I won’t post the pdf for awhile so this can also be a challenge for some to figure out what’s going on rhythmically.

giant steps twist

||: 5/8, 5/8 | 5/8, 5/8 | 4/4          | 3/8, 3/8 |

–| 5/8, 5/8 | 5/8, 5/8 | 4/4          | 3/8, 3/8 |

–| 4/4          | 5/8, 5/8 | 4/4          | 3/8, 3/8 |

–| 4/4          | 5/8, 5/8 | 4/4          | 3/8, 3/8 :||

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When approaching the subject of rhythm I am going to use two building blocks – a short sound and a long sound. Each sound is made of small beats called subdivisions which are of equal size. The short sound contains two subdivisions and the long sound contains three subdivisions. From here forward I’ll refer to these two sound groups as 2′s and 3′s.

Before you continue practice combining groups of 2′s and 3′s by speaking the subdivisions and clapping the first of each grouping. Example: 2+2+3 – say “1,2-1,2-1,2,3″ as you clap each number “1.”

Next make up your own combinations…

And now clap some examples without speaking the internal subdivisions but internalizing them instead.

 Rhythmic Ratios/Polyrhythms

Any rhythmic ratio (polyrhythm) can be constructed using the basic building blocks of 2′s and 3′s. But first let’s start with the most common and simple of them all, 2:3.

2:3 or 2 Against 3

STEP 1: Tap 2′s. Tap just the first subdivision of each group of 2 while speaking all subdivisions. Then, switch from speaking 2′s to speaking 3′s while continuing to tap the same pattern of 2′s.

STEP 2: Continue tapping 2′s and counting 3′s. With your voice stress or accent the first subdivision of every group of 3.

STEP 3: Using your other hand begin tapping the accented 1 of every group of 3.

STEP 4: Stop counting out loud. Absorb the feeling and melody of the two groups sounding and moving together.

*You have now successfully tapped 2 against 3*

STEP 5: Tap 2′s first in one hand and then in the same fashion as before add 3′s in the other hand.

stop.

STEP 6: repeat step 5 but begin with 3′s then add 2′s.

stop.

STEP 7: Begin tapping both groupings at the same time.

Practice steps 5-7 often to internalize… 

It should be noted that when most people say 2 against 3 there referring to 2 occurrences of 3′s over 3 occurrences of 2′s.

Western Notation:

TO BE CONTINUED…

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So, I’ve been coming across a lot of great resources lately and at this moment they are way deeper then anything I have to share. I’ll hopefully be posting more etudes and sight-reading in the near future.

Steve Coleman

Last week I came across Steve Coleman’s M-BASE blog. This blog looks to have started in 2007 and hasn’t been too active for awhile. However, there is a wealth of material there to digest. Since seeing the blog last week I’ve been obsessed with lots Mr. Coleman had to say and I’m grateful that the blog is there. Check it out.

Miles Okazaki

Then, just yesterday I got to the website of composer, guitarist, and artist Miles Okazaki. Miles shares a ton of insightful material like transcriptions (w/ recordings), his scores, and other really valuable stuff. I am also grateful that Miles shared this.

Kayagum Sanjo played by Hwang Byong-gi - Korea 1966

First, Robert Garfias’ Wikipedia Biography:

Robert Garfias (born 1932) is a figure in ethnomusicology and musicology. He is a professor of Anthropology^[1] and a member of The Social Dynamics and Complexity Group^[2] at the University of California, Irvine as well as a professor at the Japanese National Museum of Ethnology^[3] in Senri, Osaka. He completed his doctorate at University of California, Los Angeles and taught at the University of Washington where he established the graduate program in ethnomusicology before coming to University of California, Irvine. He has conducted research on the analysis of complex music systems, including the Turkish Ottoman Classical system, Japanese court music and many other musical traditions in which he is fluent as a musical performer, linguist, and archivist. He has also written on The Role of Dreams and Spirit Possession in the Mbira Dza Vadzimu Music of the Shona People of Zimbabwe.^[4] Complexity in the domain of expressive culture, music, and the social organization of complex musical traditions is one of his major specialties.

He has been actively engaged in the area of public policy and the arts as a presidentially appointed member of theNational Council on the Arts and as a member of the Council of the Smithsonian Institution as well as with numerous state and local arts agencies. In these areas his primary concern is with ethnicity and cultural diversity.

In 2005 the Government of Japan awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, which represents the third highest of eight classes associated with this award.^[5] He was cited for his contributions to promoting traditional Japanese culture and cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States.

Sounds, Film, and Documents compiled and presented on the University of California - Irvine website by Robert Garfias. It’s amazing that these resources are available to the public!

This is the first post for the newly added Etudes category. In this category, as in the others, I’ll be sharing bits of my learning process and learning materials for your consumption. I’ll be posting short etudes or excerpts and when possible comments made by musicians in regards and recordings of the presented material.

The tenor trombone will kick things off. As it happens, I’m lucky to know several outstanding trombonists.

