Walking in 3?

nathanmcnathan · #1 10-08-2008, 01:22 PM

What does everybody do for walking in three? We're playing my favourite things in jazz band, and I've been kinda just playing half-note-then-quarter-note for the leading tone, like walking in 2 almost. What does everybody else do?

**bassman314** · #2 10-08-2008, 01:27 PM

Dave Brubeck has a great version of "Favorite Things" that his group did. The bass player does a combination of one note per measure, some 2-1 changes, but also tons of just straight quarter-note walks.

nathanmcnathan · #3 10-08-2008, 01:30 PM

Cool, I'll have to check it out!

paganjack · #4 10-08-2008, 01:32 PM

i find i tend to hit the root on almost every 1, especially if the chords change every measure. I would still play quarter notes (3 notes per bar).

if there are longer stints of the same chord, i generally would play the root on the 1 of the first bar at least and walk around a little more adventurously for some of the other measures.
So, a 4 bar phrase for GMaj7 i would play maybe...
G B C /D E F# /G D B / D B [p]
where [p] would be a passing tone to the next chord.
or at least i think that's what i would play. walking for me is more in my hands than in my brain. so that line might make no sense- if i had a bass in front of me i could tell you more.

i always feel kind of constricted in 3, but i presume that's more from it not coming up that often.

von buck · #5 10-08-2008, 01:34 PM

same as walking in 4, only in 3

Andy

BigOldHarry · #6 10-08-2008, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by von buck

same as walking in 4, only in 3

Andy

smart ass!

TroyK · #7 10-08-2008, 01:47 PM

Is your question about note choice or rhythmic patterns?

I agree that with note choice, my ideas come from the same place as in 4; basic theory (triads, chords, scales, passing tones, melody).

For rhythm, there are a lot of exercises that I've done in the past that basically amount to playing every subdivision. 1 and 3 are off the shelf waltz and work well. What worked best for me though, is that I went out and sought 3/4 recordings that I liked the time feel of and emulated it. "Up Jumped Spring" from "Three Blind Mice" is a really good referrence for me. There are a few versions of "Sometime Ago" that really jump out at me. But it's whatever you hear.

I actually have a fair bit of personal distaste for "my favorite things", so I can't really say, but the only reason that people play that tune is because of the 'Trane version, so I'd check it out. It is everyone's referrence point...that and The Sound of Music.

Aaron Cohn · #8 10-08-2008, 01:59 PM

The way I see it there are two basic jazz feels in 3.

You can play in one, which is probably most analogous to a 2-feel in 4/4 time. This doesn't mean you only play on beat 1. Just as you can throw in notes on beats other than 1 and 3 when playing in a 2-feel, you can add notes (even lots of notes) in between the downbeats in 3. But even if you play all 3 beats in a given measure, the emphasis is on the motion from downbeat to downbeat. Listen to some records--there are plenty of examples of this. I was just listening to Sonny Rollins' Valse Hot, which is a good example.

The other way is to walk in three--quarter notes on all 3 beats. Depending on the tune it may make sense to begin in "one" and then walk in three.

Listen to Trane playing My Favorite Things. Listen to Miles doing Someday my Prince Will Come. Plenty of other examples as well.

Edit: Didn't see TroyK's post until after I posted. Good stuff in there--didn't mean to repeat some of what you say.

Ed Fuqua · #9 10-08-2008, 02:14 PM

God I get so tired of typing this stuff. Look everything that is important to building a line in 4 is the same in 3. It's not a formula, it's your ear. What are you hearing? Play THAT. If you aren't hearing it DON'T PLAY IT. It's not play on one or play all three or play one until you play dotted quarters till you play quarters. The experience of responding to your musical environment in a musical fashion does not lend itself to simple, formulaic responses.

Georynn · #10 10-08-2008, 02:24 PM

Just like 4, only keep all your passing tones to the unaccented notes. In other words your ears tend to hear the accented notes and kind of ignore the unaccented notes.

so If you are thinking ONE-two-three. keep all your passing tones on the two and three.
Where if you were playing it as one-TWO-three-FOUR, the 2 and 4 are scale tones and the 1 and 3 are passing tones.

Am I making any sense at all?

hdiddy · #11 10-08-2008, 02:24 PM

Ed, you should just let some of the other guys just type it for ya. Eventually someone will say it.

