Today I'm going to show you some well known beats but into odd grouping modulations. The tempo will always remain the same (that's why I'm playing them with a metronome) but they will appear to speed up or slow down. In every case I play the unmodulated beat, the odd grouping one, and go back and forth several times.
Here's Ringo's beat on "In My Life' played as if it's a grouping of seven.
Next up is Philly Joe Jones' groove from "Milestones" modulated into quintuplets.
....And for you children of the 80s (guilty as charged!) here's Larry Mullins' beat from "Sunday Bloody Sunday" played with the 16ths as quintuplets. (Bass drum stays on quarter notes.)
Next is the beat from "Pretty Woman" as well as most of the Four Tops' repertoire!
Finally, here's Steve Gadd's beat from "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" modulated into groups of 7.
....But then again, it always sounds the best this way!
As a complete neophyte who's enjoying these posts (in the same way that non-scientists watching "science" can sometimes be cool), these are interesting, but I find myself asking, "Why would you do this?"
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good question and I'm not sure I can answer that. I suppose if you were on a top 40 gig that you hated and didn't have the nerve to quit..........
ReplyDeleteSo this is not so much a performance technique as it is a practice technique?
ReplyDelete