove" and learn to play with rhythm sections that play ahead of, on, and behind the beat. The way you place your notes in relation to the basic beat can also produce tension or release.

-- an article from Jamey Aebersold

“My feet shall run because of you, My feet, dance because of you, My heart shall beat because of you, My eyes, see because of you, My mind, thinks because of you, And I shall love because of you”

-- unknown

You may be interested in this offer from HearandPlay:

4 free videos

Best,

"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Kindergarten Music: Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan

Many of you know that I have been teaching piano for over 15 years and that I've played on various worship teams for over 30 years. Maybe you haven't heard but I'm also a kindergarten music teacher. I love working with the 5 year old's and back in September we talked about "What is music?"

Music is like reading a book, not with words but with notes. We hear music on the radio, with orchestras, CDs and a band. "Even birds tweet music," a 5 year old boy said.

Music has rhythm. Sometimes we play fast or slow and other times soft or loud. We practice clapping the rhythm to notes. Our class has learned what the name of the notes are and how many beats they receive.

Quarter Note = 1 count
Half Note = 2 counts
Dotted Half - 3 counts
Whole Note = 4 counts
Eighth Note = 1/2 count

So, in our rhythm box we have sticks, bells, rain stick, triangles and a tambourine.

I wrote an article awhile back. Here it is:

Being a kindergarten music teacher for one hour sure goes fast. It is so much fun and truly rewarding. There is lots of work in preparing for the upcoming day each week. The children look forward to our time of being together, learning all about music.

I usually begin the rhythm and music class with a type of story-telling gesture. I say. "Good morning class." The response is usually a typical reply, "Good morning Mrs. Rogers." When I tell them I'm going to step outside and come back in with my teacher face on and try it again, that's when I know I have their attention and cooperation. Children are so flexible when you change the variables and come back in with a quiet greeting, or a loud one. They will definitely copy you with their response most enthusiastically!

Then I proceed with the following talking points:

1. What Is Music?
2. What Is Rhythm?

I begin by explaining that music is like reading notes not letters. We talk about music being on the radio and a CD. You hear music in bands and orchestras. One boy wanted to add to the discussion that he hears music when the birds sing, while another little girl added that her Dad plays music on the TV.

After awhile, we introduce that music is like your heart beating and that some notes are played slower than others. It is at this point that I go over to the piano or keyboard and play a few songs that the children are familiar with that are examples of a slow song, like Away In The Manger. We move on to fast songs such as Pop! Goes the Weasel and Yankee Doodle. Then we march in a circle to The Wheels on the Bus. There are tons of children's songs available for your use.

It is at this point that I begin to talk in-depth about teaching young people the music notes. We name the notes, talk about how many beats correspond to that particular note and then we practice clapping.

So, within the first part of the hour, the kids have some introduction to a Quarter Note, being a black note that receives one count. Then, we have the Half Note, being a white note that receives 2 beats. The children learn patience in pausing and holding a note for a longer count. Finally, we move on to the whole note that is held 4 counts.

We review by clapping. Then we go into the rhythm box and pullout the sticks. The class learns to click the beats with the rhythm sticks to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Again, there are so many great songs to choose from. If we have time, we move on to other rhythm instruments.

Towards the end of the hour, I enjoy introducing the children to a music game. We played "I Spy The Whole Note" with pretend magnifying glasses. I like to place flash cards around the room and have the children close their eyes. On the count of three, the flash cards are turned over, with eyes opened the kids begin their search for what a whole note looks like. It's fun to teach at a kindergarten music class.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6583718

If you're interested in early childhood resources for your children, nieces and nephews, be sure and check the tab above for some free sites that have great information.

Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

How To Comp Chords- Comping Chords on the Piano

In my opinion, one of the best piano teachers online is Willie Myette. I have subscribed to his lessons and am pleased that he shares his musician tips on jazz and gospel piano. You might want to visit the link that I've posted for this article to see the piano note illustrations Willie had provided. I found this article to be so informative that I wanted to share its entirety with you.

How to comp chords - comping chords on the piano

"This is definitely one of the more complicated aspects of playing the piano. It is relatively “easy” to play a chord in the left hand, hold it down, and improvise with the right hand. However, as soon as you try adding any type of rhythm to that left hand chord, the time seems to fall apart. So, let’s go through some ideas that will help loosen up your left hand.

First, keep control of where you are in the measure. For this example, let’s say that we are in 4/4 time…four beats per measure. It is extremely important that while comping, you do not add or remove beats from the measure. This is where a metronome or play-along track is helpful. I’ve heard students rush the time or drag because they were overly focused on comping. The lesson…the time comes first!

Second, keep your chords simple to start. Try starting with only the root and seventh of the chord, a R7 chord. Or, just the root and third, a R3 chord. So, for C7, this would be C–Bb or C–E. Simple chords allow you to focus on what is important…the time.

