Tag: drumbeats

Timing & Coordination Groove Exercise

Aloha drummers!

Here’s a Timing/Coordination Groove Exercise I like to do. 

  • The bass drum plays a “Bo Diddley pattern.”
  • The left hand plays the 2 + 4 backbeat. 
  • The right hand moves through all the 16th note variations of a 4 note grouping on the Hi-Hat,  e.g.:

X… = Quarter Note (ONE e and a)

.X.. = 2nd 16th Note (one E and a)

..X. = the off beat (one e AND a)

…X = 4th 16th Note (one e and A)

[etc.]

2nd run through is BOTH hands in UNISON

This might be incredibly boring to watch (LOL), but it’s an exercise I’ve found tremendously helpful to develop coordination and good timing. 

Wanted to share.

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Drumming Videos

 

Here are two simple, yet cool triplet combos: ||:Left Right Kick:|| (Gadd is a master at this!) and then something I’ve heard Bonham do a lot: ||:Left Right Kick | Right Left Kick:||

In this songo improv I play open handed, aka left hand lead (I’m not crossing my sticks), which allows me to get around the kit more easily.

Here’s an Elvin Jones inspired afro-cuban pattern. It has a 6/4 kind of feel, and the hi-hat splashes and tom accents make it challenging to keep balance. I’ll try to follow up with a transcription, soon.

I recently came up with this cool beat:

8th note heel/toe hi-hat splashes over a polyrhythmic double stroke bass drum pattern. 1&A cymbal pattern + snare drum on 2&4.