2+3 = Your Time Feel Working with rhythms in groupings of twos and threes can help develop your time feel and phrasing ideas by Suzanna Sifter ‘a8 studied privac with bassist Ds t tant lesson h rhythms break down to some combinations of 2 and 3, and that there isa basic, finite set ofr mic groupings bas. three variable ters: rhythmic subdi sion, meter, and the subdivision as the eighth note, the meter as 4/4, and the number of measuces in which the pattern happens as one. The most impor- At first, the best way to practice The four possible combinations tant aspect of a these groupi way from of cighth notes grouped in twos and player's abil your insteun threes totaling his orherinternal with your foot and tap of 4/4, are: 3434 time feel alternately with your right and left ds. Strive to’ maintain a steady find that yous time is at it rushes or slows shows these patterns notate: Suzanna Sifter ’88 is an instructor in down. Since the purpose of these ex the Performance Studies Department, ercises isto strengthen your time fel She is also an active professional jazz continue to tap constant eighth notes composer and pianist. until they become steady. 20 Berklee today Fall 1993Next, introduce the grouping 34342, count out loud: 123, 123, 1 2, accenting the beginning of each subgroup with your hand every you say “one.” Work this rhythm groove by tapping it for long stretches at a time. Practice this and the other combinations with a met- ronome, with music, and unaecom- panied tntil they feel very comfort able, even at faster tempos, Now ler’ try altering one cter of the previous exercise. If we work with two measures in 4/4 it doubles the number of eigh from eight to 16. This opens up a vast number of possibilities for combina- tions of twos and threes in which over-the-barline rhythms ean occur 4,332,323, B.232, 2322 C.3222,322{(see example 2) Working with groupings 0 and threes is a great way to become fluent in 12/8 and odd times such as and AFORMULA gorge Example 2 | Example3 7/8, 9/8, and 11/8, Odd metefs ean be superimposed over 4/4 for some great, tension-producing, over-the- bar line effects Different combinations of 2 and 3 can also be used to break up those fluid, cighth-note, bebop lines. Lis ten to Pat Metheny's solo on “All the Things You Are” from his Question and Answer album (example 3) for great examples of displaced melodic rhythm in Pac's improvised lines. Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voy age” (example 4) uses a composition- al technique featuring an ostinato with 2s and 3s. See in the last bar of the ostinato that three can also be broken down into 2+1, 1+2,or 1+1+1 for further combinations. I feel that the most important as- pect of a s ability is his or her sense of time, regardless of gente. “These exercises ean help you develop a solid, internal time feel FOR PHRASING | rom Pac Metheny’s “All the Things You Are” solo, | Aminabs Got + clear | de. | gst | Example 4 Herbie Hansosk’s “Main Voyage a 2 3 Dee Fall 1999 Hat CrooK HOW 10 IMPROVISE PPR TO PRACTCNG PRNETON 208 Cm i Vein ot?) | 102 ee arn 2 ns | 0105 bk iy at we oboe | Sea eaten ey 15 ‘itn ny mt eed en ar eon fk rh a re, Os, Peso Rae | yl lc team oie wet ny aun se es ed ys Gy ope Hat Croox CREATIVE COMPING | FOR IMPROVISATON | it omg Ve (i Fe) Oi #10 ve Comp We 3 (Wee 120 Cate Ging L320 es her? 131 | id else a 1 Cen vad Me ery fn (polar su Hk es, | nissan ea | "eterno i eg dot | ADVANCE MUSIC te 6,728 tt Gay rh 272 157 er OUTER |_sse p e c O ne ian eid