Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Hugh Tracey HotShot-11
Right Thumb Steady Riff 1

Today's tip is an expansion of one of the exercises included in the downloadable collection of HotShot-11 exercises and songs, which we highlighted in last week's tip.

Right Thumb Steady Riff 1

In the first two measures, the right thumb is playing back and forth between the D and the A tines. By the way, harmonically, these notes are the 1 and 5 of the D chord and, in fact, we are playing in the key of D here. This sets up a steady framework which persists even after we have added the left thumb.

At measure 3 we have an "open repeat" sign—meaning, when we get to the "close repeat" sign at the end of the exercise, we jump back to this point. In this measure, we add a single note on the left side, on the "and" of 3—i.e., between beats 3 and 4 of the measure.

The right thumb is playing on the beats, and the left hand is playing just once per measure, and only on the off beat between beats 3 and 4. The tine which the left thumb plays changes, descending to a lower pitched note in each new measure. The right thumb keeps doing the same thing in a steady way.

The Right Thumb Steady Riff is also available in KTabS format.

Not familiar with KTabS?

• View our KTabS FAQs
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• Find guidance on getting started and ongoing KTabS tips and tricks in the Kalimba Magic newsletter column, THE KTABS NOTEBOOK.

 

 

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