Now is a good point to pause and discuss “concept breakdown”. You do not have to go far to find difficult-to-understand concepts in jazz piano. Comping is a perfect example. It seems easy, but it is not. Worst yet, it is the “seems easy” concepts that make it frustrating to learn and often cause students to throw their arms up in disgust. But, there is a solution!

Concept Breakdown is just that, a breakdown of difficult concepts in to easy to handle and easier to understand parts. To break down the concept of comping, I would consider its parts:

- Chord voicing - the notes of the chord and how they are arranged

- Number of chords per measure

- Tempo of the song

- Interaction with the right hand / soloist

- Rhythmic spontaneity

So, if we were to focus on each of these sections of the larger concept, we can more easily practice them. Here we go…

Chord voicing - as I said earlier, create simpler versions of your chord voicings for now. After you become more comfortable with the chords and comping, you can more easily add tensions and notes to your chord.

Number of chords per measure - if the section has more than two chords per measure, try only hitting the chords on beats 1 and 3. Now, this doesn’t always work, but depending on the tempo and complexity of the chord progression, it might just get you through the section till you have more time to practice it and get it right.

Tempo of the song - this should be obvious, but…slow down! I’m always amazed when I ask a student to slow down and they play at exactly the same tempo. A good way to slow yourself down is to pay attention to a clock ticking or your heart beat for a moment. then, try to mimic that tempo. It should be around 60-80 beats per minute.

Interaction with the right hand / soloist - this is the heart of comping. Comping is ALL about supporting the melodic line. This is usually either a soloist or a melody instrument (like a vocalist, trumpet or your right hand, etc.) Good comping ADDS to the piece. It ADDS to what the soloist is playing. It ADDS to melody, and so on. So when practicing comping, it is essential to listen. Listen for “holes” in the line. Take a look at the example below. Notice that the line has places in which there is space. These are prime areas to fill with some tasty comping.

You might be asking yourself “Where are these spaces?” Well, look for rests and notes tied into one another. Also remember, that you can play each new chord toward the beginning of the measure. So, there are four chords, and at least four opportunities to play a chord in the left hand. There are also spaces in the line where you have long notes and rests. But, comping does not have to only fill in the “cracks”. You can play a chord simultaneously with a melody note in the right hand.

Let’s go through six comping variations on this line and you’ll see how to put this into practice.

1) Chords on beat one. In this example you see that we are simply playing each new chord on the first beat of the measure. This is a good place to start learning how to “comp” because if you can not do this exercise in time, you will not be able to do the rest! So, make sure that you are comfortable with this exercise before moving on.

**NOTE** If you are learning this line for the first time, you might notice that you miss the chord on the first beat. If it is difficult to play chords on beat one while improvising in the right hand, this is a good indication that you need to become more comfortable with your right hand soloing before trying any fancier comping rhythms. Moral here, stick to a simple whole-note rhythm until this becomes fluid for you.

2) Short “stabs” on beats 1 and 3. The next step is to change those whole-note chords into short stabs. A “stab” is just a short rhythm applied to a chord. It is often used with horns. For example, “The horn stabs happen behind the soloist.” This exercise is important because it will help you change between long chords and short chords. Long chords are those held for a quarter note or longer and short chords are those held shorter than a quarter note (this is my definition).

3) Short “stabs” on beats 1 and the “+” of 3. The “+” of beat three is the upbeat. This exercise will help you begin feeling off-the-beat rhythms. This also adds syncopation to your line. I cover syncopation in my lesson Mastering Rhythms Volumes 1 and 2.

4) Look for opportunities to anticipate. Do you see the last eighth note in measure one, tied into measure two? This is an anticipation. The melody is anticipating the strong beat resolution of beat one. Guess what? We can also anticipate the chord in the left hand. However, watch out that you don’t drop beats. It is easy to get confused and rush the measure when anticipating chords. So, make sure you feel where the beat is! If you can’t feel it just yet, stick with step 3 for a few more practice sessions.

5) Look for opportunities to support the melody. In the last measure we can “highlight” the notes of the solo/melody by comping chords along with them. As your solo gains in intensity, this is a great way to accent your solo notes.

6) Use both long and short chord rhythms. If you play all of your chords short or long, your comping will sound predictable. Be sure to vary your comping rhythms between short/long rhythms…and…rhythms that fall on/off the beat.

Lastly, we come to Rhythmic Spontaneity. The goal of comping chords is to be able to create interesting chordal rhythms on-the-spot. Now, the only way to do this is to start with easy rhythms and then gradually build them up. Basically, you want to create a vocabulary of rhythms that you can apply to your chords. This means you need to be comfortable with one- and two-handed rhythms."

http://www.jazzpianolessons.com/2009/10/29/how-to-comp-chords-comping-chords-on-the-piano

Warm Regards,
D.