Given the underlying beat, phrasing and atmosphere have now been covered in previous blogs, the important aspect to grasp playing for jumps and travel exercises is Impulse.
While a clear downbeat needs to be played, very often it`s the upbeats that are the impulse for jumps. Syncopated upbeats work well though not played in a heavy manner.
It is very important when playing for jumps not to watch or listen to the thuds of the dancers ( sorry, did I say `thuds`.. I meant sounds..) otherwise keeping the tempo will be a struggle. I keep the meter buzzing in my head and in my body while playing, if I`m still having difficulty holding on to the beat then I sing to myself (occasionally to the entire class).
Travelling exercises (dancers moving across the floor) need to have a driving feel, not racing car style, just confident and motivating. As in jumps, do not play in a heavy manner but rather in a percussive style with clear uncomplicated rhythms (what ever the instrument of choice). I do fall into the trap myself sometimes and forget that it`s not a percussion solo with unnecessary complex patterns. Getting a nice-`groove`(dance-feel) to the music makes all the difference. Do watch the dancers in travel exercises and check that they are not `chasing the beat` or falling behind the music, keep a nice steady driving groove with nothing too decorative in the melody.
paul pavey 