Key Of Grey

Photo courtesy of Gus Dahlberg

August 25th, 2009 – Back when I was in high school, a classmate asked why I moved my head while listening to music. What struck me was that she asked in such a way as to suggest that it was not normal. The thing is, it is normal. Music and movement have always been interlinked, and it’s part of our genetics.

I’ve written about the relationship between dance and music before, but never really about groove. Beginner musicians will complain all the time that they don’t have groove, that they don’t have feeling in their playing. The thing is, that they have groove, they just aren’t comfortable enough technically to express it emotionally.

I think there is a misconception out there about what groove actually is. Groove is not something that you have or you don’t have (although it’s something that you may need to develop in your playing), it’s a part of every one of us. Groove is the unique way that each of us experiences music. You might not be able to rip out a funky rendition of Brick House, but you bob your head to it. That’s proof that you have it.

Now learning how to harness it as a musician is a bit trickier. AudioTuts has a post with some things you can try to harness your inner groove machine. My advice is to just relax and enjoy the music; it’ll come out naturally.

AudioTuts: How to develop groove in your playing