Thinking in 11: for the 11/11/11 11:11 project participants

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

My friend, Lindsey Walker asked me for suggestions about playing
in 11/8 and I posted this back to her at Facebook.

For all the 11/11/11    11:11   participants I throw this out as food 
for rhythmic thought

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

"Well there are some cool approaches one can use."

One is that you can subdivide 4-4-3

Ta is pronounced 'Tah' with an accent
ka and ki are both pronounced   'kih'
ta is pronounced   'tuh'
di is pronounced   'dee'
mi is pronounced  'mee'

remember that all sounds should have as short an envelope when you are 
singing them as
possible so that you can eventually sing them at high speed.

So this 4-4-3  subdivision of 11/8 is sung:

Takadimi Takadimi Takita

or another cool approach is to treat the rhythm like a 12/8 Blues or 
African styled rhythm just minus one note.

The phrasing would be:

3 -3 -3 - 2

Takita Takita Takita Taki

I've written these subdivision with a space in between them so you can 
see the audible phrase
but there is no space between them rhythmically....they should represent 
11 even notes.



Here's a beautiful game for learning a rhythm thoroughly.
I do this in the shower every day with a different time signature.

you each sing each exercise several times (in the first example)

a (parenthesized syllable) is not said out loud
(just sing it silently in your mind)

ps

Takadimi Takadimi Takita
Takadimi Takadimi Taki(ta)
Takadimi Takadimi Ta(kita)
Takadimi Takadimi (Takita)
Takadimi Takadi(mi Takita
Takadimi Taka(dimi Takita)
Takadimi Ta(kadimi Takita)
Takadimi (Takadimi Takita)
Takadi(mi Takadimi Takita)
Taka(dimi Takadimi Takita)
Ta(kadimi Takadimi Takita)

Now try the same exercise backwards

Takadimi Takadimi Takita
(Ta)kadimi Takadimi Takita
(Taka)dimi Takadimi Takita
(Takadi)mi Takadimi Takita
(Takadimi) Takadimi Takita
(Takadimi Ta)kadimi Takita
(Takadimi Taka)dimi Takita
(Takadimi Takadi)mi Takita
(Takadimi Takadimi) Takita
(Takadimi Takadimi Ta)kita
(Takadimi Takadimi Taki)ta


You will now have sung this time signature starting on every possible 
note and ending on every possible note.
Now start improvising and play syncopated rhythms that leave out some of 
the notes and you will begin
to move towards a cool melodic/rhythmic approach to playing in 11/8.

Remember,   you probably alread know how to play a zillion rock, r&B, 
soul and funk rhythms in
4/4      well, that's just this game applied to Takadimi Takadimi

Tack on that last phrase of 3 to anything you know and , voila,
You have a very cool new rhythm in 11/8