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© Copyright 1992 by Modern Drummer Publicotions, lnc.
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lnternationol Copyr,ight Secured
All Righls Reserved
Printed in U.S.A.

Any unouthorized duplicotion'pÍ ...,.;~ . this book or its contents

. is o violotion of cp~yright lows .
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Art Directibn:
Scott Gary Bienstock. ~.J. Lori Spagnordi
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Cover Phdto:
Ron Spog:lirdi
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Pubfished By: Modern orSrP'tner

Publications, lnc.
· 870 Pomptoti:~venue . ~;~~: :
Cedor Grave,
New J~t¡y 07009 U.S.A.
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 CONTENTS
lntroduction : 4
Developing Your Own Style By Mark Van Dyck , 5
An lntroduction To Funk By Jlm Payne : 6
· An Approach For Playing In Odd Time: Port 1 By Rod Morgensteln 8
An Approach For Playing In Odd Time: Part 2 ~Y Rod Morgensteln 1O
Style & Anolysis: Bill Bruford By Mkhoel Bettine 13
The Rhythms Of Fronk Zoppa By Bob Soydlowskl, ~r 16
Simulated Double Boss By Richard Meyers :::~ 18 '.¡
The Benefits Of Left-Hond Ride By Williom F. Miller 20
The Shuffle By Rondy Martln i.: 22
Beat Shiftlng By Howard Fields , .. :~.: 24
Godd's Mozambique By M. Rupert Wolden :~
. 26
·¡·
In Pursuit Of Odd Time: Port 1 By Rod Morgenstein 27
~
In Pursuit Of Odd Time: Part 2 By Rod Morgensteln 29 ¡.
i
~J.! 1
In Pursuit Of Odd Time: Port 3 By Rod Morgensteln 32
r
Creoting The Drum Part By-Neil Peort : 34 [;
1
Style & Anolysis: Omor Hokim By Kelly Paletta 36 •1

Linear Drumming By Gory Chotfee 38

Funkodiddles By Mork Hurley : 41
Linear Potterns Mode Eosy By Wlllíom F. Miller :;¡•· 43
Subdividing And Regrouping Time By Jonothon ~er 45
'1
Playing In Odd Time Signotures By Chod Wockern;~n 47 .1

Ghost Strokes: Part J By Rod Morgenstein ':, 49

Ghost Strokes: Part 2 By Rod Morgenstein ~ S1
~ ). .
Quintuplet Rock By Andy Newmork ,,;,;¡; 53
·.· '\:
More Effective Drum Fills ByWill Kennedy ~; 55
 l!

1:
1 The Art Of Soloing Sy Heil Peart 57

1 Style & Anolysis: U2's lorry Mullen

' Styl e & Anolysis: Simon Phillíps
By Micheal Bettine

By Michael Bettlne
58
60

1 Breoking Up The Double-Boss Roll By Joe Fronto

Double-Boss Concepts By Joe Franco
62
64

1 Thoughts On Practicing By Rod Morgenstein 66

Style & Anolysis: Steve Smith By Bradley Bran5cum 68
1 Style & Anolysis: Neil Peart By Michoel. Bettinc .70
Style & Anolysis: Jim Gordon By Brodley .73
1
Branscum

-
Style & Analysis: Alon White By Michael Bettine : .76
Phrosing Concepts: Part l By Joe Fronca : 78

-11
Phrosing Concepts: Port 2 By Joe Franco : 80
Style & Anolysis: Terry Bozzio By Michoel Bertlne 82
16th-Note Triplets On Double 8ass By Joe fronco 83
Ringo Storr: The Eorly Period By Kenny Aronoff 84

•
Ringo Starr: The Middle Perlod By Kenny Aronoff 86
Ringo Starr: The Later Yeors By Kenny Aronoff 89

•
Worming Up: Part 1 By Kenny Aronott 91
Worming Up: Part 2 By Kenny Aronoff : 92

• Rock Around The Set By Albert

Two-Honded Riding By Howord

Rock Solos By Greg D'Angelo

Bauchord

Fields

The Ageless Beats Of Rock 'N' Roll By KennyAronoff

;
93
95
97
99
Applying Double Strokes To The Orumset By Bobby Rock 100
The Benefits Of A Four-Plece Kit By Andy Newmoric 102
Notes : : 104
 INTRODUCTION
ince we begon publishing Modern Drummer 16 yeors ogo, numerous
reader surveys hove indicated that both rock and jozz drummlng remain
the primary interests of on overwhelmlng majority of MD reoders. As a
~ result, MD's Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic ond Rock Perspectives columns hove
oppeored on o regular basis in the magazine over the years.
However, many new reoders who missed the importont informotion
offered through both deportments hove since come on board. Ukewise,
mony long-time MO reoders may hove olso simply missed out on certoln
enllghtening material. The purpose of The Best Of Modern Drummer: Rock is
to take SO of the finest articles from Rock 'N' Jozz Clinic ond Rock
Perspectives, ond make them oll avoiloble once ogoin in o single volume for
easy reference and review.
Though many of the orticles included here were outhored by successful
free-lance drummer/writers, an even greoter number were written by sorne of
the most proficient rock drumrners on todoy's music scene. Articles by Rod ·.~
i

Morgenstein, Jim Poyne, Neil Peort, Gary Chaffee, Jonothan Movei, Chad ;
l

Wackerman, Andy Newmark, Will Kennedy, Joe Franco, Kenny Aronoff, . !

