The octave rhythm can be useful in funky "dance" music (forgive the play on words), as well as many other case. This technique requires the use of two notes that are one octave apart. The use of this was born in the 1960's mainly through the interpretation by Wes Montgomery, who used it mostly as a soloist, but also in many other cases. Today it is a technique used in all types of music, thanks to the particular sound that it makes.
In this section we will rhythmically use the octaves, even though single (excuse me, double) notes will appear, almost in line melodically. We will then analyze this technique using some examples.
The fingerings
The initial problem that we come across in the use of the octaves is understanding how to obtain the fingerings. Knowing that we use a pair of notes at octave intervals, we can use three fingerings, that can be seen in the panel below. The first two (examples A and B) develop a fingering on two strings with a "mute" center (we will see shortly why). The third fingering (ex.C), used on a melodic and soloist level, we won't consider because it's not pertinent to rhythmic octaves.
When positioning the fingers be careful when playing two different strings that are seperated by an another string. This string that separates must be blocked with the index finger, which is placed on the central string in order to stop the vibration when the pick passes over the three strings. Notice that if you play one string at a time, obviously the central string is stopped, but in the context of the execution you will hear only the sound of the notes played on the two external strings.
Remember the fact that the octaves can also be played with the fingers of the right hand, and in this case the central string, even if not blocked by the index finger, still doesn't play. Apart from rare cases, when playing octaves in a purely rhythmic context it's best to use a pick.
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We begin with a simple chromatic rhythm. This involves the first three movements played using the down stroke, followed by alternate picking of a half-step croma in the fourth movement. Play this slowly, and pay attention to the clarity of the sound and the sound itself. |
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Ex. 2
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Let's increase the difficulty level. Apart from the succession of chroma in the first three movements, pay attention to the final half-step chroma, where you will have to make a very rapid move (more or less according to how you have set the metronome) of the fingers between the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sixteenths. |
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Ex. 3
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The slide that is used in the second movement has a gait between the 5th and 7th fret of the fingering. Always keep the central string blocked. Between the third and quarter movement there is another sixteenth move that could cause some problems in the execution. |
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Ex. 4
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A classical dance rhythm from the 1970's. The slide at the beginning of the first and third movement identifies the characteristics. Make sure that the final rest is clean and precise. |
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Ex. 5
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This example is quite complicated. Follow closely the indicated picking, stopping the vibration of the strings during the rests. Pay attention to the pair of sixteenth notes in muted finals, they could cause some problems by putting in succession the bar of the exercise, seeing they fall immediately on the following octave beat. |
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