rhumbagirl
Senior Member
Hello DW,
It's been a couple years since we last spoke. Hope you all are doing alright!
I've been playing drums off and on (non-professionally) for 40 yrs and this is the first time a band leader has made the entire band rehearse with a metronomic click (smartphone app plugged into a guitar amp which isn't loud enough to always be heard).
This is a jazz combo with between 5 and 8 players playing everything from jazz ballads, to fast bebop, and some latin and funk. However the bebop is primarily where he uses it.
My research says that music needs to breath and the correct use of metronomes is to spot check but not play-along. An example of this is in the Woody Shaw composition "Zoltan" which was recorded on Larry Young's "Unity" album:
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=009
- 118 bpm - marching snare rhythm
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=029
- 120 bpm - 8 bars, Afrocuban rhythm
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=036
- 117 bpm - A section 16 bars, Afrocuban rhythm with horns (melody)
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=053
- 120 bpm - B section 8 bars, swing
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=101
- 118 bpm - C section 8 bars, Afrocuban rhythm (melody)
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=109
- 117 bpm - A section 16 bars, Afrocuban rhythm (trumpet solo)
I used the metronome app for Android and used values that held true for 8 bars or more.
So, it is apparent to me that a spot check at the Afrocuban sections A and C would have been a more effective use of the metronome than a play-a-long approach. The tune would not sound as refreshing had the swing been reduced to the same tempo as the other non-swing sections. Perhaps I need to repeat this exercise for the other tunes and show it to him to convince him it isn't an effective tool for the way he's using it. Matter of factly, it's counterproductive since when we find ourselves getting off the click, we have to skip time to re-align, instead what real live playing calls for - listening to your fellow band members to realign.
Any thoughts?
Rhumbagirl
It's been a couple years since we last spoke. Hope you all are doing alright!
I've been playing drums off and on (non-professionally) for 40 yrs and this is the first time a band leader has made the entire band rehearse with a metronomic click (smartphone app plugged into a guitar amp which isn't loud enough to always be heard).
This is a jazz combo with between 5 and 8 players playing everything from jazz ballads, to fast bebop, and some latin and funk. However the bebop is primarily where he uses it.
My research says that music needs to breath and the correct use of metronomes is to spot check but not play-along. An example of this is in the Woody Shaw composition "Zoltan" which was recorded on Larry Young's "Unity" album:
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=009
- 118 bpm - marching snare rhythm
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=029
- 120 bpm - 8 bars, Afrocuban rhythm
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=036
- 117 bpm - A section 16 bars, Afrocuban rhythm with horns (melody)
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=053
- 120 bpm - B section 8 bars, swing
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=101
- 118 bpm - C section 8 bars, Afrocuban rhythm (melody)
https://youtu.be/_vVHT-wSLik?t=109
- 117 bpm - A section 16 bars, Afrocuban rhythm (trumpet solo)
I used the metronome app for Android and used values that held true for 8 bars or more.
So, it is apparent to me that a spot check at the Afrocuban sections A and C would have been a more effective use of the metronome than a play-a-long approach. The tune would not sound as refreshing had the swing been reduced to the same tempo as the other non-swing sections. Perhaps I need to repeat this exercise for the other tunes and show it to him to convince him it isn't an effective tool for the way he's using it. Matter of factly, it's counterproductive since when we find ourselves getting off the click, we have to skip time to re-align, instead what real live playing calls for - listening to your fellow band members to realign.
Any thoughts?
Rhumbagirl