Groove Essentials

Started working on Groove Essentials Vol 1 last night. I bought Vol 1 and 2 in playalong format this week. I assumed, wrongly, that the cds included would feature each groove played once with and once without drums. No dice. There are no drum tracks at all on the cds. Essentially...if you want to know what it sounds like...they want you to buy the dvd. So I was regretting not getting that at the same time in a package (cheaper). But I didn't think I'd watch the dvds.

But working through the rock grooves in volume 1 last night wasn't as bad as I thought. The recordings really give you the FEEL of the groove, so you almost don't actually need to hear someone playing it. And my reading skills are better than I thought maybe. Of course, I have no idea if I was getting it right.

Igoe is big on recording yourself and listening back, and I suppose I ought to do that more. Now, with the Zoom, this is an easy matter...something I hadn't considered when I bought it.

Moving into funk, r&b, jazz, and world beats, I think the dvd will be more critical. I'll wait and see if Santa brings one or both of the dvds...and if not, pick up at least vol 1 after the first of the year. I do think it will help.

I also like the discussions of each groove at the bottom of the page. I like Igoe's "voice".

It's SO easy to get stuck in what you know and to keep coming back to your signature moves. I have some and I don't know where they came from, but they are there and hard to avoid. Playing to "new" grooves it quickly becomes obvious the things that I need to work on. High hat foot...off beat bass stuff...ride/hat patterns that vary (not just straight 8ths or 16ths). It's exciting and terrifying. There's just SUCH a big world out there to learn. I've come REALLY far in my 5 years on the throne...but there's SO far yet to go.