Klarinet Archive - Posting 000552.txt from 2003/07

From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Student rhythm problem
Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2003 10:55:48 -0400

This isn't working. I tried counting the beat, both out loud & with the
metronome, in came my rhythm was shaky. I banged on the stand. I tapped on
his head (-- a la Toscanini. <g>) But after about 2 bars, he becomes
unstable.

I like your joke about drummers. You may have been off list when I
(proudly) announced that one of my twin grandsons had been addmitted to
study music ed under scholarship this fall. That was the euphonium player.
His twin is the drummer. He is going to major in computer science. He can
keep a nice, steady primary rhythm, but always had probems with off-beats
(eighth rest, eighth note, repeat). He had a smiliar problem with this one
rhythm, similar to what my clarinet students has with the 16ths/trips.
After about two measures, the rhythm simply destabilized.

Audrey Travis has suggested I try have him sing something with the same
rhythms, with a syllable on each note. This is one that I hadn't tried, and
think it shows promise.

Thanks for the suggestion. Jim

>From: "Jay Webler" <webler@-----.net>

>This is a fairly common problem with young students. I run into a lot with
>my percussion
>students. As you know, drummers have a notorious reputation for rushing.
>(How do you
>know a drummer is knocking at the door? His knock gets faster). This
often
>happens when
>drummers play fills after playing time for a while. The reason for the
this
>is because they fail
>to keep their mind on the fundamental pulse.

>I once went to a clinic by Joel Rosenblatt, the drummer for Spyro Gyra, and
>he passed out
>a practice sheet for drummers to practice while counting the pulse. No
>matter what Ostinato Rhythm
>(In the drum world this a repeated rhythm on a cymbal or bass drum), you
>play with the exercise
>you are to count out loud 1, 2 , 3, 4. The purpose of this exercise was to
>drill the fundemental pulse
>into the brain.

>Subdividing is excellent, but is possible to subdivide and not keep track
of
>the Pulse.
>What I sugget is this. When you subdivide with student count the downbeat
>VERY LOUD and subdivision
>very soft. Learning to keep the basic pulse in mind may help the
>subdivision. The Pulse is like the Big numbers
>on a Ruler.

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