1.
Albert Bouchord, Bobby Rock, ond Greg D' Angelo ore all included in thls
text. ¡i
Our thanks to oll of the players who hove contributed their ideos to MD l
over the years, and whose work is represented in this volume. Without them a
compilation of this type would not hove been possible. We believe thot
drummers at ali levels can goin considerable benefit from the wide range of
material presented here, ond hopefully will find themselves referrlng to The
Best Of Modern Drummer: Rock continuolly over the years to come.

Ron Spagnardi
Editor/Publlsher
Modern Drummer Publicotions
 by Mark Van Dyck

Developing Your Own Style

The uciting, aggressive world oC drum-. tivc years simply copying by hand other equally well loud or soft, and you should
ming is lamous Cor highly skilled players composers' best materla]. In thls way, he be able to change the volume oí one of
who Jove their craít. Added to thern are closcly acquainted hiinself with their styles your multlple Jines wlthout changlna the
drummers of every skill level, sorne up· and methods. Whcn it came time to de- other línes. For example, glven any beat,
and-coming, sorne content wilh their velop bis own music, he did so from a verí- can you change the cymbal volume up and
preStntstatus and some on the way down. table treasure chest of knowledge, rather down without aO'ec:tlnathe bass and snare,
You may be asking where you fil in this than from a vacuum. or vice-versa?
picture and how you go about carving a The same principie applies toda y. Copy· Thls next aspect or style has to do with
nichefor yourself. ing top pcrformers is a great way lo lcarn your relarion to the beat as it is percelved
The answer is to develop your own $lyle. about style. You should havc listenina by 1/1e other players. In theory, the down-
To do so will require maturity, patience habiu thai covcr a broad spectrum of mu- beal is a polnt in time with no dimenslon. · .'. ¡

and hard work. lt will involve reñnements sic (the broader 1he better), andas you lis· In actual practice, however, it has wldlh. ; i
. '1
in most aspecu of your drumming.
All attcmpu to develop a drumming
ten you should pick out the good rrom the
bad in each genre and Rnalyze as best you
In a properly nowlna performance, sorne
players are "on top of thc beat" (that Is,
¡. i
stylc must begin with technical mastery (or can what makes the good good and the bad rhy1hmically aniving at the beat just
at least technical proficiency)on thc drum- bad. slightly ahead of the rest or the band),
ser, There are man y options as to what and Once you havc achievtd thc nccessary some players are "behind the bcat"
how you play in any glven musical situa· lcchnlcal skills to give yourself plent)' or (rhychmlcally arrlvlng at the bcat just
tíon. You are in bad shape if you play a options, and you are aware of what othcr sllghtly behind the rest oí che band) and
certa.in way simply bccause it's the only drummers in the ficldare doing, it becomes some players are "on the beat" (rhythml·
way of which you are capable. You should imporlant to have the proper attitude In cally arriving at the beat somewhere be·
eeverhave your style determined by a lack each particular playina siluation. Wc tween the "top of the beat" players and
of skill. Therefore, you must learn new should be more than drummers-we the "bchlnd the beat" players). lt Is crucial ·. 1

