Long and short notes
With
Mike LovattMike Lovatt looks at how the long and short notes in "Slinky" shape its swing feel, and how swapping them around changes the groove.
What's in the course
29 lessons (1h 2m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Music Lesson: Exploring Long and Short Notes
In the lesson on a small step, we learned how we can change long and short notes again to help the swing.
Analyzing "Slinky"
Let's look at the long and short notes in "Slinky."
- I'll play the first phrase on the third and fourth beats of the first bar.
- You heard me play a short note and a long note.
Mark Nightingale has marked that in the part you copy me:
- The third beat is short.
- The fourth beat is long.
Experimenting with Notes
We could change those around the other way.
- Listen to see what that sounds like.
- It changes the whole way that it swings.
Another way to do this is to play both the third and fourth beats with both long notes.
- Let's hear what that sounds like.
And finally, we could play both of those beats short.
- Let's listen to what that sounds like.
Conclusion
Why don't you have some fun playing around with the shorts and longs and see how it sounds?
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Mike Lovatt studied at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the Jon Kelly Jazz Scholarship. He has performed and recorded across a huge range of styles with artists including Quincy Jones, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Buble, Oasis, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and Danny Elfman, among many others.
As Principal Trumpet in London's West End, Mike has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, My Fair Lady and Spamalot, amongst others. He has played on movie soundtracks including the James Bond films, Harry Potter with the London Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Chicago, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and The Corpse Bride. He is featured on trumpet and cornet in George Fenton's Mrs Henderson Presents, and on trumpet in Looking for Eric.
Mike is principal trumpet with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and has been featured in their celebrated BBC Promenade concerts and recordings.
Mike is sought after as a teacher and clinician, and is a professor of trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. In April 2013 he was proud to be awarded the prestigious Derek Watkins' Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
In his MusicGurus courses, Mike shares the secrets behind his versatility, showing you how to nail authentic swing, rock and Latin trumpet styles so you can play any of them with confidence and the right feel.
