Articulation

Music Lesson

Introduction to Pushing

If we look at the first phrase going into the second bar, we have a quaver tied over to a quaver in that second bar. Those are commonly known as pushes.

It's like we're pushing into that beat.

Playing the Phrase

I'll just play that phrase on its own.

• One to the...

Let's do it together:

• One, two, three.
• Let's do it one more time: One, two, three.

Observations on Long Notes

You may have noticed on the demo that on those long notes, the notes with the line underneath the tied quavers, I was putting little gaps in between them when we just played it. Then I was playing it long all the way through without gaps.

You can maybe decide which sounds best, but I tend to prefer the gaps.

Practicing with Gaps

I'll play that phrase now with gaps:

• One, two, three.

Maybe that was a bit too short. Let's make the notes a bit longer, but still with a gap.

So now I'm going to play that first phrase, and I'm going to play those pushes which we've just learned.

• Connected all long notes, the tied quavers are all going to be long, and then I'm going to play it with gaps in between those tied quavers.

See which you think sounds best:

• One, two, three.

Now I'm going to add the gaps:

• One, two, three, four.

Timing and Pushing

Now we're putting those gaps in there. We kind of have to edge the time. It's like pushing onto the beat, hence the word push, which we use for notes of this type.

Da da da ba da da da da da da.

So make sure that you're pushing onto that beat before you take the gap.

I'll play it, and then you repeat after me:

• One, two, three.

Adding the Drop Effect

There. I added something, which I did in the demo recording. It's called a drop onto that A in the fourth bar.

Basically, it's like a very fast fall down onto that bottom A. It gives it a bit of flavour, it gives it a bit of grit in this funky rock feel.

Try it with me from the beginning again:

• One, two, three.

How to Execute the Drop

How am I doing that? Well, I'm starting on a high note and I'm literally dropping my embouchure, my airstream, my tongue to that bottom note.

So practice playing an A, the bottom A, but imagine you're going to play a very quick high note before it. You can choose any note you like. It's an effect.

You have a go.