[Trombone-l] musicianship question

[Daryl Burch]

Not to hammer the point to death, but....

"Black Widow" and "Coin Toss" are two EXCELLENT tunes to show how 
lyrics can be influenced by rhythm. "Black Widow" is a slow-burn groove 
that has tons of polyrhythmic syncopation throughout the verses that 
you can't help but feel. You can pick them apart in many different 
subdivisions.

These would be really effective at showing high school kids how adults 
can groove too. Then you tell them Maceo's pushin' 65 and has been 
recording for 40 years. They're jaws will drop.

Then you point out the he & Fred Wesley are on the Black Eyed Peas 
latest album (track 10, "They Don't Want Music"). And they won't know 
how to handle it.

Last August I gave a "Maceo care package" to a high school friend that 
plays alto sax. She hasn't stopped listening to it since and has taken 
a greater interest in jazz band. Of course now she's wearing Bootsy 
Collins star-shaped sunglasses and fishbowl platform boots. And keeps 
ramblin' things like "You got ta rock wit' da funk." And "Jump back! 
Kiss ma-self! Ow!"

Cheers!
-D-
www.radionoise.com <- Rock star by night
www.burchinteractive.com <- Tech-nerd by day #;-)


On Mar 1, 2006, at 3:28 PM, John Monroe wrote:

> GREAT suggestion.
>
> Thanks, Daryl.
>
> John Monroe
> On Mar 1, 2006, at 3:26 PM, Daryl Burch wrote:
>
>> Jon von Olen (Blue Wisp Big Band, Andy Williams, Mel Tormé) at CCM
>> would have his drummers say phrases to play certain swing rhythms on
>> the ride cymbal.  Most commonly he'd have them say "What the f---, 
>> what
>> the f---, what the f---." This tended to raise the eyre of the more
>> religious players. But _THEY ALL_ learned how to play  a solid swing 
>> in
>> their ride cymbals.
>>
>> A more accessible example would be the very first track on Maceo
>> Parker's "Dial M-A-C-E-O" album. Just saying the phrase "Rabbits in 
>> the
>> pea patch. Catch 'em. Catch 'em." instantly puts a bump in your step
>> and conveys the infectious groove they're about to lay down. So much 
>> so
>> that my 2 & 7 year olds do it from the start. And I hear walkin' 
>> around
>> the house singing it.
>>
>> Since so much of funk is based on inner body rhythm, that's about the
>> best example I can think of of thinking musically. "Duh da duh da dee
>> dot." doesn't have quite the same impression as "rabbits in the pea
>> patch" IMHO. If you saw that phrase written on the staff it would just
>> be straight 8ths with _maybe_ some articulations marked. Interpreting
>> it would be solely up to the player.
>>
>> I hope haven't strayed too far off the point. Just happened to be
>> listening to Maceo when this message came through.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> -D-
>> www.radionoise.com <- Rock star by night
>> www.burchinteractive.com <- Tech-nerd by day #;-)
>>
>>
>> On Mar 1, 2006, at 2:02 PM, Raymond Horton wrote:
>>
>>> I agree.  I use the rise and fall of speaking very often as an 
>>> example
>>> for phrasing.
>>>
>>>
>>> You could start with a negative example:
>>>
>>>
>>> "Imagine listening to a teacher who always gives the emphasis in a
>>> sentence to the last WORD.  He or she might do this occasionally to
>>> make
>>> a special POINT.  But if he does this all the time it would be very
>>> ANNOYING.  (etc)
>>>
>>>
>>> Then illustrate the rise and fall of normal speech, and they will be
>>> much more aware of it.  You can make up words to musical phrases - or
>>> just imagine general lyric type ideas without specific words ("Here,
>>> [in
>>> the second variaton to 'Annie Laurie'] this is where your dog 
>>> died...")
>>> or in a choir, just have them say the lyrics in a free and easy 
>>> manner.
>>>
>>> RBH
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> dslide13 at aol.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> I use the language metaphor always.  Playing technically without
>>>> musicianship is similar to Ben Stein's monotonous tone in Ferris
>>>> Bueller.   So, have them present the music as they would read lines
>>>> in a play.
>>>>
>>>> David Gibson
>>>> trombonist/educator
>>>> www.jazzbone.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Jay Sheridan <jsheridan at usv.k12.oh.us>
>>>> To: trombone-l at samford.edu
>>>> Sent: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 14:34:01 -0500
>>>> Subject: [Trombone-l] musicianship question
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> For all those that do any teaching, how do you teach a student (or
>>>> group-
>>>> band/orch etc) to play musically? I have tried several different
>>>> ways, but none
>>>> seem to be working. I have a group that can perform rhythmically and
>>>> in tune,
>>>> but is lacking musically. The group in question is actually a choir,
>>>> but I
>>>> usually think in trombone terms when talking to them anyways.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
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