The notes or the rhythm?

[emanresu]

The notes.
Or rhythm.

Which one has your focus when improvising?

edit: just a fun edit.
the definition of "letter" :
1.a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
2.a written, typed, or printed communication, sent in an envelope by post or messenger.
I had a thought of adding a question about letters=notes... but there is this crazy thing happening in English.

[rpjazzguitar]

It's easier, for me, to focus on notes, but it's better when I focus more on rhythm. That is, to the extent I can separate one from the other.

[pamosmusic]

It's easier, for me, to focus on notes, but it's better when I focus more on rhythm. That is, to the extent I can separate one from the other.

Agreed.

Notes have my focus.

Rhythm SHOULD have my focus.

on those unusual (maybe not rare exactly, but unusual) instances when I feel focused on rhythm, I sound significantly better.

[AllanAllen]

If we are going either/or... inside notes with an uninteresting rhythm sounds better than outside notes with an interesting rhythm.

If we are taking a wider view, after you learn the major scale, work on interesting rhythms.

[pamosmusic]

If we are going either/or... inside notes with an uninteresting rhythm sounds better than outside notes with an interesting rhythm.

Ooooo hard disagree

[Jimmy Smith]

For me, it all has to be good. Rhythm, melody, harmony. If it's shoddy somewhere it won't sound good.

[AllanAllen]

Ooooo hard disagree

Dude, the C major scale in quarter notes over a ii V I is going to sound better than a C# poly-rhythm over the whole thing. Listen with your ears not with jazz theory.

They're both the wrong way to play, one is just less annoying.

[James W]

Dude, the C major scale in quarter notes over a ii V I is going to sound better than a C# poly-rhythm over the whole thing. Listen with your ears not with jazz theory.

They're both the wrong way to play, one is just less annoying.

No. Playing C major over a ii V I is closer to listening with jazz theory than doing something outside of that.

It's good to widen one's harmonic/melodic palette, don't you think?

[Jimmy Smith]

I'm starting to hate a bunch of diatonic stuff. I'm starting to want most of my sounds to have something altered or spiky with major/diatonic-y the smaller proportion just for the necessary stability or resolution. Inside notes with uninteresting rhythms to me is gtfo.

[pamosmusic]

Dude, the C major scale in quarter notes over a ii V I is going to sound better than a C# poly-rhythm over the whole thing. Listen with your ears not with jazz theory.

They're both the wrong way to play, one is just less annoying.

Two words my guy.

Thelonious.

Monk.

Rhythm is king.

A major scale in quarter notes sounds terrible. Random crap with bad rhythm sounds terrible too. Random crap with really strong swinging rhythm actually sounds surprisingly good.

[emanresu]

83 views and 3 votes on notes.
Hesitating?

[emanresu]

143 views and 3 on notes, 0 on rhythm.

This poll is beneath!

[sgcim]

I think more about how much my tax refund will be this year.

[pamosmusic]

Two words my guy.

Thelonious.

Monk.

Rhythm is king.

A major scale in quarter notes sounds terrible. Random crap with bad rhythm sounds terrible too. Random crap with really strong swinging rhythm actually sounds surprisingly good.

i should amend by saying that scale would sound good if those quarter notes swung and sat in the pocket. Which is to say again … rhythm

[emanresu]

I think more about how much my tax refund will be this year.

I have nothing smart to say. But this is more important.

[pauln]

The notes.
Or rhythm.

Which one has your focus when improvising?

edit: just a fun edit.
the definition of "letter" :
1.a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet.
2.a written, typed, or printed communication, sent in an envelope by post or messenger.
I had a thought of adding a question about letters=notes... but there is this crazy thing happening in English.

On the guitar the objects of focus might be the foundation of melody and harmony in the left hand, rhythm in the right... might the poll be asking which hand?
Crazy English indeed, the word "notes" is plural but the word "rhythm" is singular. Rhythm in music is a given, the intrinsic foundation; if you're not there the notes don't much matter (if you have to focus on rhythm, you may not be there). We don't sound notes anyway because notes are the letter names that each represent multiple pitches; we sound pitches (plural), but may focus on pitch (singular) which none the less includes everything from tuning to harmony/harmonies.

[Lionelsax]

If I could I would say rhythm first.

[MadeulPlaysGuitar]

Rhythm! There's an H. Jon Benjamin (voice actor for Archer Sterling) album where he plays jazz piano while not knowing how to play piano. It's supposed to be funny, but I think it actually sounds unironically good, because the guy obviously understands jazz, and, while mostly hitting random-ish notes, hits them in time.

[ragman1]

The notes.
Or rhythm.

Which one has your focus when improvising?

Both, as well as resonance, volume, movement, and everything else. It's all one thing, the overall effect. Ultimately it's the mood conveyed by the playing that matters, not the closely examined specifics.

[Christian Miller]

When it’s all good, I am focussing on the rhythm. But that presupposes I can play the changes without thought which is more the case for some things than others lol.

I wish I was better at disregarding the harmony and letting go. As others have said random playing with good pocket sounds surprinslgy legit. (I can probably work on this week actually… hmmm)

Simple notes with good rhythm always sounds good. Tbh I play mostly triadic chord tones now lol. Cant speak to the rhythm haha but my rhythm does seem better when there’s less clutter there and I’m not using my stupid pinky.

When improvising I find it’s quite possible to make decision about harmony at quite a chunked level ‘oh I’ll do a tritone sub here’ etc.


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[Christian Miller]

A major scale in quarter notes sounds terrible.

Depends entirely upon the quarter notes of course

It’s surprisingly hard to play good quarter notes… at least for me lol.

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[GuyBoden]

Improv Jazz rhythm is very difficult to notate, as no doubt we all know after years of transcribing solos.

[Christian Miller]

I tell you what, when it comes to writing stuff down, Allan Holdsworth can naff right off.

Other than that, you go 'oh its a bebop line, 8th notes' - of course this doesn't record the nuances of note placement and articulation in the real music.

[Christian Miller]

The classic test is seeing how good someone is at singing and playing interesting rhythms on just one note or no pitch at all.

If a student can do this, wonderful. All you have to do is teach them some nice pitches to play on things. If they can't... well that's why I get paid the big bucks lol.

Again, repertoire. Steal good rhythms and internalise them.

[Reg]

Yes... and sometimes we need to expand what we believe to be legit. I love to play burnnin ...maybe what some would call not legit but... But almost always gets best applause and generally starts to raise the level of performance of the other players as well as draw in audiences...LOL. I sometimes make mistakes trying to pull off some of the crazy shit I play... And generally.... it's rhythmic. I mean the notes generally are pretty straight ahead... it's personally more of what one does with them.

We're talking about jazz right.