Scene 1: Jam session, rehearsal, or a gig. Bandleader’s Line: Let’s play “Green Dolphin Street” … and… Drums, how about you play an intro? Spot Quiz: A.) Do you ask, “How long?”B.) Do you ask, “What tempo?”C.) Do you ask, “What kind of feel do you want?”D.) Do you just play a solo? Answer: None of the above Let’s work our way backwards in the suggested answers in our imaginary movie scene. An intro is NOT a solo. It is meant to function as a short bit of rhythmic storytelling that sets the time and feel and SOLVES the problem as far as HOW TO START THE TUNE. In this sense, we are as much plumbers as we are storytellers or musicians. By this, I mean when we call a plumber to unclog the sink, we don’t expect him or her to ask us HOW we’d like them to unclog […]

April 2022 Issue