The Victor Wooten 10 elements of groove periodic table

[mambo4]

I slapped this together for fun at lunch today.
The 10 elements are form Victor's Groove Workshop DVD & his book The Music Lesson.

The groupings are my own.

I am a nerd.

One of the thigns I really like about Victor's elements
is how it reduces the idea of groove to more concrete elements
for productive discussion and learning.

It helps circumvent the mentality that says
"you can't teach Groove, either you got it or you don't"

edit: there was typo , I had tapped out the wrong spelling of "physical"

 

[Womricot]

Hehe nice! Great dvd aswell, picked one up a few weeks ago, fun to see bassplaying from a different angle

 

[iJazz]

I saw what you did there!

iJazz - Periodically.

 

[Aureus]

makes a cool poster ! i like it. nice work. i only have that self-written list of victor wooten in one of my books with those elements. man, maybe im a nerd too ?!

 

[mambo4]

I saw what you did there!

iJazz - Periodically.

Ha I didn't even realize my choice of words...LOL

 

[ErikP.Bass]

This is great! I have come across it several times over the years and didn’t know that you created it @mambo4

 

[mambo4]

hmm.. I originally posted this in the archived Ask Anthony Wellington thread back in the day.
I guess someone thought to move it here to General Instruction?
No complaints... I like reminding myself of how much more there is to consider - and practice -than "just notes"

 

[Float Maroni]

Hi mambo4,

as a music teacher, I really love the concept of your periodic table and wanted to ask you if I could use it as a reference for my lessons. Of course I would put your name under it, but therefore I would have to know what your name is. I already mentioned that chart in my master thesis and stumble across it now and then, so I would be really glad to use it with your name on it!

EDIT: I would of course translate it into German, but other than that it would be exactly the same.

Cheers from Germany!

Florian

 

[mambo4]

Consider this my permission for anyone to use the image I posted freely, with or without attribution. After all, I got it all from Victor.

 

[Float Maroni]

A man of honor, thank you so much! If you want me to mention your name on it, you can gladly write it as a DM.

Cheers!

 

[dave_p]

I don’t believe in the “either you have it or you don’t” philosophy. I also don’t subscribe to groove as being something you are taught. Groove comes from having musical freedom through study of music and your instrument. Once you can play with some level of freedom, the groove will follow. It’s a lifelong pursuit with no finish line.

 

[mambo4]

Groove comes from having musical freedom through study of music and your instrument.

Agreed. And these are the specific, teachable elements you must study to achieve such musical freedom.

There is no shortage of threads here with hundreds of us fools trying to define groove in hundreds of different ways.
We always claim groove is of supreme importance, while failing to define it in a consistent and actionable way.
Victor's breakdown of the idea into concise elements lays out practical skills to pursue, imho

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Victor's breakdown of the idea into concise elements lays out practical skills to pursue, imho

(Here is what I've noticed over the years.)

Those extraordinary musicians with their superb technique skills, usually, don't follow their own advises.
It's really difficult to find any track with Victor Wooten on the bass where we can clearly see, "YES, one could easily hear that "SPACE" that Victor has been talking about."
And I understand.
Superb technique is like a competitive addiction. Yes, it's competitive, but addiction - just go faster and faster.
We (even as the beginners) all tend to suffer from that kind of addiction - nothing new under the Sun.
And it attracts a lot of views and fans.
I have NOTHING against Super Technique - I wish I had it more, but...
Musicians must be careful not to overwhelm the Artistry and Musicianship by overloading it with that superb technique, but who cares - it looks so good on Youtube.

Another very important (from my perspective) point about groove that is missing in that "groove periodic table."
The bass is creating GROOVE in and with the Rhythmic section, with other instruments participating in that groove.

Here is a nice track, "King of the Lobby" from The Brecker Brothers.
The bass on that track could help Victor Wooten's "periodic table" - Lots of Space.

 

[mambo4]

Another very important (from my perspective) point about groove that is missing in that "groove periodic table."
The bass is creating GROOVE in and with the Rhythmic section, with other instruments participating in that groove.

Well, "Listening" is one of the elements. Maybe its a stretch to claim it means awareness of the whole rhythm section.
But in my book , what are you "listening" to, if not the whole band? Perhaps it need an asterisk

"Listening*"

* to more than just yourself

Buy yes, 100% Groove is a collective endeavor