Q. Hi Jan
One issue I'm trying to workout is ways of getting other musicians into more complex time.
I've been involved with this stuff in varying degrees for some years now. One of my primary goals is to be able to communicate more clearly with other musicians who may not be as involved in polyrhythmic playing.
Sometimes if I move into interesting rhythms, the other players will get confused and move one. Maybe that's me not being clear, maybe that's them not understanding what I'm trying to do.
Thanks for your efforts and passion in putting together such great information.
Dave
(Ohio, USA)
One issue I'm trying to workout is ways of getting other musicians into more complex time.
I've been involved with this stuff in varying degrees for some years now. One of my primary goals is to be able to communicate more clearly with other musicians who may not be as involved in polyrhythmic playing.
Sometimes if I move into interesting rhythms, the other players will get confused and move one. Maybe that's me not being clear, maybe that's them not understanding what I'm trying to do.
Thanks for your efforts and passion in putting together such great information.
Dave
(Ohio, USA)
I am very happy to hear that you are enjoying the book. It is always humbling to read/hear that someone appreciates your work. These comments help replenish your motivation.
Now to your question...
Finding players that want to engage in "new things" can definitely be hard sometimes, so you want to be as clear as possible when you finally find them...
It sounds to me like you are talking about a situation where you are getting together for fun. It wouldn't make sense to be paying players who refuse to play your music. If this is happens to be the case, then the obvious solution would be to replace them.
Parting from this perspective, my suggestions would be to:
1. Learn the material:
Making the material easy to understand will give you a greater chance of having receptive people. You should know how to construct, dissect and employ the concepts you are trying to incorporate.
2. Start slowly:
Depending on the level of the other players, you might want to incorporate just one concept into a "practice tune"/composition. Incorporating less "new" concepts at a time might take longer, but it will give you better results. By doing this, you can ensure that everyone's performance is on point when "the hard stuff" comes along.
3. Introduce the concepts in order of difficulty:
This relates to my previous suggestion. Starting with the easiest concepts first will also help the transition.
4. If there is no foundation, build one:
Do these musicians know the building blocks to the concepts you are trying to use? If they don't, then you should start by incorporating these building blocks into the music you play.
5. Find the right type of musician:
Even if a musician has all of the skills mentioned above, that does not guarantee that he/she will want to play your music; or even these concepts. Some people just want to play a particular repertoire all day long, and that's perfectly fine. If this is the case though, you need to look for other players that have the same interests as you.
Sometimes, it is better to have less experienced musicians with a will to learn, than experienced ones with a set way of doing things. If you can get experienced musicians who are also willing to play the material, then you are golden.
As the saying goes: "Where there's no will...
Wait... I think you need that will part…
Thanks for reaching out, as well as for your kind words.
All my best,
Jan
A. Hello Dave,