PROBLEM #6 - YOU HAVE TROUBLE DRIVING THE TRAIN. You will be surprised at how quickly this exercise can expose fluctuations in time. When ready, begin playing.Ģ) While playing, verbally count these subdivisions out loud ( “1 E A 2 E A 3 E A 4 E A”). For example, if you’re playing a swing tune, feel the triplets running in your head first. Before playing your first note, hear the subdivisions looping in your head. YOUR ACTION STEP > THE “BRAIN-METRONOME” EXERCISE 1) Imagine that you’re turning a metronome on in your brain. When we actively focus on subdivisions, it becomes quite difficult for our time to fluctuate because the subdivisions act as frequent “checkpoints” that keep us in time. Sometimes the reason our time isn’t solid is because we’re not paying close enough attention to subdividing the pulse! We know we should be doing it, but we often forget to subdivide in the moment. Yes, we know that subdividing is important… however when’s the last time you consciously FOCUSED on subdividing in your head during the gig? PROBLEM #4 - YOU AREN’T REAAAAALLY SUBDIVIDING THE PULSE IN YOUR HEAD. YOUR ACTION STEP > THE “BIG TIME COUNTING” EXERCISE 1) Play up-tempo swing time (~200bpm)Ģ) Feel each quarter note on the ride cymbal individually as the pulse (Say out loud: “1234”)ģ) Feel each half note as the pulse (Say out loud: “1.2.3.4.”)Ĥ) Count each bar as the pulse (Say out loud: “1…2…3…4…”)ĥ) Count every 2 bars as the pulse (Say out loud: “1…….2…….3…….4…….”)Ħ) Once comfortable with all variations, practice shifting between all 4 without stopping. ![]() This is hard to explain in an article, so I'd really recommend checking out the DVD. ![]() This mental shift will make your time-feel much smoother overall, and free you up to see the big picture rather than focusing on each quarter note. ![]() For instance, in the DVD, he discusses the example of playing extremely fast up-tempo swing and how rather than counting each quarter note individually (1234123412341234!!!), he will count/feel every half note, every bar, or even every 4 bars. Yes, it’s possible that the way you FEEL the time is preventing you from playing solid time! Billy Ward’s DVD “BIG TIME”is an EXCELLENT resource as he goes into this concept in great detail. PROBLEM #3 - THERE’S A BETTER WAY TO FEEL THE TIME.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |