4/4?

[threadsoffate]

Every time I improvise I always start playing in 3/4. If I want to improvise in common time I have to consciously imagine a 4/4 rhythm or count it before I can freestyle. This makes the majority of my riffs in 3/4. When I do randomly make a riff in 4/4 it sounds awesome and different to me and I would like to do more of it.

I think my mind is tuned to 3/4 because when I started playing in high school all I played were acoustic strumming in that time signature. How do I get out of this mindset??? I mean I use jam tracks in 4/4 all the time what the hell is going on?

[JonR]

Every time I improvise I always start playing in 3/4. If I want to improvise in common time I have to consciously imagine a 4/4 rhythm or count it before I can freestyle. This makes the majority of my riffs in 3/4. When I do randomly make a riff in 4/4 it sounds awesome and different to me and I would like to do more of it.

I think my mind is tuned to 3/4 because when I started playing in high school all I played were acoustic strumming in that time signature. How do I get out of this mindset??? I mean I use jam tracks in 4/4 all the time what the hell is going on?

Well obviously (as you've guessed) 3/4 is ingrained in your subconscious because of that high school strumming experience. Although I can't think why that should have all been in 3/4... (very odd to concentrate on 3/4 as a beginner.)

[Malcolm]

I tried an answer, but, it did not make any since. So....... only thing I can come up with is like Jon said your rhythm is locked in 3/4 time.

Try this riff; R-3-5-6-b7-6-5-3 - begs for 4/4 time.

Try singing some blues songs. Blues is defently not 3/4 time.

Keep playing 4/4 stuff till it sounds good ---- sorry I do not have anything better to leave with you.

[ernzzz]

-Hmm not sure if Blues will be the best option, cause it kinda feels like a 12/8 filled with groupings of three 8ths.. iow 123 123 123 123

This is not 3/4, but the triplet tendency is there, unless you focus on swinging and syncopating the notes..


-Maybe you could try Bossanova, if you have the chord skills necesary..

I imagine being in 2/4, really forces you to think binary stuff... and Bossa has a strong tendency to be counted as a 4/4, like.. 1 2 3 4 or 1 2 1 2 (red-bold being slightly stronger than black-bold)

Also it has a whole different kind of groove, comparing it to lets say Waltz 3/4, wich could open yer mind