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Tempo Workout
by
Per Danielsson
One of the most intriguing aspects of jazz is its unique sense of time and feel. The only way
to learn and understand the rhythmic concept of jazz is to spend countless hours listening. Some
students understand the concept faster than others. However, it is possible to teach the concept by
using different exercises.
One way to perfect your time is to systematically practice different tempos. Most jazz musicians
have tempos that they are more comfortable playing in than others. Therefore we must practice
the ones that do not feel natural to us. The tempos that we usually have trouble with do not necessarily
have to be the fast ones. Some medium tempos can be just as hard. I personally think that
each person hears music in his/her own way, including how we hear tempos.
The most economical way to practice tempos is to pick one tempo and explore it for a while.
Let's pick a quarter note value of 60 as a base tempo and then practice around it. Needless so say,
the following exercises require diligent use of a metronome.
1. Practice a slow ballad at the tempo of 60. Play eighth notes, sixteenth notes and triplets and focus
on being relaxed and secure with the transition between the note values.
2. Play a medium swing tune at the tempo of 120 but have the metronome set on 60 and count on
1and 3. This way you are actually playing the same tempo as before but with a different feel. Do the
same thing here, practice eighth notes, sixteenth notes and triplets.
3. Play a fast swing tune at 240. If you have been successful in steps 1 and 2 this should be easy, at
least if you are playing quarter and eighth notes.
4. Jazz waltzes are a great vehicles for practicing tempos. Set the metronome at 60 = quarter note.
5. Next make 60 = dotted half note. In other words, the metronome is now clicking on beat one of
each bar.
5. A common way of sub-dividing the tempo in a jazz waltz is to feel the beat of the dotted quarter
note. This might be a bit harder than the other exercises but set the metronome to 60 = dotted quarter
note and try to feel the subdivided beat.
By practicing this concept you will develop a sense of security with your time. If you can play
a ballad with a double time feel at the tempo of 60, you can automatically play a medium swing
at 120. If you can play sixteenth notes in a medium jazz ballad, you should feel secure with playing
eighth notes in a fast swing tune of 240. Going between sixteenth notes, eighth notes and triplet
notes will further secure your timing.
The examples below can be used as a guide. I would encourage the student to improvise
while practicing this concept, but the notated lines can be played if you are a begining improviser.
The chord progressions are fairly simple in an effort to make it easier to focus on the time. Make
sure to use a metronome with all of these exercises.
= 60 Ballad
Play nice and relaxed without rushing the sixteenth notes and the triplets.
= 60 Medium Swing
Remember: The sixteenth notes in the ballad are the same as the eighth notes in this medium swing. Have the metronome set to click on 1 and three. The quarter note = 120.
= 60 Fast Swing OR = 120 Fast Swing
It might be easier to have the metronome set to the half note of 120 instead of whole note 60.
However, if you are able to play with the metronome clicking away on beat one of every bar, GREAT.
= 60 Slow Jazz Waltz
Try to keep a relaxed and controlled feel.
= 60 Jazz Waltz
When you have the metronome set to click on beat one of every bar
you might have to sub-divide in your head at first. After a while you
will feel the pulse and that's when you'll start to get control of the
tempo.
Finally, set the metronome to 
= 60 and play the example above.
I strongly recommend spending some time with the quarter note subdivision. It will greatly
improve your ability to be relaxed with the tempo, especially the 3/4 feel.
After you have spent time with a base tempo of 60, move the metronome up to 62 and repeat
the process. Continue gradually up the metronome. When inluded as part of you daily practice routine,
this exercise should greatly improve your sense of time. This is important because when you
are secure with time and tempo, you are free to focus all your energy on the creative process of
impovising.
Per Danielsson
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