MISC THOUGHTS on the RHYTHM SECTION

• TAKE LESSONS - if you don’t play jazz on a rhythm section instrument it is a must!
  
• The rhythm section must know the tune in order to successfully play the chart
  
• They should play as if they were one instrument
  
• Listen, listen, listen
  
  

• Drives the band. Set up amp behind the drummer.
  
• Sometimes setting the amp up off the ground makes it less muddy (put it on a chair or on a milk crate)
  
• The parts in charts often not stylistically correct.
  
• Walk formula (see separate page)
  
• Rick Cane (in a session last year) said if elec. bass, turn off the front pickup, just use rear - less muddy.
  
• Steve Skop (private teacher for many of Wayland’s bass students) says you can approximate the upright sound on the electric bass by playing over the finger board & using more finger on the string. It isn’t as clear as playing over the pickups; it is more of a “thump”.
  
• Listen to the drummer.
  
• in Latin or rock where bass drum is playing, the bass must match the bass drum exactly. Think of the bass as another percussion instrument when playing Latin or rock.
  
  

• Time-keeper is the high-hat -- drummer takes pulse from bass & passes to the band via the hat.
  
• Hat keeps 2 & 4 no matter what else is happening.
  
• Hat should be louder than the bass drum.
  
• Lock in the hat & the bass.
  
• In swing, NO BASS DRUM - or very light “feathered” strokes. Use as accents, setups or in kicks -- banging away on 1 & 3 muddies the bass line
  
• Latin has specific bass drum patterns & does use the bass drum. The bass player then locks in with the bass drum & acts like another percussion instrument.
  
• Lots of bass & snare is rock sound.
  
• Hi hat & ride is jazz sound.
  
• Keep it simple & out of the way.
  
• “keep time”, “fill”, “set-up” & “kick” -- see glossary.
  
Guitar/Piano

• Often the parts only show a whole note, or quarter notes, or in guitar parts, slashes. Here the piano or guitar comps the part. He/she determines the correct rhythm to play and what chord voicing to use.
  
• The guitar & piano have the same function in a band; they must play as a team and stay out of each other’s way -- cooperation & sharing
  
  • when one playing, the other lays out or just punctuates the sound
    
  • one comps, one sustains
    
• According to Al Vaudreuil, jazz guitarists “only own four strings” - using the bottom two strings often interferes with the sound of the bass.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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Jazz for The Classical Musican -- Diane Muffitt -- muffitt@bandnotes.info