beau and fills,and you must be able to gen- should be musicians, creatina mood and that you choose the proper spot In each
erate severa! different sounds and Ieels elfect. At ali times, be aware of the emo- son¡ In order for each song to ran lnto the
·''
írom rhe samc beat. tion your drum ~ounds are carrying. right "groove." ¡·
Technical mutery oí the drumset re· The best musicians are those who make In weighina the overall upects of style
, quires an ongoing learning program, be· che players around them sound better. (and In using both lntellect and lnstlnct to
cause the best drummers are themselves Their aim is synergistic teamwork (individ· decide just wbat to play), it Is also neces-
continuously developin¡ new · skills. Les· ual performances that, when taken to· sary to consider the limitatlons oC the genre
sonsírom a topnotch instructor are always gcther, incrcasc each other's clfectivencss). in question and whether or not you are ao·
beneficia!. However, if you have good To be like the best, you must rejKt the de- ing to stick withln those bounds. For ex-
reading and transerlption skills you can sire to show·otf. Your job is to help create ample, country drumming normally calls
continueto grow through study of the best quality music. Sometimft that means you íor simple snare, bass and hl·hat lines,
tcachingmethods and by listenina 10 (and will have to play an lnc:onsplcuous role¡ at short fills (if any), few cymbal erashes, and
transcribing)the best drummers. other times you will have.to carry the band emphasis on your relalion to the bcat. On
' 8tforc you can devclop your own style, and play a prominent part callin¡ for lots the other hand, new wave drummlna wlll
it is important to be aware of what is al· of ftash and pizau. Whacever the situa- often enthusiastically utillu rast 8th·note
t~dy going on around you. The arcat elas- lion, rcmember that your aoal Is to create cymbal and bass drum lines, and lona fills
s1cal composer Johann Scbastian Bach the best music: pouible, whether or not you composcd of stralght 16th·note runs
5pent large amounts of lime in bis forma· shine individually. across the toms. So be aware of genre, and : I
.. ~·,
To further undentand what style is all weigh lts limitations.
about, you ahould keep several baste ele- The final aspect of style deals with your
ments In the back.of your mind. The firgt approach to the business or playln¡. The
of these is the question of complexlty- key words here are dependablllty and In·
how simple or fancy should you play a par· tegrlty. Once you have worked long and
:¡··
ticular song7 Ask you"elf if the song hard to devclop your own playlng style, be ..
would be better with a cluttered and busy careful not to let extraneous thlnas inter- ")
drum part or with an open and roomy fere wlth your worklna relatlonshlpi.
dl'\lm part. Further, uk yourself lf che to· Drumming is more than an artform. lt Is ; :~
nality of the son¡ rcquircs a broad spec· also a.business, and tequires proper style
trum of sound írom the dcums (full ofhlgh on both counts. Hard work should allow
and low tones) ora limited range oí pitches you to carve a niche for younelr. You can
(possibly just the bass, snare and hi-hat). give and recelve much enjoyment In the CJC· '': .,
1.

Next is the question of dynamlcs. You cltlng, aggressive world or drummlna by

should be skillfllll enough to perform developing your own style. [tJ <1
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111

• An lntroduction to Funk
•
•
Rock ;n, roll and funk are dosely related, There's no dellnlte line that separates one from the other. Elements of rock can be found In funk
and vice versa. However, severat general distinctions can be made between the two styles. In rock, the bass drum patterns are generally

.
based on 8th notes and quarter notes. The snare drum is usually played en "2" and "4". The hi·hat is usually played In Sth notes and the
= =

•
tempos vary from quarter note 80 io quarter note 160.
0 Sample ·~~:,. .
Rock Beats: ·i;¡
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B.O. 1 ;:
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Rock Is usually based on Sth notes. funlc is usually based on 8th ''s111 .1
i

•
In one sense, íunk is simply rock played in a more syncopatcd manner.
notes and l6th notes. The 16th·note svncopations establish an underlylng doubte-time feel..
The music can be íelt in two ways- . í.'\l (2\ ()' © :.·
,,
1) Main pulse: \V \!;,) \:V

•11
2) Underlying double-time feel: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ~
>
/ / / )'
In the double-time íeel, both backbeats íall on the count of "3".
11 11
Avoid complexlty. In Iunk, the drummer gcnerally has more liberty and ad·llbblng is acceptebte. Hewever, overly complex patterns ; 1
should be avoided, The 1esl for a truly funky rhyrhrn is not how complica1ed it Is but how it hooks up with the bass, guitar and other
iastruments in a fresh and original way. In many cases this can be done very simply.
U, by playing an overly cornplex pauern, the drummer's rhythm becomes uneven, he is neglecling the most Importan! part of his job-
crea1ing a solid groove anda steady, even time íeel.

11 funk tempos are usually slower than rock tempos. They range from quarter note = 69 to quar1er note .. 104.
Syncopated 8th· and l 6<h-note bass drum paneras are a trademark of modern funk. Sorne of the drummers who have been innovatlve In
the use of sjncopared bass drum beets are Clive Williams/ Joe Tex; George Brown/Kool & the Gang; and James DiamondlThe Ohlo

11
Players.
Some of the patterns below requíre a good deal oí hand and foot technlque and cannot be learned overnight. A more detailed,

• :~:~W r ti F ~ i g ~ ~ ~ i ,
progrcssive coordination study will produce more lasting and Jlexible results.
Sample Funk Bea1s with Syncopated B.O. Patterns:

•
e & a 2e&a3e&a4e& al e & a 2e&a3e&a4 e & a

•
11 ~ q. j 11

® ©

• ~ S~ ~ g 11~ ir ir iJ f2 1
3Ei
H.H•
s.o.
B.O •

•
•
6
 Solid backbc:alS on "2'' and "4" s1ill domina te most funk rhythms, bul sofrer variatlons are playt>d on rhe snare between the ac:cented
ackbeat$. Nat Kcndricks, John "Jabbo" Starks, and Clyde Stubblefield, drummers who worked with James Brown, were amona che ftrst
0 dc,·elop this style. • . i
mple Funk Bears wi1h Snare Drum Variarions: . ,.·

