Favorite Scales? Favorite Rhythms? etc.

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phiktion
Posts: 47

Post by phiktion »

Looking for people to list some of there favorite scales and rhythms to play.
Electrode
Posts: 195

Post by Electrode »

Playing any scale (major or minor, similar or contrary motion) with one hand playing a straight rhythm, and the other playing a dotted or swung rhythm is great for coordination and general awareness - and if you want to play jazz, this will also enable you to work on different degrees of relaxation or tightness in your swing pulse. Switching which hand plays which rhythm is a good thing to be able to do, especially on changes of direction. For example, you could play C major, left hand straight, right hand swung - on the way up. On the way down, left hand is swung, right hand is straight.

Other patterns are: accents! Accent every second note, then every third note, then every fourth, fifth, etc. Try different accenting patterns in each hand. Then, as before, different accenting patterns in each hand for each direction.

Another variation: play scales in eighth notes for two octaves up and down (two notes per beat). When you get back to the starting point, go back up and down for three octaves in eighth-note triplets (three notes per beat). When you get back again, go up and down again for four octaves at sixteenth notes (four notes per beat). You can also combine this with either of the above two exercises in order to practice more than one thing at once, or for a greater challenge.

I practice all of these depending on what I need to focus on. Accents develop power and stability in the fingers, and for heavier accents, the forearm. Different rhythms (providing practice is focused!) make you more aware of where the pulse is, and allow you to free yourself from having to count everything. (In other words, it helps to create a sense of pulse within your head so that you can just feel it, rather than having to count it.)
TonE
Synthesia Donor
Posts: 1180

Post by TonE »

Electrode wrote:Other patterns are: accents! Accent every second note, then every third note, then every fourth, fifth, etc. Try different accenting patterns in each hand. Then, as before, different accenting patterns in each hand for each direction.
Another great post by Electrode, thanks a lot! Regarding the accents, it would be great if Synthesia would also consider velocity differences in the score. Then you could also observe how well you are doing with your accent exercises.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

TonE wrote:... it would be great if Synthesia would also consider velocity differences in the score.
I know we've talked about visualizing it before (falling note width or falling note opacity), but I still haven't had a chance to play around with it. Ideally, whatever we ended up using would automatically carry over to the performance analysis view where your own notes are shown overlaid on the song's.

EDIT: Sorry for interrupting. I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to post in the same topics as Electrode because I am just a distraction. His stuff is great. ;)
TonE
Synthesia Donor
Posts: 1180

Post by TonE »

Nicholas wrote:His stuff is great. ;)
His should be a her I think.
Nicholas
Posts: 13135

Post by Nicholas »

Electrode can correct us, but I'm 95% sure I'm right in this case. ;)

... though, I suspect he gets that a lot.
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cairnz
Posts: 182

Post by cairnz »

Nicholas wrote:Electrode can correct us, but I'm 95% sure I'm right in this case. ;)

... though, I suspect he gets that a lot.
All files included here are original work, created by Ashley Kampta [Electrode]

No wonder with such a name ;)
Electrode
Posts: 195

Post by Electrode »

You guys crack me up! :lol:

I do get the "Are you a girl or a guy?" question a lot, yes - mainly from those in the United States, where the name Ashley is predominantly female. However, in the UK, where I'm from, Ashley is a name used mainly for males. You can probably deduce now that I am a guy. :)

And Nicholas, don't worry about interrupting! I feel honoured when the creator of Synthesia has anything to say in a topic I'm contributing in. :D

EDIT: TonE and cairnz, did you see the video I posted up on YouTube about the swing pulse? You should have seen that I'm a guy already! :roll:
TonE
Synthesia Donor
Posts: 1180

Post by TonE »

Electrode wrote:EDIT: TonE and cairnz, did you see the video I posted up on YouTube about the swing pulse? You should have seen that I'm a guy already! :roll:
Of course not.

To spice up this topic, here another great and crazy musician: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6EMAiSyBag (Consider it as a swing example maybe. ;) )
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cairnz
Posts: 182

Post by cairnz »

I'll just leave this topic with " a lot of girls look like guys, and vice versa. " - no i haven't seen the video ;)
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