2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference the Rhythm Section… Can Make It Or Break It
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2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It Presented by Jeff Phillips - Walt Disney World, Freelance Musician, Clinician and Adjudicator Session Coordinator – Jesse Bryant, Rochelle School of the Arts - Lakeland, FL Assisted by Rob Lambert, Harrison School for the Arts, Lakeland, FL The Polk State College Jazz Band Rhythm Section, Winter Haven, FL Don West, Director Luke Wilmoth, Piano – Ian Albritton, Guitar – Trenton Moser, Bass – Brendan Nagy, Drums The purpose of the clinic is to make sure each player in the rhythm section understands their role, that each player is working their best to play together, and that when accompanying a band or soloist, they must play tasteful, unrelenting time. Swing Style Drums: Hi hat usage Velocity of attack Eighth note triplet feel on the ride cymbal Using the left hand to comp, or in the early stages, start to play cross sticks or standard sticking on beats 2 and/or 4 In being an accompanist, a "fill" is never as important and keeping solid time moving. Don't play a fill or something else just for the sake of playing it. It has to make musical sense and add something to the music. Bass: Quarter note placement. Using the triplet eighth note feel to place the quarter note. Placing the quarter note "inside" of what the drummer is playing. The bass should be aiming to place the quarter note inside the hi-hat as it closes on beats 2 and 4. Play "straight down the middle" with a solid attack on each note, making each note sustain as long as possible. pg. 1 2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It Do not play "ahead or up on the beat". This is poorly chosen terminology often levied by teachers and musicians, at every level, who don't have a clear understanding of what is actually going on. If you want to ruin a bassist for life, just tell them to play "up on the beat". Usually, all they are looking for is velocity of attack and commitment to the note. That said, your bassist must pull the strings, whether it is an electric or acoustic bass to create a solid “4 beat" feel. Guitar (if applicable): Again, addressing the quarter note, we will use the Freddie Green/Herb Ellis approach of playing quarter notes. Guitar uses same basic note placement as the bassist, but with short notes. Velocity of attack across the strings, with the sound of the pick crossing the strings being of extreme importance. 2 and 3 note voicing when possible or once learned. Use top 3 or 4 strings only. "Rootless" voicings if possible. Roots and fifths of chords can be omitted. Go to www.FreddieGreen.org to read about how he did what he did. Sidebar: Freddie did not use a pick, but your student will need to. Piano: Depending on whether guitar is present, the pianist role can change. The pianist can play less notes if guitar is present. If not, then the pianist has to assume a part of the role the guitarist has. If guitar is present, I have the student play less of the part unless it is a transcription of a famous part, sometimes letting them use one hand at a time until the part becomes 'comfortable". NO SUSTAIN PEDAL should be used unless you have an advanced player that knows how and when to use the pedal. Teach the student to sustain with their fingers first. If there is no guitar present and you have a beginning jazz student, I use the same technique already mentioned. If the student can play fairly well in the section, even if they are strictly a really good reader and not an improviser, I will have them play more of the part, or for lack or better terminology, "busier". Even still, I try to limit myself to 4 to 5 voices maximum. If the pianist is advanced enough, avoid root position chord voicings and roots and fifths unless voiced in the higher voices. Again, NO SUSTAIN PEDAL. pg. 2 2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It Bossa Nova/Samba The average student doesn't have time to make a study out of the "clave" in this music. They do however, have YOUTUBE. Drums: The role can be much understated in the slower tempo Bossa Nova, or busier in the faster Samba tempo. Bass drum will be light in volume in both. For simplest, pure form Bossa Nova, listen to original version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's, "Girl from Ipanema" and "Wave". For more advanced versions of Bossa/Samba, Brazilian artist Rosa Passos. All of these can be found on YouTube. Again, everything the drummer plays must be deliberate. Playing soft or lighter can be accomplished by playing less parts of the kit than playing everything to light and losing the sense of