Tension and Release Beat

Much has been discussed on Pianologist about the tension and release beat of a bar. This knowledge is crucial when it comes to applying Forward Motion Concept in jazz improvisation.

 Most music students have been taught to differentiate the strong and weak beat of a bar, but just to make sure no one is left out, here’s a useful diagram:

it is shown here, that:

•  All the “&” beats are the weakest beat in a bar 
• The “one” and “three” are stronger compared to the “two” and “four”
• The “one” being the strongest of all

According by Hal Galper’s Forward Motion Theory,

• The stronger the beat, the better it functions as a release beat. And the opposite for tension beats.
• A strong line that spells out chord changes is obtained by synchonizing the strong beats of the bar with the strong chord tones of a chord, and vice versa.

Check out also this tutorial on :

 Forward Motion Application with Video and Transcription

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Until then, Have fun and Enjoy… 😀