This post will feature a very short piece I wrote for trombone about two years ago as well as comments and recorded performance by Ben Gerstein. Ben is not only an incredible improviser and visual artist, but as you will hear, a master of the trombone as well…. and he happens to have quite a sense of humor…

Exercise #1 for Trombone - Doug Hirlinger

Ben Gerstein:

Hirlinger’s “Exercise #1 for Trombone” is a short, angular, lyrical morsel shining its lights through dynamics, shape and articulation. Its brevity is the picture’s frame, a little view into a lonely trombone world on a rainy day of our evolving harmonic needs, and I think it’s important to try and bring out as much as possible the melodic qualities of this slang of intervallic relationships. It is written in quite a comfortable, voice-level range for the instrument, and none of the slide positions are awkward or unconventional, which is surprising considering Doug plays the trombone about as often as a horse wins the Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress”. It should be noted I found it crucial to empty the spit valve thoroughly before playing this.

Recordings of Exercise #1 and orchestration related comments are encouraged.

Check out Ben @ bengerstein.com

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The goal here is to play quarter note triplets…

Triplet Quarter Notes

…over this odd meter ostinado in 7/8 + 4/4 which I originally played on bass drum.

Ositinado

You’ll notice that after the first two measures the relationship between the the two components shifts. Below is a notation of the whole pattern notated precisely (a little too precisely).  I added eighth note noteheads in between quarter note durations, in parentheses, to assist in understanding where the triplet quarters lay after each shift. Initially I played those eighth notes on the hi hat with my left foot and found various ways to place the triplet quarters. Eventually I was able to leave the left foot out. Of course, I used a metronome- playing constant quarters.

I prefer the original notation from by notebook but wasn’t able to reproduce the notation in Finale.

Triplet Quarter Notes Over 7/8 + 4/4 Ositnado

Original Notation From My Notebook

As usual this nugget can be applied to any instrument and used as a launching pad to more ideas.

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Something I’ve been doing to work on my time and odd meter stuff in general is an activity I’ve coined Constant Quarter. I first thought of this a year or two ago while shedding a difficult composition by pianist/composer Matt Mitchell which contained a section in 13/16 and again recently rehearsing a tune by guitarist/composer Nick Demopoulos that has a 4/4 + 7/16 groove.

The original idea on the drums was that you keep a quarter note constant in one limb while playing in the odd meter in the other limbs. I should say that I used this earlier in life (like a lot of others probably have) with grooves in simpler odd meters, like 5 and 7, to make them groove harder. You’ve probably heard a drummer play a groove in 7/8 with accent pattern on the bell of the ride cymbal that plays every other eighth note. But it gets a little deeper for me when dealing with odd amounts of 16th notes (or odd tuplets).

So Constant Quarter is firstly this general idea of playing a constant quarter against odd 16th meter ostinatos or just having a metronome and/or another musician play the constant quarter. But Constant Quarter also turned in to a particular exercise/routine that I sometimes work in to my practice and that I’ve given to some of my students.

(FOR DRUMMERS…)
The first incarnation of the exercise is the expanding and contracting by one 16th note of a back beat groove with 16th note subdivisions. The expansion or contraction usually happens on a backbeat – so either beat two or four. Done with a metronome, the constant quarter can be on the hi hat as just a quarter or as an accent pattern, while the expansion and contraction alters where the quarter lies against the pattern or groove. At first you can play three or five 16th notes on beat four of every other measure in the snare hand to help internalize 16th’s while shortening or lengthening the measure. The goal is to REALLY feel the new beat one in 4/4 as beat one right away. But initially it might take a couple beats or measures, so be sure to count. Another way to work on this is to just have the metronome play the constant quarter and shift the whole groove.
After you’ve mastered this, take the back beat away and improvise against the quarter.

Contraction: A 16th is shaven off every other measure

The constant quarter is contained in the accent pattern on the hi hat.

Expansion: A 16th note is added to every other measure

(FOR NON-DRUMMERS)
The obvious application that comes to mind is to start with the metronome playing the quarter against an ostinato. Polyphonic instrumentalists can attempt to play both the quarter and an ostinato. Take it from there… if you come up with something cool drop a line in the comment box.

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This also reminds me of this great tool steve coleman uses…. constant looney tunes….

Here are sequenced mp3′s and charts for a short piece I wrote for Bb trumpet, trombone, electric bass, and drums called September Counterpoint (2010). There are frequent meter changes and two tempo changes. It’s a simple twelve-tone piece that was recorded on Monthly Meeting September 2010. Enjoy reading and playing along.

It goes without saying that all the files below are for individual learning purposes only and not for duplication or resale etc…

PDF’s:

September Counterpoint (2010) – Bb Trumpet

September Counterpoint (2010) – Trombone

September Counterpoint (2010) – E. Bass

September Counterpoint (2010) – Drum Set

MP3′s:

September Counterpoint (2010)

September Counterpoint (2010) – NO TRUMPET

September Counterpoint (2010) – NO TROMBONE

September Counterpoint (2010) – NO BASS

September Counterpoint (2010) – NO DRUMS

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