Exercise #9: Latin Eighths to Triplets with the Melody as Accents

Medium Up Latin Intro Melody

8

Nica's Dream
Horace Silver

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2. Start Swing

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B Swing

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Start Latin

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A Latin

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Latin to swing Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers often employed the technique of moving between a straight eighth latin feel and swung triplet feel during a song. Nicas Dream is a perfect example of why this technique is so effective. The sudden shift to swing on the bridge totally changes the mood of the song, keeping the listener fully engaged. Blakey (and Papa Jo before him) often employed this same technique of moving between straight and swung feels in his solos. Setting up a rhythmic feel and then switching to a new feel can produce some really exciting direction in a solo. Additionally, switching into a new feel can give you a wealth of new ideas to draw on. You can even alternate rapidly between two feels to produce still more tension.

Step 1: Moving Between Accented Straight Eighths and Triplets In this exercise you will practice changing rhythmic feels by switching from latin straight eighths to triplets with the melody as accents.

Guide R.H. and L.H.= Straight eighths to triplets with the melody as accents R.F. and L.F.= Latin feet and jazz feet as required by the melody

Example #1 (measures 38-41)

Drum set

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1. R 2. L L R R L

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Playing Tips: Moving Between Latin and Swing Succesfully The main difficulty with this technique of moving between two feels is that it is very easy to loose the groove when you change subdivision. Very often you will find yourself either dragging or rushing when moving from one feel to another. To make sure you have a basic mastery of this issue, try moving between straight eighths and triplets with the metronome at a relatively slow pace before attempting this exercise. Example #2
4x

Drum set

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1. R 2. L L R

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4x

1. R 2. L

L R

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Try to anticipate the upcoming feel while still playing good time in the feel you are in. Often Blakey would help to anticipate the new feel the song was moving into by playing a fill in the new feel a measure or two before the shift. Notice that in this recording, the melody actually shifts to the new feel the measure before the bridge and the return to the A section. The quarter note triplets in the fifth and seventh bars of the A section will require you to move quickly and smoothly between triplets and straight eighths.

Example #3 (measure 12-13)

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Drum set

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Suggested Recording Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers