"Our culture has developed harmonic and melodic music to an imposing degree but many other cultures in the world are considerably in advance of ours in purely rhythmic conception. The music of certain African tribes which we would call primitive is based on counterrhythms executed by two or more percussionists that make those of modern classical composers and practically all swing drummers sound amusingly simple.
Some the most difficult counterrhythmic execution found in Western music is, surprisingly enough, not for drums but for piano. Another instrument in which independent action plays a major role is the pipe organ, which makes use of the feet as well as the hands. This preoccupation with counterrhythmic effects on other instruments emphasizes how slowly, in some respects, the drumming of 'civilized peoples' has progressed."
Jim Chapin, Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer (1948)
I'm not sure whether that Guaraldi tune counts as "counterrhythmic" as much as "counter melodic." But, I think it's a great example of hand and finger independence.
Too Many Zooz. They play the Union Square station a lot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD2xXNg_Vy8
I've watched some 25 videos or so, by YouTube history, and these guys play this differently each time. This time he's making a lot of unnatural high-pitched trilling noises on his baritone sax.
2 comments:
I'm not sure whether that Guaraldi tune counts as "counterrhythmic" as much as "counter melodic." But, I think it's a great example of hand and finger independence.
Too Many Zooz. They play the Union Square station a lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD2xXNg_Vy8
I've watched some 25 videos or so, by YouTube history, and these guys play this differently each time. This time he's making a lot of unnatural high-pitched trilling noises on his baritone sax.
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