Fun, simple timing exercise

[kesslari]

This is pretty simple, and surprisingly tricky.

Set the metronome.
Play a couple of bars of quarter note triplets, to get the feel.
Then play a couple of bars of dotted-quarter, dotted-quarter, eighth, again, to get the feel.

Now:
Play alternating bars of quarter note triplets and dotted-quarter dotted-quarter eighth's.

Try it - even just tapping them out on the table while you're perusing TB.

Have fun!

[INTP]

I've always liked the tension between triplet and straight 8th note patterns. I practice the same kind of thing myself.

I played with a drummer that would do alternate like this during jams (he did a lot of unconventional things, mostly to mess with bass players, I think). We would do it back and forth, until the guitar player started giving us confused looks.

[Chupacabra]

I was looking at some old Bass Player magazines a few weeks ago, this very exercise is suggested by Michael Manring in the 'Fall 1999' issue. Yup, that's an attic with some old & moldy mags crammed in it

[kesslari]

Well, I feel all validated now!
I actually got the exercise from Matthew Montfort, who has a book about world music rhythmic traditions, but it's cool (and not surprising) that MM suggests it too.

[Chupacabra]

I wrote it out as shown in Ex. 1. & once I got used to it, added some cross bar ties, in Ex. 2., to make it a bit more challenging.



Mucho fun-o

Edit - just noticed I misread your 1st post, you're using dotted quarters, not dotted eighths - similar exercise tho :P

[Hoover]

Originally Posted by kesslari

Play alternating bars of quarter note triplets and dotted-quarter dotted-quarter eighth's.

If you want to really master the difference between these two similar rhythmic figures, learn to tap the quarter note triplets with one hand while simultaneously tapping out the syncopated eighth note figure with the other hand.