Klarinet Archive - Posting 000419.txt from 2002/02

From: LoriLovato@-----.com
Subj: [kl] book to practice rhythms?
Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 10:59:46 -0500

Greetings Kent,

Not sure if you will like this reply, but my suggestion
is to play latin jazz! Paquito d'Rivera has a wonderful
"Music Minus One" book w/CD on Brazilian Jazz.
It's fun, and because the most of the latin feels are
not "swung" it's closer to a classical feel. For most
of my students this has helped immensely! We just
read together a few minutes during each lesson. Once
they understand intellectually how to "read" and "break
up the bar" in their minds, we work on "feeling" the
written rhythm within the aural meter.

Kent's idea of walking and singing is fantastic. You
might also try reading only quarter notes in time
on an etude that has semi-complicated rhythms.
This helps you learn to "find the down-beats"
with your eyes in time. It's more fun when two people
use this technique, one person plays the etude as
written, while the other person just plays the down
beats. Have fun!
Lori Lovato
2nd/Eb NMSO, SFS, NMWQ, 3-2jazz.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Kent Krive [mailto:k.krive@-----.net]
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2002 8:25 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Subject: Re: [kl] What's a good book to practice rhythms?

Investigate the ProArt (Warner Bros.) Rhythm a Day for clarinet. It's a
collection for full band, but all exercises are arranged homorhythmically.
Musically, it's dry as toast, but it does "take the bull by the horns" in
approaching rhythm proficiency development. You get 267 basic rhythms, 14
scales and interval studies. There is a much more recently-published set of
sight-reading books whose title I can't remember, that would be very
helpful... Maybe someone on the list can cite it...

Then, master a rhythm counting system for both simple (i.e. 1,2,3,4;
1&,2&,3&,4&; 1e&a,2e&a,3e&a,4e&a, etc.) and compound (i.e., 1-na-ne,
2-na-ne; 1-t-na-t-ne-t, 2-t-na-t-ne-t, etc.) times; count each exercise to
"show" yourself how it goes (as opposed to having someone else "show" you
how it goes); if you can use your foot to manifest down and up-beats, so
much the better (proficient foot-tappers seem to be better rhythm readers
(sight-readers)). Incidentally, it should go without saying that one's
counting must be within the context of a steady meter.

If part of your problem is keeping a steady beat, the next time you go for a
walk, sing a favorite song to yourself in time to your footsteps. This
demonstrates the steadiness of pulse necessary to effectively utilize any
counting system. Then imagine you are walking at the tempo of your song to
keep the beat steady.

By the time you've involved yourself in the above drill for a few weeks,
you'll find yourself on the way to becoming an independent musician.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cool Creature" <englishiris@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] What's a good book to practice rhythms?

> I am having problems with my rhythm, does anybody know what's a book to
> build rhythmic fundamentals?
>
>
>

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