Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Page o' skiplets - UPDATED

UPDATE: Boy, I suck— it turns out this thing is riddled with typos in the 4/4 versions. I'll let you know when I've posted the corrected version...

You know, instead of saying “skiplets”— a very stupid word I made up for the repeating three-note pattern of the standard jazz cymbal rhythm— I could have just said spangalang. It's real jock-sounding and I hate it, but I could have named this system something pompous like Spangalang Theory. The Spangalang Method. Maybe I'll do that with the book.  

I've updated the original page o' skiplets somewhat— for use with a couple of students. I wrote out each skiplet coordination unit in it's normal orientation and environment, in a full measure of 4/4 time. Which kind of defeats the whole purpose, but there you are.

I also circled some notes, which could be played on the bass drum. So you can play the snare part 1) all on the snare drum, 2) all on the bass drum, 3) circled notes on bass drum, uncircled notes on the snare drum. Here's the explanation of this system.  



It is an excellent system for learning jazz coordination quickly and completely, or for correcting weak coordination— much more satisfactory than the traditional way where someone assigns you some pages from Chapin and you go in the practice room and bash them out, with inconsistent results. 

I don't think these pages are completely successful, though. A better way to teach and learn this system might be to use a conventional resource like Advanced Techniques, and draw a phrase mark over the relevant portion. It does need to be done with a teacher (me, because I don't know of anyone else who teaches this way) there are too many ways for a student to misunderstand it, if he or she doesn't already know the terrain a little bit.  

Get the pdf

No comments: