Transcript
Hi. This is Troy Roberts. Today we’re going to talk about rhythm exercises for the alto saxophone.
The world of rhythm is as big as, if not bigger, than the world of melody and harmony. How do we first tackle these rhythmic issues? I think a good way is to take something you already know very well, for example a major scale, so you’re not worried about the harmony or the melody. And just really focus on the rhythm.
If we were to have a metronome, say, about here, the typical thing to do is play sixteenth.
We’ve got sixteenth notes against the click or the pulse. What we can do to make that a rhythmic exercise is to change the rhythm. So, let’s get away from sixteenths and make them triplets.
Becomes a new exercise, right? Let’s take another rhythm, for example.
This can go on and on and on. So, when it comes to exploring the world of rhythm it’s important to take something you already know really well harmonically and melodically and apply new rhythms to it. The whole thing becomes like a brand new exercise.
