About ”GROOVE”

Last week, I watched a movie called " Session" through Amazon prime.

It was a story of a crazy percussion professor and one of his highly talented students in an elite music school in the States. It was quite a maniac movie, and the teacher was terrifying.

However, it depicted well how severe the competition in music was and also how much precisions were required to be professional musicians.

I always try to teach my students the " importance of lively rhythm in music-making."

Even in slow tempo, there are ways to make music move.

From elementary music to advanced level, this is always the same.

Japanese always has the combination of Vowels after consonants,

After any sound, the following vowel makes the sound sit and not move

How can we make music alive with momentum?

First,

We will discern the goal of phrases and a high point in it.

Then, in piano music, we will make fingering plans to execute that high point with full sound. Then, the rest, not( with full sound).

Also, we have to plan fingerings that carry one phrase without being cut off in the middle.

Planning!!

This may sound like something too complicated and things for advanced learners only but

This principle needs to be always heeded ~~ even for beginners, in simple musical phrases in beginners' method books.

It may sound rigorous, but if you hum the phrase, Anybody can see and hear ( feel ) where is a goal, where is the high point, and where is the goal, from our own singing.

When there are lyrics, that process becomes easier.

That's why I like to use piano method books for beginners with lyrics.

Going back to the main topic of today, " Groove."

I always want to be a teacher who does not just says, "Play fast! Play with staccato! Play with your heart! etc." but who can explain why and how and when.

In order to get a groove and full sound from a piano, one needs to utilize the flexibility of the wrists

One needs to use push back from previous pressing key movement, touch the piano keys' bottom, and bounce back to move to the next keys.

One has to know the next movement and placement well; anticipation is vital.

We use wrists and finger springs to connect notes.

In my piano lesson, I showed this incredible fast drummers' wrists movement in this movie. (Rhythm and solfege learning)

Both of my students were very impressed by the speed.

However, I never recommend children to watch this movie.

This sadistic professor uses too many horrible, aggressive and hurting words!!

映画自体は子供たちにはお勧めできません、Fワードに他にもやたら醜い言葉ばかり出てきますので、

Words have power! We have to be careful!

I tried to show them with the focus on the drummers' wrists movements, and My students were both too busy

I always want to be a teacher who does not just says, "Play fast! Play staccato! Play with your heart! etc." but explain why and how and when in a gentle manner!!

　　　　Before

　　and After

　　After a little GROOVE making instructions, her tempo doubled and her rhythm has become lively too I did not say faster at all！

　 With another student! 　

Sorry! I am almost shouting to you " Wrist! Wrist!!