Quick Fix Friday: Tongue the Ties
Happy Friday!
This week’s quick fix is one of my favorites, since it’s helped me improve my rhythmic precision.
Are ties messing up your rhythm? If so, you’re not alone – ties are great to create musical tension and suspension, but they can also obscure the rhythm.
The quick fix? Practice the passage a few times, tonguing the tied note so you can better feel the rhythm and subdivision. After this feels comfortable, add the tie back in for more solid and stable rhythm.
A lot of times, like in the musical example below, the tie connects to a downbeat. If the rhythm isn’t precise, it can also interfere with the rhythm of the following notes. Tonguing the tie will help you get a better sense of the downbeat and consequently improve your rhythm.
Happy practicing!