Alternating straight 4/4 and 3-3-2

Adrian Legg

° ### ™4 ‰ ™™
& ™4 j œ
œ nœ
‰ j œ
œ œ
‰ j œ
œ nœ
j œ
œ œ
j
Ϫ
œ œ œ
˙ ˙ œJ œ nœ
Count:

one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

p
j
i a i p
j
i a i p
j
i a p
j
i a p
j
i

™4 ‰ ™
m m m m

™4 0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄ ™
2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0

J
0 0 0 3

We could get pedantic about the count in the 3-3-2 bar and count it "one and-two/and three and/four and", which correspond to a 4/4
time signature properly, but from the point of view of understanding the phrasing and getting our right hand to work, the way I count it is
simpler.

It helps to practise straight and 3-3-2 alternately, switching between p-i-m, p-i-ma and p-i-mac versions. As each becomes more solid, we can
mix and match between the different variations - for example, dodging between a straight 4/4 p-i-m and a 3-3-2 pimac; perhaps the kind of thing
that could cover a break in a vocal line (bars 7 and 8)
Bear in mind that the left hand chord could equally well by an Amajor or Dmajoar rather than A7 or D7.

° ### ™ ‰ ™™
™
3

& j ‰ j ‰ j j j
˙ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ nœ œ œ œ
˙ œJ œ nœ
Count:
one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

p i
j m i p
j
i m i p
j
i m p
j
i m p
j
i

™‰ ™
™0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄ ™
0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0

J
0 0 0 3

° ### ™ ‰ ™™
™
5

& j nœœœ ‰ j œœ
œ
‰ j nœœœ j œœ
œ j
Ϫ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
˙ ˙ œJ œ nœ

one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

c c c c
a i a i a i a i
j j j j j
p i p p
m m m m

™‰ ™
p

™0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄
0 0 0 0

™
2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0

J
0 0 0 3

Copyright © Adrian Legg

° ### ™ ‰
Bars 7 & 8 mix and match example

™ ™™
7

& j ‰ j ‰ j nœœœ j œœ j
˙ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ
˙ œJ œ nœ
Count:
one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

c c
i a i a i
j j j j j
p p
p i m i p i m i m m

™‰ ™
™0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄
0 0

™
2 2
0 0 0 0
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0

J
0 0 0 3

° ### ™™ ‰ ™™
D7th example
j œ j œœ j œ j œœ j
9

œ nœ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ nœ œ œ
& ˙ œ™
˙ œJ œ nœ

one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

i a a p i a p i a i
j j j j j
p p i m m
m m

™‰ ™
™0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄
2 2 2 2

™
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0

J
0 0 0 3

° ### ™ ‰ ™™
D7th mix and match example

™˙
j j j œ j œœ j
11

& œ nœ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ nœ œ œ
˙ œ™ œJ œ nœ

one and two and three and four and one two three one two three one two

m a a
j j j j j
p i m i p i m p i i
p i m

™‰ ™
™0 ™
‰ ‰
¢⁄
2 2

™
1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
0
0 0 0 3