Tag Archives: hawaii

Jay Keyz Project @ Theatrix Hawaii

Thanks to everyone who tuned in and watched our set at Theatrix Hawaii. To be honest, it was weird to play for cameras and not a live audience, but we all had a blast and enjoyed playing music together — the first time in over 3 months! If you missed it, you can rewatch itContinue reading “Jay Keyz Project @ Theatrix Hawaii”

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)Continue reading “Timing & Coordination Groove Exercise”

Theatrix Hawaii – The Virtual Venue

Hi everyone, I’m excited to play my first show in three months with the JayKeyzProject at Theatrix Hawaii, on Wednesday, July 1st! The concert is virtual and will be streamed live on Theatrix Hawaii’s Facebook page. Jason Laeha‘s set is from 7:00-7:45 pm HST, and we go on after, from 8 to 9 pm, HST.Continue reading “Theatrix Hawaii – The Virtual Venue”

Half Time Shuffle Variations

I’ve always loved the half-time shuffle feel, a la Bernard Purdie. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different Hi-Hat variations while keeping the rest locked in. Needs work, but there’s for some interesting vibes … Here are three variations:

Leaving Space Grooves

In the age of flashy YouTube and Instagram drumming stars it’s easy to forget that it’s surprisingly hard to play slow beats with lots of space between the notes. It makes sense to me: The more notes you pack into a beat, the easier it is to get away with sloppy placement or bad timing.Continue reading “Leaving Space Grooves”

Groove Idea

This one might be for the advanced drummer, because it does require a certain level of coordination and technique. The short groove idea is the result of a “happy accident” while playing around. I broke it down and transcribed it. It’s a three bar pattern that repeats itself. Check it out.

Chop Builders

I sometimes get the question on how I come up with combinations/melodies/fills around the kit. That’s a tough one to answer, because when I play, I play, and try not to think (in concepts and combinations). Having said that, there are exercises that have helped me develop dexterity around the kit, and that allow meContinue reading “Chop Builders”

Common – Like Water for Chocolate

I can’t believe this record is almost twenty years old. It’s packed with great beats by Questlove and others. The track “Heat” samples Tony Allen, Fela Kuti’s one-time fellow band member and co-founder of the Afrobeat genre. Here are some beats from the record. – Beck Download the free pdfs HERE.

Remote Drum Recordings

I offer remote drum recordings for your tracks, using Addictive Drums 2 via a Roland TD-17KVX electronic drum kit. That’s a great option for demos, or if you don’t have the big studio dollars and want great sounding drums on your music.All I need is an mp3 or wav file of your song, and IContinue reading “Remote Drum Recordings”