• Disappearing Eighth Notes

  Friend,

  Here's a concept that might help you improvise with better flow. 

  Play an endless eighth-note line, using eight notes in every measure.

  Imagine those eight notes as a line of seagulls flying in a straight line, just over the waves.

  Now imagine the gulls dipping down in the waves and disappearing for a while, then reappearing, then dipping down, down into the waves and disappearing for a while, then reappearing, then dipping down again.

  This is how you should experience the rests between your phrases.  In other words, the eighth notes never stop: they just go underwater for a while and then come back up!

  If you're a piano player, you can think of it like this: you improvise with a steady stream of eighth notes, keeping your fingers moving continuously.  But every once in a while someone grabs your wrist and lifts your hand two inches off the keyboard so that your fingers wiggle harmlessly in mid-air.  Then the person lowers your hand again until your fingers re-connect with the keyboard and the sound resumes.

  One reason why a musician may improvise with shaky time is that he can't get up to speed immediately after a pause.  It's as if his sound is a big boulder that he brought to a stop and now has to get rolling again.  This is why it's helpful to think of endless eighth notes.  You no longer have to get an eighth-note line going after a rest.  You just have to merge with the one that was there all along.

  This way of thinking will probably have an effect on the way you shape your lines.  Specifically, many of them will start and end softly (when the notes are just above the waterline) and get louder in the middle.  It will certainly affect the way you hear your own rests.  They'll become more energized because you'll already hear the "engine" turning which is going to generate your next line.  How's that for a concept- energized rests!

  Try singing some eighth-note lines this way first.  When you think you've got the right sound, then apply it to your instrument.

  It works for me... and perhaps, it will work for you!

  I encourage you to subscribe to my Inner Circle, wherein I will create videos, lesson plans and specific studies for your specific needs! 

  To join, go to: http://www.PlayPianoAndReadMusic.com/innercircle.html

  To your success,

  Ron

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  August 17th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

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