®~ 2 e & a 3 e & a4e&.a

n
4e & a l e
n
1 e &. a 2 e & a 3 e & a & a
r?. J--;J J J J J ,r';l rJ
s.o.
8.0.
fil
f ~
q); :¡
~ p 111~9 F-i:; r ~
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s.o. rj_
B.O.
y•ih=t
:::n::--1·-¡---·-~-rb '1
1
1

In runk the hi-hat is usually played in 81h notes and various ccmbinarions of 8ths and J 61hs. Thcre is a widc range or creative pauerns
hat can be used. Listen to Joseph "Zig'' Modeliste of The Meiers.
)ample Funk Bca1s wiih lii-Hat Variations: J•:\,
i
.
CD , = 60-88 CD J.92-112
l e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a l e &. a 2e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
(
rx
etc.
J H :J H )r ;H ~ H
R R R R R R R R
ti.H. x x K J .J
"
J j >i x JJxx ~
1

s.o.
8.0.
3E1==
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~
r E---H
o=ri=-¡
~
"j--~==¡ ~
3
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0 J 92·132 © J: 92·112 ··•

nn
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=:
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lh ~he nex1 step,
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oí course, is 10 combine bass drum, snare drum and hi·hal var~atlo~s: The creatlve posslbilhies íor new patterns and
P r i 11

. )lhm fcel~ are endless and 1ha1's what makes modcrn íunk and all modero muste cxcttmg.
: Crcatc your own rhyihms!
.Jimple funk Beats Combining Variations:

Q)
le&a2e&a 3 e & a 4 e & a l

11

·~(
7

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------------------------------- ·---· -

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-···1· , ,
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',

by Rod Morgensteln '.:;'

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An Approach For . . .
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···.;•
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Playing in Odd Tim~ ·-1·
_i.f

• Part 1
· 11 wasn't until recent years (wlth thc rise of fu1lon, jazz rock and ·
prcgressive rock) thac 1he practice oí playing in odd lime $igna-
tures becarne commonplace. We ali Ieel comfouable with even
timo: because we've grown up with 'it. Most of rhe music we've
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heard has been even-metered music. And beyond music, we walk, . ¡.
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swlm, run, erc., in even time, so it seems onty natural 1hat lcarning
to play odd time can initially be awkward and frustrating. Perhaps
if we rake one srep backward and work from a posilion o( comfort
1
lt:lc=-=r ==;b:::. ::jj!l 11 !
and familiarity (lhal is 4/4 time), we can build a [oundation from
which we can leap rbree sieps forward.
For now ler's concéntrate on Ieeling 118 time. Since four quarter
notes equal one mcasure of 4/4, rhen eighl Bth notes also equal one

'I!
measure of 414. lf we take away one 81h note from a 4/4 meesure,

q r 'Pf
we havc seven 81h notes left, or 118.
Play the Iollowing beat:
§1]
J ª
3)~~

0 n
s.o.~==-'
H.H.oR Cym.

J J= ·11
--¡--~-----¡=---~----
r-J rl
J-
u j~· !111
- l
·----!
4)3Pi
~=r=u __
- .
31
%·:
lrfE r

5)3ij~_-Jd§3¡ Jin:;; J. l)ul

o -· - ..
a .. --

--!::L--n---- -8Lr ~ P ~ -· h
By dropping the last S1h note of the measure, we now have rhe

6)ªª'~
following beat: 3
~ d=n j dn~~·¡
iij r j &ffe~i¡
Play this l\gure until it feels comfortable. Count each beat out
lnud at ñrst and ihen uy playing wíthout counting aloud. Reiax,
Make it fcel good. Speed is of no concern.
F4FJ@ né f ;pf ~1 l i
7)tj

8)~~jd¡ ~ f ;~tpb
When you feel somewbat comrortable, try combining the two
beau. This will hclp you understand the differcnce berween the
even and odd measures.

1
H ~;p t ~ ' 11 r Ef ; ~ t p ~I
9>
11

IO)~i t~b !A &1 tp;t

1 .

The following exercises are combinations or quarter notes and

Sth notes Ior 1he bass drum. When played in 4/4, sorne of the
ligures will sound like drum beau we've all playcd before. Play
each 7/8 beat separately over and over. Then combine it wich iu
correspondina 4/4 beat just like we did in C.

-----·····--------·------- - --··.. ·-·-·.

1 Now play these rhythms which concentrare on the snare drum:
·.'\'~
", ~ ~¡
(.::\¡¡ . J,...., J"""" . J~ " , -c

1. 1)~~2)~.=;¡_---t~-+-+---l::_---+t=~¡3)3%?§Q_íf_~El4)3i~ ~1 j!-
\.!::) xxxx>:)(x , 1 r, ·•
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1 :''tt=¡=f-¡=='F'' ~B=r---c¡--r-$ --¡F¡--PJ 1 ~ r
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15)"41 , ~ - 6)~gg1 7)@[jr $Js>3% =· ! ·.!j.

