Canadian Musician September / October 2019

PHOTO: PAUL HILLIER BASS Alex Fournier is a double bassist from Toronto. He has studied with Dave Young, Andrew Downing, Jim Vivian, and, most recently, Michael Formanek. His debut album as a leader, Triio, was released in June 2019 and is available for purchase from his website: www.alexfournierplaysbass.com. By Alex Fournier I Tuplet Gradients & Extended Rhythmic Accuracy can think of plenty of reasons as to why I started taking an inter- est in extended tuplets. An early teacher explaining the difference between dotted quarters and half note triplets, attempting to trade eights with Tyshawn Sorey, getting into the music of Jimi Hendrix and admiring his seemingly floating rhythms – in some sense all roads have led to the conclusion that understanding more than just bi- nary and trinary groupings would be important for me. I’ve found that spending time with these rhythms has enriched what I’ve been able to execute – not just in terms of accuracy, but also in regards to how elastic my improvisation can be. While I could go on about all the exercises I’ve accumulated over the years, one that I’ve found helpful lately has been playing rhythms on an accelerating/decelerating gradient, mixing two- and three-note periods. While there is some inherent difficulty in contrasting these periods in succession, I’ve found that feeling the subtle contrasts between these rhythms has deepened my understanding, removing the guesswork one undergoes when switching between them. For example, 10:3 and 7:2 are next to each other in this continuum, respectively fitting 3.333 and 3.5 notes per beat into their periods. A subtle difference is speed, but worlds apart in alignments and feel. One can calculate a whole chart of these rhythms (Ex. 1) simply by dividing the imposed rhythm over the period’s length, then putting the numbers in ascending order, making note of equivalencies (ex: 4:2 and 6:3 are the same ratio). This will quickly produce a regular pattern: equivalent rhythm, #:3 rhythm, #:2 rhythm, and another #:3 rhythm before repeating. These periods give you a good set of signposts to work on problem spots. For example, the sequence 10:3, 7:2, 11:3 accelerates subtly, requiring a deft ear and equally deft placement. Ultimately, one has to be able to hear and feel these rhythms before committing to playing them, though I’ve included some tips on how to achieve this. Ex. 1 I have not yet mentioned superimpositions over other numbers, like #:4, #:7, etc. The reason for this is that any relevant non-prime number after three is an elevation of its multiples; therefore, superimposing over those periods is essentially an act of initiative that you will already understand intrinsically. With other prime numbers, though, every solid approxima- tion I can think of is contained within this complete table. All you have to do is find consecutive rhythms that add up to the numbers you want, repeating rhythms as needed to create the proper period for each tuplet. Once you’re comfortable playing these rhythms in succession, play with the speed of each tuplet until they feel even. (Ex: 9:5 ≈ 5:3 + 4:2; 10:7 ≈ 4:3 + 3:2x2; 8:11 ≈ 2:3x3 + 2:2, etc.) I’d like to state that this exercise is a result of about six years of working on these ideas with regularity. This might be a mountain to start on, so I’ll include some tips if this exercise sounds like it might be relevant for you: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. All divisible rhythms are an elevation of a previous one and can be thought of in conjunction with their factors (10:3 is 5:3 twice in a row and twice as fast). Groups of 3s, 4s, and 5s are your friends if you need to subdi- vide. Make the order as efficient as possible (13:3 = 4+4+5:3). It’s easier to anticipate a halfway point than to allow it to pass (9:2 is easier as 4+5:2 than 5+4:2). If you’re really having a hard time with a superimposition, draw it out and see how the tuplet lines up with the period visually. Do these exercises both forwards and backwards. Make sure your fundamentals are solid. Even simple stuff needs attention. This is a detailed take on this subject, and one that might feel obscure to some. Why all this if I want to play floaty? Does it really matter if my 7:4 has a lilt? While I write these columns for anyone who’s interested, I do so from a bass player’s perspective. This is an in- strument that has a huge responsibility to convey information in an accurate way, and without that accuracy the band – never mind your own ideas – gets muddled fast. Even if you just want to float, you’re going to have to know what’s going on underneath, lest you get swept away and lose your place. CANADIAN MUSICIAN 27

Canadian Musician September / October 2019 | Page 27