Why are there more books on scales and modes than on timing and feel?

[christianm77]

Playing percussion has helped me (I think) as has intelligent use of the metronome and playing with records. I've been particularly interested in working on the placement of my offbeats recently.

My feeling is that this has helped me understand the structure of rhythms and heightened my awareness of the way other players are feeling time.

I'm not sure if it has improved my time per se, but it has certainly made playing music more fun! I also feel I'm learning more on the bandstand.

There is a technical aspect to rhythm - I think if you start playing drums or percussion that becomes a bit clearer, but in a deeper sense the learning of rhythm seems to be experiential and learned by playing with good players.

[christianm77]

The other side... most musicians start with melodic and harmonic BS... which provides stuff to play quickly.

I certainly fell into this trap early on. Now I see melody as an expression of rhythm, and harmony as subservient to both. I've only really started feeling that in the past few months and it's a completely different way of playing music. Much more enjoyable.

BTW a percussionist friend of mine who plays Afro-Cuban music professionally, said that in Cuba musicians don't tend to practice on their own but play together all day.

[Larry Feldman]

Doc Jay so sorry to take so long to get back. In the Tapping section of the app there are the microphone and microphone sensitivity buttons. I'm using an iPhone headphone with it so place the mic of the headphone somewhere on the guitar. Good luck, vacation over. Back to the rhythm.