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n n n } - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -· - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thc following exercise combines sorne of the figures Irom D and E: .

r
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. 0 111

rr=F-r==F1~= r--:
o ~:-
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-~r · -d:-·
•. §-é?-,-- ~- -1 - - -,.e:::~± · -
•• 'HFF--;;#~
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-~E · ¡

t~~1=::;~r~:=.,~~L1r=u r #ti
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Bear in mind tha1 rhe prcccdíng exercises are samples of jusi a fcw dlffereut note combinalions. Each exercise was designed to emphaslze
.changing rhyihms in either the snare drum or bass drum, bue 1101 borh. Jt should be apparem 1h11.t 1he pctenrial combínatlons are endleu.
Try experirnenring on your own. ll)
9
1-
1 An Approach For
1 Playing In Odd TimC>
Patt 2 by Rod Morgenstef n
1 · Last month, we concentrated on exereiseswhich emphaslzed chanalng Sth-note and quarter-note rhythms In cither the snare drum or bass
drum. We'll now 1ake lt a step further and introduce 16th notes 10 the bassdrum line. Flrst, play rhe exerelse In 4/4, and then ¡o on to les

1 718 derivative. Make surc you understand the relationship between thc 4/4 and the 7/8 mcasurcs. When you'rc comíortabtc wlth eaeh one,
combine them back to back. Thls will further help you to undeutand rhe dircea relationship between the two mcasures and hopefully
establish a solid foundation for feelingseven.

1 J J ·1 J J J ,,r---; n n .P
1 ::~: r~~-¡ --_--. -~ -r __-. __;=-}:_·;.-:---_ - ~~1 Is. __= r_===:J.==_ ====-r:!=:=· ~t ==Jl¿ji:::::tl.

1 ~~-~r._·-:_~¡-J--~·=r~-.:::r-=--=-~--··~-=.2§1~·f.l~~- ~r·~;~J~~r~_~r~-~~~=ll
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1 -3~-~1 d-.
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r ._r _.r ~:11

1 ~~¡--~ J._@~.-r --~~ [J~E~r ~-~e--~~ ~J3r~~ª"·

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1 1~ r· ;~-fl--, g ~~, l~é ~e: ~3~. ~!§=@~~., ~§~;~=· ~~~· 1

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~-w ~~~-0~=11 lt®s~~s~~~~~~5ws-g*JBª1J.
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~ Li.--,..¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Q ~. LJ J ~I ~ r 61' ffl. LJ JJ •11

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The following exercises combine 16th, 8th and quaner notes in both the snare drum and bass drum. For thc lirst time, we are seting

n
ac1h'i1y in both pans. Follow rhe same process as in A.

-· ~--~r ---ªª r
~J~:m.J J J J J J.J J Tl· J
-~------':1111~--::iiaj=~ r
J )>
) ill
fff=-Jgj-1= ~
2)

3)
B=L--=]1 ~ ~~ ~ a~ =111

ltyf i=c· 1 E! J@lt ~~f~¡~6§r~J~- ~~ ~É ~or ~i]I~·

4)

~ID·. . .r e f e f •t J ~ 11 ~re~~~J~~~~~~g;~i
IR[ § . § El --111.
11
1 5)

1
1
1
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1
1
1
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1
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•
•
• The preceding exercises have híahlightcd di ffcrcnt rhythmic comblnatlcns, By addins 16ths and cmphasíting pattcrns slmultancously In

•
rhe snarc drum and bus drum, we've opened upan uulimhed souree of possibilitics. · .. {
Also, keep in mind that we've been usin¡ a consram Bth-nolc pauern in tite cymbal/hl-hat part. 11 wc think In terrns orali erina thcsc j
cyrnbal/hi-hat pauerns. and make use of thc eutíre drumsct, uiere's a 10110 thlnk about: 11~ ,

•
i
12 l
t
 by Mlchael Bettlne

·styl• e,· Analysls :!

. i

Dill Drufotd i
Bíll Bruford is ccrtainly one of the most popular drurnmers in rock. Havina played, at one time or another, with most of the Engllsh
progressive rock bands, he has been an inñuence on many an aspirina young drummcr. While posscssing cxcellcnt techníque, he Is beuer
t- known for his highly unorthodox style. His uadcmarks are a unique rimshot snare sound, anda pcnchant for playlng unexpeeted accents
and fllls.
Transcription #1 is taken Irom the opcning section of "In The Dead Of Night" from the sdf·litled debut album of rhe band U.K. While
i1 is in '14, Bill shifu the underlyins bcat around, The snare and bass drum are often arouped in a repealing ñve-beat p'ttern (two snare,
bass, snare, bass). Even while the hi-hat rnaintains a steady oñ-beat pattern, Dill breaks this up by shifling thc placemcnt of the open hl·hat.
Tbe whole 1hing moves a long briskly and cleanly; rhere are no unneccssary (1lls. This is a good example of 1he facc that it's not how many
notes you play, but what notes you play. ,,
s :

}Q-/
,¡

13
• ' .. ' )

1 .

