Favorite modulation?

topic posted Tue, August 29, 2006 - 6:24 PM by  Spencer....
I feel a need to get this forum going.

I was curious if anybody had any really cool modulations or beat displacements that they like to use. I just recently came into it and am having a blast figuring this wacky shit out. My favorite one so far is going from a 4/4 rock groove to a 3/4 grouping that is shifted one 16th note back( so it actually starts on the "da" of beat 4 on the last bar of 4/4) and lasts for 3 bars.
posted by:
Spencer....
Los Angeles
  • Re: Favorite modulation?

    Tue, September 5, 2006 - 2:59 PM
    I love doing this kind of thing.. I'm into rhythmic illusions.. i love accenting odd's when in even meters. A simple example every 3rd 16th untill it repeats (accent the > )

    >e&>,2e>a,3>&a,>e&>,1e>a,2>&a,>e&>,4e>a,1>&a,>e&>,3e>a,4>&a

    I've been studying tabla now from aloke dutta. There is allot of this kind of thing but times 1000. It is by far the most challenging/musical thing you can do in the percussive world. Sitting in front of a pair of tabla for the 1st time you feel like an child again..
    • Re: Favorite modulation?

      Sat, September 9, 2006 - 10:09 AM
      I just got into a wacky modulation that is similar to that......

      It actually creates the illusion that you are playing a shuffle by starting on the da of the 4 on the bar of whatever groove you are playing and using that pattern you just described, only alternating bass and snare parts, starting with the da of 4 and putting a sixteenth rest just after every accent.
      Each represented note is played on the hat with the right hand, just as a shuffle would be.
      Continue it for two measures... you should have 5 snare hits all the way through. This isnt everybody's style, but it makes you really work hard to keep the pulse in your playing.

      I think this is how it would translate (let the underscores represent rests)

      1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &a_e&_2e_a3_&a_e&_1e_a2_&a_e&_4e_a
      ____________b__s__b__s__ b__s__b__s__.b__s__b
  • Re: Favorite modulation?

    Wed, September 27, 2006 - 4:40 PM
    man i was hoping to be better at ascii text tabs but i'll try to describe it best i can...
    i play a basic rock beat (bass on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4) while playing quintuplets with my hands. right hand is on the ride cymbal and left hand on the snare. since the bass drum and accented snare (beats 2 and 4) happen every five notes like the following

    R l r l r L r l r l
    F

    then i'll alternate my right hand between the bell of the ride cymbal and the bow (main part between the bell and the edge) for alternating sounds. this messes up my ears and lays a nice two-note pattern over the quintuplets. AND THEN i'll add my left foot tapping the hihat pedal starting on the first lowercase r above and play that every four notes. i think. at that point i can't keep track of what i'm doing so my current quest is to figure it out. i think i have it written down in standard notation. it ends up taking four measures to complete one cycle until your feet and hands line up at the beginning.
    • Re: Favorite modulation?

      Sat, July 14, 2007 - 2:33 AM
      In this exercise are you playing 5 note groupings of 16th notes or actual Quintuplets (five notes to every quarter).

      I ask because, ostensibly, using Quintuplets , there will be no displacement of the rhytms.


      I tried this out both ways and they are both really interesting to listen to.

      Which one do you use?
      • Re: Favorite modulation?

        Wed, July 18, 2007 - 10:43 PM
        TakedinegaTakedinegaTakedinega!
        • Re: Favorite modulation?

          Thu, July 19, 2007 - 1:25 AM
          unfortuntately, you haven't answered my question.

          Takedinega can be used to express 5 notes that fit into one quarter note
          or it can be used to express 5 16th notes that are used in a measure of 4/4.

          It's just a measure of counting something without regard to scale. Does this make sense?

          Which are you referring to?
          • Re: Favorite modulation?

            Thu, July 19, 2007 - 10:25 AM
            Yes that makes sense....

            I just like saying Takedinega......

            It looks based on the content of the post that he's just playing groups of five as as a fill.
            Simply because he is talking about referencing to the hi hat..... Could be quintuplets but sounds more like a fill than a modulation.....

            Wanna take that a step further, you can roll between the accented figures..... Take that a step further by preceding each accent with a tom hit on the opposite hand.... Take that a step further by flamming all of your figures..... Take that a step further by flam dragging your figures........

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