rhythm. Bass: For beginner, half notes played on beats 1 and 3 with a solid attack. Let the notes sustain. Guitar: Again, as mentioned above, we do not have the time to address the “clave” in rhythmic placement of chords for the guitar and the piano. However, you have recordings and videos into the thousands of hours just on YouTube alone. A student / teacher can study technique, chord structure, note placement, etc., just using YouTube. It does not require a microscopic dissection, it requires listening and emulating. You can use Jamey Abersold’s website to search for chord voicing books, whether it be jazz/swing, or Brazilian style playing. Piano: The pianist should approach comping in Brazilian style in the same manner as the guitarist. The role, does again, change, depending on whether or not guitar is in the section. If not, then the pianist must study the same type voicings as the guitarist and not play thickly voiced chords. You can do everything you need to do, initially, in 4 voices. The rhythmic feel is most important and to not overplay that feel. If guitar is present, the pianist must learn to not play the same thing the guitarist is playing. This requires high level thinking that will be addressed in the clinic. pg. 3 2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It Jeff’s Recommended Listening for Big Band Rhythm sections Top artists, by instrument, known for their rhythm section playing Piano Count Basie Oscar Peterson Mike Renzi (accompanist for Mel Tormé, Jack Jones, Tony Bennett) Wynton Kelly Duke Ellington Bass Ray Brown (first and foremost) Christian McBride John Clayton Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (duets with Oscar Peterson) Guitar Freddie Green Herb Ellis Kenny Burrell Russell Malone Frank Vignola Drums Jo Jones Buddy Rich Sonny Payne Terry Clarke Butch Miles Harold Jones Jeff’s Top Big Band Rhythm Sections. 1. Count Basie Rhythm Sections - 1937-1939 Drummer Jo Jones already using the ride cymbal on some tunes by this time. First rhythm section to have a "light" but tight feel. Nearly every famous band of the Swing Era had excellent rhythm sections, complete with guitar. pg. 4 2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It 2. Band leaders Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw had excellent rhythm sections that, despite what some "jazzers" like to classify as a commercial style, are worth studying. The majority of the musicians in these sections transitioned easily to jazz later on. 3. Count Basie Rhythm Sections 1954 to present. 4. Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass had a more "modern" sound, but still had a 4 piece rhythm section that accompanied the band magnificently. 5. Woody Herman 1962-1964 - Great rhythm section with Jake Hanna on drums. 6. Ray Brown and Herb Ellis from the Oscar Peterson Trio of the 1950's must also be mentioned here. 7. Duke Ellington 1954 to 1974 8. Jazz at Lincoln Center Rhythm Section. There are, of course, many other great rhythm sections, however, I am trying to keep it to sections that played unrelenting time as an accompanying entity. The quarter note is never lost in any of these bands or by any musician. These are musicians who revel in playing "time". Important reference recordings and/or YouTube videos Links: Swing Count Basie Complete Decca Recordings, 1937-1939. CD Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgFOsxrlYKw Count Basie "Corner Pocket", 1962 DVD available. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IVX8BayOCA Count Basie and Frank Sinatra 1965 Live TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsSEgsLDhA4 Benny Goodman 1935 (year wrong on link) excellent example of hard swinging in 2 beat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU-T43tKJYo Oscar Peterson Trio with Stan Getz. No drums. CD Available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqnGrK6Q3uE Woody Herman 1963. Mosaic Collection on CD 1963-1964 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B0UAjrfOYA pg. 5 2016 FMEA Professional Development Conference The Rhythm Section… Can Make It or Break It Duke Ellington, "A Train", 1962 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6mFGy4g_n8 Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass. "Things Ain't What They Used To Be" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rovOejbiUEo Monty Alexander-Ray Brown-Herb Ellis (all 7 parts to this concert on YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK9UDGGOxGk "Chattanooga Choo Choo" original stereo track from 1941. Forget the commercial aspect. This is a phenomenal true stereo example of this band and a great rhythm section. Also a great example of an original "shuffle" and use of ride cymbal.