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Syncopation and Anticipation (Sync and Antic) - a series within the overall Musicarta 'Beat and Rhythm Cookbook' - presents an opportunity to hone your rhythmic skills on a simple series of paired notes.

For maximum benefit, start at the beginning of the series.

Sync & Antic - Module Five

Here's the kind of playing we're building up to in this module.

Here's our riff so far. We're picking up the speed a bit, to 92bpm, and the second half, you play the right hand an octave higher.

Next, playing around with the right hand 'in between' notes - try the tonic above (G - we're '"in G"). While we mess around in the right hand, let's roll back the left hand to straight crotchets and drop the fancy joiners. The second half right hand is an octave higher again.

That last G sounds is bit off-key - substitute a next-door-above note. Notice that an F sharp has crept into the left hand.

Better! Now let's try the tonic (G) below, again with that next-door-above note the third time. Start with right hand finger 5 (the little finger) on E. Second half right hand is an octave higher again - in fact, the music shows the octave-higher version.

That's nice too. Notice the F sharp in the left hand disappeared. Better or worse? Did you miss it?

Now let's try a combination of tonics, above and below, and next-door notes. Bring a bit of bounce back into the left hand and drop one of the right hand anticipated notes, just for variety. And, by the way, the left hand F sharp is back.

Here's a variation with the right hand coming in after the beat. Actually, all you do is drop some of the on-the-beat notes. See if you can work it out.

Here's a developed-left-hand version.

Now here's the same thing with an optional top G, semi-held and playing regardless.  You'll recognise the style.

Now with the right hand going down two next-door notes the first two times. Sounds more like a melody. Mixed straight and bouncy left hand, with F sharps and joiners.

As soon as you hear a melody like that that you want to learn, mentally toss out the rhythm and just think of a droning up-or-down string, like this:

But we can't have the right hand falling falling falling all the time. Here's a variation with the right hand climbing.

Here's that example again with no rhythm and a simplified left hand. We know the right hand starts on E and is nearly all next-door notes. The left hand descends from C. See if you can play it by ear.

Here's that fragment leading into a solo which uses bits from all the variations in this section.

See if you can copy it, and/or branch off into your own improvisation.

Now go on to Page 6 of this series.