A Framework for Musical Practice, Part 3: Language and Vernacular   Welcome to the final installment of our series on applying the rhythmic phrasing of jazz standards to the drumset. This time we’re exploring ways to extract themes from the Thelonious Monk tune “Straight No Chaser” to help bring continuity and logic to our improvisational efforts. As I listened to different recordings of “Straight No Chaser,” certain ideas emerged, and below are a few of the things that I was drawn to explore. These motifs reappear throughout the tune, and you can use them as you structure solos based on the melody. One common way to exploit these rhythmic hooks is to insert rests between ideas while maintaining the song form, which in this case is a twelve-bar blues. Framing the rhythms this way helps convey a stronger message. The example below is one solo chorus that uses each motif […]

February 2014 Issue