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I was wondering, do you guys have any suggestions about how to go about soloing on tunes that has unusual harmonic rhythms? The best example I can think of is "tell me a bedtime story". I know one way is to just play the melody or use the same rhythm as the melody, but I've also heard other people actually soloing and connecting ideas with them. To me, the amount of melody I can think of feels very limited because of it's complex nature, and I wish I could find a better ways to weave lines over tunes like that.

One way to think about it for me, is to think of that section as groupings of 3+3+4+6 eight notes (ignoring the fact that the first chord is anticipated on & of 4).

I am also working on a tune that has chord changes happening on the 1st beat, 4th beat of 1st measure, 4th beat of 2nd measure, 4th beat of 3rd measure, and another hit on & of 2 on the 4th measure. The way I think about is, to treat it as if it's 3/4+4/4+4/4+4/4+3/4+2/4 (so I am actually playing the last chord on 3 and not on & of 4). Right now, I kind of have to keep playing constant 8th notes just to stay in form and not get lost, but hopefully I can be more free with the rhythm once I get used to it.

Counting divisions like that (3+3+4+6) is OK for slow practice, but in real-time situations - like gigs - it's kind of cumbersome and mechanical.

I don't claim to have the process mastered, but what I try to do is to feel the first eighth (or whatever subdivision you are using)of each grouping in my gut - allowing a slight bounce to the body to occur.

To practice: Before you lay your hand on the keys, "Loop" the pattern internally until you feel comfortable with the lengthening (or shortening) of silence between each "bounce."

Remember that when you attempt to play in the spaces between, you'll be following your gut (pun intended). And you will mess up. But hopefully after some trial and error you'll gain some freedom, too.

Gearld12

I understand what you mean by playing by gut.. but I am afraid that in most cases, people end up picking up wrong habits if you only practiced that way. I play these songs with a group, and the drummer still makes the same mistakes over those hits... it seems like he got used to playing it a certain way, but it's not the rhythm he is supposed to play.

I think the reason we struggle with these kind of passage is because of our lack of rhythmic awareness... in other words we lose count of where we are as we play. I practice this way to reinforce that... Of course the ultimate goals is to be able to follow your gut and play them effortlessly, but I think that happens only after doing it systematically for a long time.

I think Counting seems to become more and more necessary as harmonic rhythm gets more complex..I am working on this arrangement for "little sunflower", which consists of series of over-the-barline dotted quarter notes in the B section, while going through a meter change in the middle of the phrase (why do I always write these difficult music?? :X), and at this point it's nearly impossible to keep myself together without counting.

I count loudly while soloing when i practice, seems to be the only way. Not very good at it, and 4 4 is hard enough!