GOT RHYTHM?
A creative approach with rhythm adds life to the phrasing of improvised lines.
Berklee today
by Professor Ed Saindon 76
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changeable; both are correct.
The term cycle indicates the time it takes
for a rhythmic unit to play from beginning to
end and begin again on the downbeat of a
succeeding measure. For example, eighth
notes phrased in four in 3/4 time require two
measures before the rhythmic unit begins
again on the downbeat of the third measure.
This two-measure cycle will consist of three
units of eighth notes phrased in groups of
four (see example 1 on page 21).
Working with Rhythmic Phrasing
Try improvising using the rhythms of the various musical examples. At first, try playing the
rhythms using a specific scale. The more you
practice and hear these rhythmic groupings,
the more they will naturally appear in your
improvisations. The ultimate goal is to play
these rhythmic units over the chord progression of a composition.
The improviser is also encouraged to learn to
start a rhythmic grouping on any beat or on any
partial of any pulse in the measure as opposed to
always beginning the cycle on beat one. As an
improviser, you should always know where you
are in the form of the song and where beat one
is in every measure.
In addition, move freely between various
rhythmic units based on rhythmic pulses such as
eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes without necessarily completing the cycle of each
rhythmic unit.
The musical examples illustrate several ideas
to develop rhythmic phrasing. Examples 2
through 4 show one-measure cycles of eighth
notes phrased in three in 3/4 time with accented
notes, rests, and rhythmic subdivisions.
Examples 5 and 5a show a three-measure cycle
of eighth notes phrased in three in 4/4.
Examples 6 and 6a show a four-measure cycle
using triplets phrased in four in 4/4. Example 7
has a five-measure cycle of triplets phrased in
five in 4/4. Example 8 is another five-measure
cycle employing sixteenth notes phrased in five
in 4/4. Example 9 is a five-measure cycle of
quarter-note triplets phrased in five in 4/4.
tude combines some of the rhythmic
ideas discussed above (see example 10). The circled numbers indicate the number of notes
and/or rests in each rhythmic grouping. The
piece begins, for example, with triplets phrased
in four (a one-measure cycle). Measure two
begins with triplets phrased in five (a five-measure cycle), and so forth.
I encourage you to create your own variations based on the concept of rhythmic phrasing. While this article includes a random sampling of rhythmic units with various pulses in
3/4 and 4/4, other possibilities would include
the use of different time signatures,
polyrhythms, and rhythmic units with two to
seven notes. An in-depth treatment of this subject can be found in my book Exploration in
Rhythm, Volume 1, Rhythmic Phrasing in
Improvisation.
DICK LORD
Many improvisers work on developing their
improvisational skills primarily by exploring
techniques related to note selection. While
note choices, level of harmonic sophistication,
and technical facility contribute greatly to a
players overall sound and voice, rhythm is an
often overlooked component in the study of
improvisation. Rhythm is usually last on the
list of priorities of a player seeking to develop
an identifiable personal style, yet the world of
rhythm offers improvisers and composers
many untapped possibilities.
More often than not, improvisers resort to
playing lines made up predominantly of
eighth notes. Additionally, when a player
lacks awareness of phrasing and/or chooses
phrase lengths that are repetitive and constricted by the chord progression, his lines
tend to be monotonous, predictable, and
hemmed in by the bar lines. Considering
rhythmic phrasing offers the improviser freedom from the bar line. The goal of this article is to help you integrate concepts of rhythmic phrasing into your playing so that introducing rhythmic variety becomes part of your
natural vocabulary in the improvisational or
composing process.
Further, working on rhythmic concepts
improves your time feel, ability to hear longer
phrases, and overall sense of form. And better
time feel helps you hear more interesting
rhythms that float over the bar lines without
restriction.
The term rhythmic phrasing refers to a
grouping of notes or rhythmic unit based on a
specific rhythmic pulse such as eighth notes,
triplets, or sixteenth notes. Depending on the
time signature, rhythmic pulse, and rhythmic
unit, the phrasing generally crosses the bar
line and obscures the overall sense of time.
You can use several techniques to create a
rhythmic unit. As shown in the examples on
page 21, the rhythmic unit is shaped through
the use of accents, rests, partial subdivision,
and pitch. In all the examples, the initial
rhythmic unit will be indicated with a bracket. Expressions such as triplets phrased in
four and triplets grouped in four are inter-
Professor Ed Saindon is an active clinician and an
editor for the Percussive Arts Societys magazine
Percussive Notes. His latest recording, Depth of
Emotion, is a quartet outing featuring Saindon
on vibes, piano, and marimba and Dave Liebman
on soprano sax. Visit www.edsaindon.com.
Examples of Rhythmic Phrasing
Five-measure cycle of triplets phrased in five in 4/4 with pitches and rests
Eighth notes phrased in four in 3/4 time
Ex. 1
Ex. 7
(Brackets indicate the rhythmic unit.)
Five-measure cycle with sixteenth notes phrased in five in 4/4
Examples 2 through 4 show ideas for phrasing eighth notes in three in 3/4.
Ex. 8
Ex. 2
Ex. 3
Ex. 4
Rhythm unit with accents
With rests
With acents and pitches
Five-measure cycle of quarter-note triplets phrased in five in 4/4
With rests and pitches
Ex. 9
With partial subdivision, rests
With pitches
Etude
Ex. 10
4
Three-measure cycle of eighth notes phrased in three in 4/4 with rests
Ex. 5
Ex. 5a
With pitches
Four-measure cycle using triplets phrased in four in 4/4 with rests
Ex. 6
4
With pitches
Ex. 6a
All musical examples by Ed Saindon 2007
All rights reserved.
Winter 2008
*Circled numbers indicate the number of notes and/or rests in each rhythmic grouping.
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