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Use of Rhythmic Space
Use of Rhythmic Space
Date Posted: March 14 2010
Written By: chicago jazz
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The Use of Rhythmic Space––Part 3
By Frank Caruso
In previous articles I discussed the establishment of the groove and also the development of the skill of playing on three sides of the beat (center, front-center and back-center). It is assumed in any of these studies that the “groove’ is not adversely effected by using these techniques in your solo playing.
Another important thing mentioned was that having a keen sense of when these things are happening will allow you to participate in the playing of jazz as a contributor in the creative process. Remember, nothing is set in stone in jazz––whether or not good things happen is a byproduct of the players and their skills.
In this article (part 3 on the use of rhythmic space), I would like to share a conceptual technique that has helped me in both my practice time and performances. It is the concept of music as being open or closed spaces, where notes are played or not played.
It is very easy to fall into a sort of “rhythmic rut,” where ideas fall into near-predictable patterns. My favorite examples of open/closed playing are many tracks that Miles and Trane recorded, where the use of space in a phrase never really became stagnant. There was a sense of creating a rhythmic atmosphere that was always in a state of change. This type of playing is not always felt in “straight ahead’ music, but I think it should be experienced in all the genres of jazz.
The following page of exercises are written expressly for the purpose of stimulating rhythmic creativity by suggesting that open and closed spaces in improvisation can create very interesting solos which can allow the player a means of dealing with the “rhythmic rut.” They can be played with any duple or triple rhythmic denominations you may choose. I like to think of jazz-playing as a higher art form than simply making the changes on a tune (though making those changes is required to be a legitimate jazz player).
Let’s begin to analyze the following exercises.
Exercise #1
First bar: closed at front and back.
Second bar: closed at back.
Third bar: open at front and back of measure.
Fourth bar: open at middle and end.
Exercise #2
First bar: open (for the the most part) the whole measure.
Second bar: open front end closed on back end.
Third bar: open.
Fourth bar: open at front end closed at back.
Exercise #3
Bar one: closed.
Bar two: closed.
Third bar: open.
Fourth bar: front end open, back end closed.
Having explained the first three exercises I think the simplicity of this type of exercise is obvious. The following exercises (through exercise #10) are using the same concept to one degree or another. If you will look at exercise #9 you will notice that the same two-bar rhythmic phrase begins on different beats, not in chronological order. I find this to be an interesting way to experiment with rhythms. It is only six bars long, because the concept is pretty much exhausted at that point.
In exercise #11 I show a technique which I find very interesting. In bars one and two I am using a continuous rhythm pattern based on an odd number of notes, in this case nine. In the third and fourth bars I changed it to eleven. When you use this technique while soloing it can sound very interesting. Exercises #8 and #12 are a combination of various open and closed rhythm patterns.
The real purpose of these exercises is to get you to memorize or internalize how these manipulations of open and closed rhythmic spaces sound. This will allow you to 1) recall them while you are soloing, and 2) allow you to recognize when other players are using these spaces, and make you more confident as a contributor to what they may be trying to achieve.
These few exercises are designed to inspire you to create many more of your own. The possibilities are almost endless. And please remember that none of these conceptual ideas can ever replace the strong “groove” that is felt in great music.
nCJM
Frank Caruso is currently serving on the Jazz Studies faculties at North Central College and Elmhurst College. He also teaches at his home studio. He can be contacted at carusopiano@yahoo.com.
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