Simpedia

Joy V., Texas

Don’t know if it would help — it doesn’t fit the automatic rhythm for using specific words like “blueberry mouthful” — but what if you try changing the words to “One day I was pop-pop-ing down the street.” Obviously, she can say pop-pop-ing in a different rhythm than what you’re needing, but maybe it will help her get it if you say it in the Samba rhythm. You can even break it down to say “one day I was pop-pop”, then add “ing” once she can feel the pop-pop.

Also have her play the last note “before she thinks she’s supposed to.”

Mark M., New York

I had just this happen recently, a challenge teaching Chester Samba to an adult student in an online lesson.

I’d seen similar things before, where the student (of whatever age) could easily reproduce the correct rhythm while clapping or voicing but had trouble getting it into the fingers. I’m very tempted in those situations to just keep the rhythm clapping and voicing for a few weeks before moving on, figuring that the more the rhythm is internalized through those easier means, the easier the fingers will become without having to think much. Even so, there is more that I’ve done, and I do think more, above and beyond simultaneous clapping/voicing/playing, is worthwhile, especially online with the signal delay, but even in person.

There are only two areas of the piece that are distinct from the original Chester. That’s the first thing to point out, and so you want to isolate them, work on them specifically.

One is the ending, for which I’d come up with a spoken instruction long ago. It’s just that final note coming in slightly early. No other adjustment. I point that out, then I mention a race, where one starts with, “Ready, Set, Go!” and there’s eagerness to jump the gun and “Go!” a little early. It’s fairly natural for students to say this and then to channel that into the bottom-top-bottom final three notes as a spoken instruction to get that rhythm adjustment.

For the other rhythm adjustment, in the middle of the song with the note added, I only came up with a solution while teaching this other adult student recently. Slow the whole thing down and demonstrate. Point out how, compared to regular Chester, one note is added, and a couple of the notes around that added note go quickly, whereas all the other notes throughout the piece (except the very last “Go!” note) are even, just like in regular Chester. Then point out specifically that the fast notes come right *after* each F (when in the I / C position). Isolate those pairs. “F Up” and “F Down.” Voice them, then work that into the fingers, just those pairs. Then string it together as “F Up, Then, F Down.” This spoken instruction can be done quite naturally with the correct samba rhythm. Just work those five notes into the fingers first. Eventually, one can then sandwich that inside the rest. “Bum bum bum F Up, Then, F Down, and ready, set, go!”

Patti P., Hawaii

I did this recently with a student who was having trouble: I broke it down into smaller bits. First, the 1st 3 notes, so she could hear that it was slower & steady; then the next three notes ( F,G,G). We stayed there until she could speak back and then play back the rhythm of those three notes. Then we did the next two notes (F,E) which is the other “unsteady” rhythm part. We also noticed how the finger 4 always moves quickly to the next finger, going up or going down, and that fingers 1,2,3 are always a bit slower and steady. Breaking it down made it doable for her. I think it will take her a number of weeks to get comfortable with this rhythm, even broken down in parts. At this point she can do each small bit reasonably well, but isn’t ready to string them together.