Yet another hike

While hiking today, I worked on vocalizing and playing the frame drum. First working on scales, arpeggios and some other warmups with a cool accompanying groove. Then worked on singing the songs while playing a cool groove in the right tempo.  If it works this bare,  then that’s a cool place to build from.

Evening walk

Really helped to get out of the studio tonight and hike,  some much needed lyrics nicely flowed in…………….gots to get out the studio…………….that was a cool lesson. I’ve been trying to get these lyrics with slow progress and then walking and clearing my head out in the open night air did it. My Zoom H4 H4n Handy Recorder was with me to capture the raw ideas. David BiglinDavid Biglin on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads,  collaborated the next day and he moved the melody around some and had some cool lyric ideas.  Time to really clear up nebulousness and instill some clarity.  Although the whole impressionistic approach to music is really inspiring,  where one may draw there own conclusion to things.   We are working on a balance in the lyrics……..can’t wait to release this music!!

a very exciting time to be working. David Biglin and I have found a rare collaborative space.

Framedrum hike

Did another nice hike with a frame drum http://www.rhythmweb.com/frame.  Walking became the metronome http://www.metronomeonline.com.  Each step a beat of whatever value needed . On the frame drum I improvised for a nice long while,  then got down to some specifics I wanted to work on.  That day it was 3.  I was feeling a longer 3 ,  so each step was an eighth note.  6 steps to a measure.  I worked on playing 4 notes on the frame drum over  the 3 beats (steps),  this gives you  a familiar 4 against 3  polyrhythm common in jazz and  african rhythmic drumming and dancing. I worked on this till it felt comfortable. Then 5 over 3 again untill it really grooved nicely keeping a good pocket with my steps.  I’ve been wanting to explore  playing  rhythms based on 5’s and 7’s where the groove  felt as natural as anything in 4 or 6.  I know this is going to take some time because  I want to be able to play them over  a long group of notes.  It’s easy to play 5 notes in the time of a quarter note,  but playing 5 notes in the time of 2, 3 or  4  beats takes some shedding.  Once I’m able to feel and lock into 5 over 2 beats or 5 over 3 beats then the fun starts.  Where you leave some notes out. punching holes in the rhythmic grid. A goal is to be able to fluently play any grouping that you wanted that worked.  5’s into 7’s into 4’s or 3 s,  the list is endless. Same is true of 7 over 2, 3 ,4 5 or many others.  Gary Chaffee http://www.garychaffee.com hipped me to so much cool stuff like  this when I studied with him, ……way deep.  Groove is king and it has to be music not mechanical sounding…………  Getting behind the drumkit and connnecting with other musicians and incorporating this stuff into good music is more like it…………. More hiking in the next few weeks.