Next step, discovering where duple figures land. This is when counting You can apply the essence of these 6/8 exercises to 3/8 meter. You’ll just
or thinking the numbers of each 8th note will help you. It helps because count “and” after beat two. Like this:
you’re now going to play some activity in 6/8 that lands just after 2 and
just after 5. For some of you this probably sounds WAY too complicated,
but hang in there. With practice this will be effortless for you, not
agonizing.
You’re comfortable now with counting or thinking the 8th notes, right?
Great. Now I want you to insert a couple more syllables as you count.
Instead of just “1-2-3-4-5-6” I want you to say/think “1-2 and 3-4-5 and
6”. You’re adding a quick “and” between 2 and 3 and between 5 and
Then, play something like this for your duple figure in 3/8.
6. Like this:
Be patient with yourself, keep practicing drills like this, and before long
Keep the metronome going and get comfortable with this new pattern.
you’ll find that playing duple figures comes naturally for you.
You’re going to playing a duple figure now where you’ve added the new
“and” after beats two and five. Something like this:
You’ll discover lots of other songs in triple meter that use duple figures.
Songs like Come As You Are/Crowder, Jesus We Love You, Great Are
You Lord and others.
To help you focus on your playing, I’m creating some click tracks where
I count the beats as well as the “and” as described above.
Two notes are being played in the space of three. Once you’re
Visit kerrtunes.com to find them.
comfortable with that pattern, start alternating between the steady six
notes and this duple figure. Like this:
Ed Kerr
Ed lives in Seattle with his family. He serves as Worship Arts Director at First Free
Methodist Church, teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche’s leadworship workshops,
and is a clinician with Yamaha’s House of Worship. He also manages the Yamaha
Worship Facebook group and invites you to join the group.
www.KerrTunes.com
August 2018
WorshipMusician.com
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