•
1 í
Transcriprlcn N2 is írom the violín solo in "Time To Kill," otr the samc al bum. Within thc section, Bill uses a repeatin1 two-bar phrasc. ~~

? ; pi p ~
Thc 'I• time is subdivlded into a 4-S-.5-4 ¡rouplng over the two bars. The end of the phrase Is plcked up into the next one by two 16"1 notes '
on rhe snare or ñoor tom. This is anothcr good example oí rhythmk; cconorny. .4

t[¡jtij ~ J 1JFJt.n1rJí.Pp;3J 1 J J 1

wf J r J ry J ; ~ r ; 39 ti. p rJ t. J d r J i 33 1 1 1 J

r
$?' f J J¡. J ~ J 7_t J J I~ J ~} r
f ~ri 2
1
d;J¡ ~ J $¡ 3 ~ fi.t 3 :i ¡J.;:
¡. J 3 r J ; i P p 1 r J F J ~ ?1; ~ , ·
¡

~ FJ fJ rJ ;. .u

f1 r J t 3 r f 3 J, F J ~ J ~ rJ t fj, F d j d. r1 i. d J,
f} r ; r J ~:f J J dJ , ri i d fJ t. 3 J 11 J r J i r. J J ~ , ~ . i
1:
\ 1

- -
r-1 ~ r J ~ íJ¡ µ t 3' f J ;. 3 J r d r J ~ r-n J !
'

~-J 1 11 ~ 1

Now we'll 1akc 1 look at Bill's most recent work with King Crimson. The first three tran.scriptions are taken írom the Discipline atbum.'
Exaruple #lis from "Hearibeat." In ihls two-bar phrase, Bill shifu thc~cond snare bcat to the &of 3. While a subtle change, lt hclps g!Ye.
the song an intcrcslin& fccl.

14
 Examples 114 and #5 are from "Frame By Frame." Bill plays the usual cymbal rhythm on a high-pitched Octoban, Thls use o( loms
ins1eadof ride or hi-hat eymbals gives the rhythm section a strong, clean feeling. Example #4 is írom the Iast-paced intro seetlon, Here Bill
pla)'s a repeacíng pauern where che bass drum and bass work together. By emphasiz.ing beat 4 of mea sures two and íour, and leavirig out
the ñrst beat of mea sures one and three, thís phrase has a very moving feeling that pu lis it along from one measure to the next. fJ

~~Ej~2=~i~(~~JJ~J±l~~~J32_.J~J~~d~J~j~l~~J~J:~JJ~•9Q5á~Jj~~~jJ~J¡
Jst lime only
>

¡ ~ = J J J J. .g ~ J J ~ ~ J J Jj ~ j J J ~
> :> >

1
JJ±JJ J ~ J J J :11
Example #5 is raken from the verse. Thís two-bar 7/a pattern is underlined by the electronic hi-hat playing a one-measure pattern in'''·

! s :;t2 ét=i~it:=~:::::::~====~===~ ==.J;:EJ==::1 :=::: ==~=t::~~-==~==· ===:==~==:~:::===Jj==;::=iMI

Finally, example #6 is raken from the middle vocal scction of "The Howler," offthe Beat al bum. This again shows Dill shiítins rhythms,
under the H/a beat. Measures one, t wo, rhree, six and ten are broken up into a 4.3.5.3 pattern, Measures four, seven, eight and nine use a 4-
1

~!~ ~ J i J ~: J ~ ~ J ~?d ~: J ~~. ~ J ; ~ ~ ~ J ~· J J ~~ J

4-4-3 pauern. Measure f1ve uses a 5.3.4.3 pauern. Again, the ride pauern is playcd 011 an Octoban.

l t}: f~. J J ; ~ J rJ ~· J J ; ~ r
i5J J ; FJ J ~ :J ij J ~: J J 1 1

' r--~- J ~ J ~~ ~ J,~j~+f~ ~ ~· J ~ ~ ~· J J

-~

'l~
1

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l .,. 15
 ....... -. .... ,.,.._

11
by Bob Saydlowskf, Jr.

The Rhythms Of Frank Zappa i

Frank Zappa frcquently composes uslng odd rhythmic groupings-quintuplets, septuplets, etc.-played over standard meters, The bcst .
way to approach ihese polyrhythms is 10 subdivide each grouping into 2's and 3's, in order to keep track of the numbcr or notes being
playcd. When playing these groupings, each unit should be played as cvenly as possible, making surc cach note and the space bctween notes
have cqual lengths, ·
Kecp in mind that, within a consistent lempo, septuplets are played raster than quintuplets, quintuplets fastcr. titan triplets etc., so that
che notes can fil cvcnly into the glven beat. Whilc practicing rhese, it is rccommcndcd that you use a mctronome to hclp you keep a stcady
pulse. When accents are markcd, your best bet is to subdivide at thc accent, causing a stronger beat on the 1 count o( the subdlvision,
The following are cxamplcs of the rhythmic parterns from several Zappa composltions. The ñrst two are from "Bc-Bop Tango'' (Roxy:
And Elsewhere, Oiscreet 20S 2202 c¡973, Munchkin Music). ·

lfü
. 6----. 7. 7 .--6----. ~

~ q ~-ii¡@lJ-!J-fm:Jj[@j#~=iJ~Jk
123'123' 21121123 t 2tl 211231231123
?l
~ ¿guuJ~-~~~m~~u~aJ~1~-
r-- 5 ---, r--- 5~ 7 ~ ,.-- 5 ----, 7 .
.

