Week 15 20-03-15 Armando’s Rhumba and So Nice

Week 15  20-03-15

Armando’s Rhumba  and  So Nice

To begin this session we did some more clapping and tapping but now with hands and feet going at different speeds (eg foot taps crotchets whilst hands clap minims, crotchets, quavers or semiquavers). Try swapping these activities between hands and feet (ie hands now clap crotchets, foot taps minims, crotchets, quavers or semiquavers). Don’t ask me why you have to do this - it’s like drinking cod liver oil - you might not like it but you know it’s doing you some good!

Last week Ash reminded me of an interesting web page on Rumba Flamenca which shows the traditional strum pattern for guitar plus some popular clapping rhythms

1) Slap the top of the guitar with the flat of your right hand, muting the strings and tapping the top of the guitar

2) Strum upwards across the strings with the first finger

3) Strum downward across the strings with the back of one or more fingers

4) Strum upwards across the strings with the back of your thumb

5) Repeat for hours on end as fast as possible (be careful !!!)

Here’s the link:   http://www.studioflamenco.com/About_Rumba_Flamenca.html

After this we worked at bars 13 - 16 of Armando’s Rhumba trying to use whole-half diminished scales in bars 13 and 14. Although this scale may be less familiar to you it is still an important sound to have at your disposal. Remember, there are really only three scales to practise because of their symmetric nature. There are many melodic possibilities on this scale.

I offered a simple melodic pattern of 4 notes:

tone above chord note, chord note, semitone below chord note, back to chord note - now repeat up a minor third etc.

(eg on C diminished it would be  D  C  B  C  then  F  Eb  D Eb  then  G#  F#  F  F#  then  B  A  G#  A  )

In the second half of this session we looked at a two bar fragment of Chick Corea’s solo (bars 13 and 14) which uses the two whole-half diminished scales (as discussed previously). The choice of tension notes (always a whole step above a chord tone) can suggest a dominant seventh chord (which then offers another way of thinking about the chord although the scale may well be the same). You 

will find below my two chorus transcription of Chick Corea’s solo (also in the Dropbox). In bars 13 and 14 I have put in brackets the most likely dominant seventh chords that Chick could be thinking of, as suggested by his choice of notes.

Finally we did some more trios (thanks to Wook for lending her phone). Check the Dropbox for these. I think there is some lovely playing here, good interaction and listening between all members of each trio (including some really sensitive brush and stick work from Charlie).

Next week I’d like to put together some complete versions of our two pieces (rather than just playing sections).

Cheers Mark

mark@markbassey.com