Jazz druming? I'll have to start all over again!

[Jayme]

How, what, wuh?
2/4 then 5/4 then 3/4 then 4/4 Then 2/4?.....
5/4 then 6/4 then 5/4 ?? I can't get it to sound right, it doesn't sound good!!
make 16 beats but split it up into different time signatures? Why doesn't it sound right??? Please Explain.

Jayme

P.s i can play 5/8 and 5/4 beats as well as 7/8, 7/4, 3/4, 3/8, e.t.c but when i join them together they sound wrong!

 

[Davenhurst]

Keep playing them and try different ways of moving between signatures, you'll get a feel for how it all works. Just play around and get into some serious grooves. Man. Like, lose yourself in it and, like, totally get absorbed and, like stuff, and ....like.. i'm hungry.

 

[mikeh]

The best way to "master" odd time is to break the count into smaller sub-groups. As an example: 9/8 could be 3 groups of 3 - or groups of 4 & 5. Any given tune in odd time will lend itself to the "best" way to sub-count.

Naturally, you need to get the feel of the count so that you do not get so hung up on counting that you froget to play.

I've played many very complex fusion tunes over the years (things like John McClaughlin/Mahivishnu and various Zappa compositions) and in some situations as a freelance sub drummer, I've had to play songs that I did not even know in complex times - for the first time on stage. Again, you simply need to "feel the song".

One other suggestion, don't think of jazz as a "seperate style of music" this often simply serves to intimidate. Music is music, don't think too much, just play.

 

[Ronan]

The best way to "master" odd time is to break the count into smaller sub-groups.

Yeah, when you get down to it, everything is in 1

 

[Davenhurst]

"...everything is in 1"...... nice!

 

[LeksBD]

Hey man,

I hear what you are saying, I had trouble at first. But I had an amazing tutor (Terry Stannard, Used to play in a band called "Kokomo") who helped me open my mind from just the norm; 4/4, 6/8 etc.

It does help to break it up like mikeh said. 12/8 is 4 groups of triplets etc...

But the thing to remember is, when you play fills/breaks etc, they have to fit the time. It makes no sense playing say, 9/8 then putting a 4/4 fill in.

I laugh when I overhear people say, "Yeah hes really good, hes Jazz trained...". Again, like mikeh said, don't think of Jazz as a specialist genre, just relax, open your mind and experiment.

Leks.