~ 1 1 ~ ~
21123 121123 2 212312123 1212123
The next exarnple is from "Manx Nc~ds Woman " (Zappu 111 New )'ork, Discreet 20 2290º1917, Munchkin Music). Note that the pattern
begins on rhe fourth beat of the ñrst measure,
f
-M~!jwi~-fi-~l'~!Y;ª
> > >> > >

1 ~·=----:
~- -----.
1 e:::: 3 __,

~~~~~m1~~1
11 L--5---1 7 .

J > > >

~~±:~~~~J~J~~~.~-~~~~~·,~~f~;
1 2 3 1 2 3 121231212

1
J~J ;;

6 __,
Thc Iollowing pauern comes írom "Oocs This Sort Oí Lifc Look lnleresting To You?" (200 Mot(!IS, Unitcd Artists UAS 99.S6.
.._ 9 __,
f
~

1 CJ971 Munchkin Music.)

r;-.
::> :::> > > > > > > >
121212312121231212123
:~
~

1
> > >

1 =9·"- :
1

..-.-J s__u 1u~wa.-.....-1n~j.......__@----J

2 3 l 2 3 l 2 3 1

J_;_~-~---1=1
2

1
])-----
Zappa also writes melodic pieces for the drumset, H ere is the rhythrnlc pattern for t he first eight bars o r "The Black Page" (Zoppa In New
York 01977, Munchkin Music):

1 J = 58 ~ 66

~t1=J--EJ=f=SSW?J-.1-J- , ,jad--00-=d :¡ J
r- 3-, .-- 3--,

'L J J1J J J
5 -----.

1
16

1
-------------------- ··--- ..

1
u

1
., .- 5 ----, 5 ___,., 6 .

l¡ ~..- -: -..+-J ---J-.2¡;_1

.... w JIJ y:;¡ J J JI~"-" 1 t :Ds&:§;g.
'--------3-----~-~
1·1· .-- 5-----. 5--, 6----.
1 J
!)= _.__ J~ ~l3~:§J~-J~_µJ J J J J!J J J 1
lt ~ ---~----3-------~
1~
nw
t Here is the sarne pattern, written melodically for the drumsei. Remernber , dlvislon of polyrhythmíc groupings should be in 2's and 3's.

¡l ~r m *tB i!R-1-i&Ll ~ J' J&Jd)

Ion~ . . ,-- 3 --, .- 5 -----,

J
' ~3 _;.., ,---:.....~ ~ 7 7

1[ -2: J !i 1~ JEJJjjJ±JEj)jjffl 1

1;
VV> V V y y y~

=-p-= 3-------~ .

·=!!F--c=t [P-ttrl_J@-d-*1
~5=----, .

1: ___.,.._:9~-$ __,_l_ _ ,~· f'+-'--.

1; .--------3----------.

1· t}~g-+h·-_-j-j---¡~ f f- ,l]
-~ ~s-,
-"--íf C ~ J_Q_a¡_,c:. . ,.,._J..--=J_:=1_
==.:6_I J~J
l.
Ali selecríons composed by Frank Zappa. A catalog of Seores and Parts 10 Frank Zappa's music Is avallable from Barf'ko-Swill, P.O. Box
S418, North liollywood, CA 91616-5418. (818) PUMPKIN. ~

11.
1:
1
1: 17

m:
1·-·
 by Hlchard Meye

Simulated Double Dass

Doublc bass drum tcchniqucs have increased the repertolre of >
drummers, both Íf'! playina bcats and soloing. Here are sorne i,dcas
which can givc a player wilh a single bass drum set up che opportu- ,J J J J
nily 10 clfcct doublc bass drum sounds. ·
By allcrnatin¡ between ihe floor tom and bass drum, a drummcr
can play 16th-nocc pattcrns such as thcsc:
J = )08
u4' 6'
1

1
J = 76
1 In thc íollowing example, che lcft hand moves berween open and
closcd hi-hat and snare, whlle thc right hand and foot play continu-
ous 16rhs.
1 Now, let's incorpórate these rh)'.thms in beats. Thc íollowing
exercises are 10 be playcd with lcfl•hand lcad on ihe hi-hat, and thc
J • 120
~o 0~ ·
0 0
right hand movíng between the Iloor tom and snare. Make sure
E =!~ ~
·

•
~

1
::Si< r JE :C Sr f-Y (
that the right hand makes o s1ro11g accent on beats 2 and 4. (Lcft·
handcd drumrners will reverse rhe hands.) ~4:: 1
~ J • 100
fI trf 121 f J TI
> >
1
FrtrirFñrir
~ ;¡ ~ J { ~ • ~ º

~~ r erre
e •

1 tl 1
=~;:: ~
>

1 t1ij
-
j=j • j
U ~ r ~ ri e t r ~
qu!:;~:~:::.w:n~~~:.~;~.: ·~~.~·,!~~~~;~d~l:~~,1;:';!,~~
rhe ht-h;ª' and snarc.
= 152 > >
. > >

~ Etfmr~rf LbF 1

i 1·-;¡-f-J
J = 80
:~}?
J 3 3 3 3

18
, . Thc following examples are odd-mctcr bcals.

J
~~twiü[W . >

*ª EcfF~rf-ci-~~r~
1

1
The same concept can be applied to soloíng, as in thls two-bar

1
cumple, in which the left hand moves between the snare and thc

1;~1rrfftrfcrfif/r
f high tom.

These examples dcmonstratc that, with a littlc imagination,

