pickups

Take a listen to the first lick of Little Walter's "Juke." Though there's some technique going on, essentially he's playing 2 3 4 5+ 6+ 6+. The 2 (or 3+, we don't know for sure) 3 4 5+ happens before the downbeat of the first bar... this is called a pickup. What is it picking up to?... 6+ in this case... the first note of Bar 1 and the Root Note of the I7 Chord. The second 6+ is a reiteration of the 6+, so it's not new information and not structurally important. continue reading...

Most players have the tendency to rush (playing faster than the tempo and then commonly adjusting back into time where there is rest or long holds). Where is the most common cause of this?... pickups. Players tend to start their pickups slightly too early and play it too fast. So... in most cases... rushing can be fixed by giving attention to slowing down when your start your pickups and the rhythm of the pickup itself.