Yeah, 3 is same as 4. Rakes just get a different feel for timing so that you finish on the downbeat. The only diff is that I like to mess with dotted quarter notes as accents, esp playing in broken 3 feel.

nathanmcnathan · #12 10-08-2008, 03:36 PM

Thanks for all the great ideas! I think I've found some new ideas to try out at next practice!

mattfong · #13 10-08-2008, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hdiddy

I like to mess with dotted quarter notes as accents, esp playing in broken 3 feel.

Dotted quarters are fun... playing in a sort of 6/8 feel underneath the 3 feel everyone else is doing for a little bit for some variety. 2 dotted quarters a bar.

Marcus Johnson · #14 10-08-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

God I get so tired of typing this stuff. Look everything that is important to building a line in 4 is the same in 3. It's not a formula, it's your ear. What are you hearing? Play THAT. If you aren't hearing it DON'T PLAY IT. It's not play on one or play all three or play one until you play dotted quarters till you play quarters. The experience of responding to your musical environment in a musical fashion does not lend itself to simple, formulaic responses.

Hehehehe... he's ba-a-a-ack...

He's also right.

However, I have a friend, great pianist, who absolutely hates it when I just walk through changes in three, which i love doing if the time's right. I do it sometimes just to get that New Jersey-born look from him... but it doesn't last long. So I avoid it with him. But Ed's post is on the money. If I could fit it on a tee shirt, I'd do so.

TroyK · #15 10-08-2008, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

God I get so tired of typing this stuff. ..It's not a formula, it's your ear. What are you hearing? Play THAT. If you aren't hearing it DON'T PLAY IT. ...responding to your musical environment in a musical fashion does not lend itself to simple, formulaic responses.

You're right, of course, Ed and I think it's worth it for people to hear that from you.

My point was not so different from yours. If you aren't hearing jazz in 3 and don't have any ideas, you probably haven't listened to enough jazz in 3 and should go there next. My reference recordings are simply my reference recordings, everyone has to find their own. For me, once I started hearing other people, I starting understanding what I heard of myself and my own voice started coming through.

Absolutely not a formula.

Marc Piane · #16 10-08-2008, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

God I get so tired of typing this stuff. Look everything that is important to building a line in 4 is the same in 3. It's not a formula, it's your ear. What are you hearing? Play THAT. If you aren't hearing it DON'T PLAY IT. It's not play on one or play all three or play one until you play dotted quarters till you play quarters. The experience of responding to your musical environment in a musical fashion does not lend itself to simple, formulaic responses.

Tell your story brother Ed.

If you are really in the dark just listen to how guys that know how to do it play in 3. There are plenty of great recordings out there. Start there.

Paul Warburton · #17 10-08-2008, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

God I get so tired of typing this stuff. Look everything that is important to building a line in 4 is the same in 3. It's not a formula, it's your ear. What are you hearing? Play THAT. If you aren't hearing it DON'T PLAY IT. It's not play on one or play all three or play one until you play dotted quarters till you play quarters. The experience of responding to your musical environment in a musical fashion does not lend itself to simple, formulaic responses.

Who the hell do you think you are?
This music is very, very complicated! How dare you say that you get so tired of typing this stuff!
Are you actually intimating that one can use one's ear to further the processes of musicality?????
Holy **** and my god!

I need a valium.

TroyK · #18 10-08-2008, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

I need a valium.

Paul, you've got to stop talking about valium. You've been making my mouth water all day.

Coincidentally, "My Favorite Things" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come" also make me want valium.

Eli_Upright12 · #19 10-08-2008, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattfong

Dotted quarters are fun... playing in a sort of 6/8 feel underneath the 3 feel everyone else is doing for a little bit for some variety. 2 dotted quarters a bar.

A la Bill Evans and Scott Lafaro, on Waltz for Debby the do a waltz feel for the head (Lafaro plays all dotted half notes with a couple pickups I think) then they go to a 2 feel for the solos (I'm pretty sure there is also polyrhythmic 2 versus 3 stuff going on there too.)

alexgeddy · #20 10-08-2008, 08:01 PM

Hi,

On the brite side if you get 3/4 down..you should be good to go with 5/4.....I'm kinda bein serious!! it's something (I think) bass players get used to playin is 4/4.... when I get hit with a 3/4 I gotta take a step back and rethink it !! must be old age !!

just work with it ....even if you need to get a metronome!!!!

good luck,
Bill