drummers with smaller kits can simulare doublc bass drums,
ihereby adding additional color and exciternent to their playing.

lfJ
 1
by Wifllam F.;,Míller

The Denefits Of L~ft·Hand Ride t

What do Billy Cobham, Simon Phillips, Kcnny Aronoff, Daniel Anocher advantage of left-hand rlde is tha1· thcre is no crossina
Hurnair , and Lcnny Whi1c nave In common7 Thcy al! play rlde of 1tick1 or hands In playing the hi-hat. Most rlght-handed drum-
patterns wíth thelr lcft hand. Left-hand ride refers lo thc tcchniquc mers playing rock or funk havc lo dcal with thc problem of movini ·
drumrners use who play drumset in a normal, right-hand configu- their rl¡ht hand out of the way so a backbeat can be played by tht ·:
ration. However, these drummcrs play ridc pattcrns on thc hi-hat left hand. Riding whh the left avoids crossing ovcr (and gettlng in
and ridc cymbal (on the left side) usin¡¡ rhe Jeft hand (matchcd the way) to play the hi·hat. Also, slnce there is no crossing, the
gríp). With the list of notable and Innovative drummcrs prcviously riaht hand can strike the snare drum without belng lmpeded,
mcntioncd who cmploy this technlque, clcarly il can be used suc- allowina you 10 play the loudcsl backbeat humanly possible 1 M any '
ceufully. times, drummcu who also sing have problems crossing over to the
Lcarning 10 incorporate left-hand ridc technlques can add ncw hi-hat and singing. Left-hand ride allows you to be mr>re open 10
dimensions 10 your playing. First of all, most right-hand drurn- the audlcnce while singing and playing, and helps your posture for
mers havc disproportionate strcngth and coordination in their singing.
hands. No matter how much time a pcrson spends prac1idng even- · As drummers movc to larger sctups, they tcnd 10 place the ride
ness between hands, thc right hand dominates the two. Riding with cymbal and hi-hat íurthcr away and hlgher up. Drummers wllo
the left hand Increases the strength of <he left hand. Both hands ridc with thcir right have to reach over raclcs ar tams (and tately ,,.
bccomc more equal in power and technique. No< only are power over extra rows of clectronic drums too) co gct to the ride cymbal. .
and strength gained, but an overall finessc and touch come about , Having an arm liftcd up a11d playlng rlde cymbal for a period of 1
Gencrally, whcn playing a ridc pauern on a cymbal, rlglu-haud time ~an bc,ome ratiguing. Also, drummers who use two bass
drumrncrs hold tite stick in the righ1 hand with a thumbs-up type drn'?.s havc che problcm of the hi-hat bein&.1ºº far lef~. duc to the
1
grip. The Jeft hand is either in a traditional grip ora matched grlp, add111on of thc second bass drum. Even wuh thc \•anous devices
palm-down hand position. Drummers who ride with the lef1 hand · which attach lhe hl-hat to tite sccond bass drum, thc hi-hat still is '
develop rbe thurnbs-up ¡rip in thc lcft hand. Thus, right and left further out, causing right-hand ride drummen to cross, reach and l
hands are capable of playing a truly matched, thumbs-up type grip turn thelr bodies Just to play thc hí-hat. Left-hand rlde solves all of
around the entire kit. It is not necessary to switch from ene hand thesc problems. Thc ride cymbal can be as do.se as necessary,
position to another when going from the ride cymbal to a fill. Biliy because there aren't as many thinas on the lcft sidc to get in the
Cobham is a good example of a drummcr who has developed his way. The hi-hat bcing placed further lcft poses no problcms to the
hands so that he plays with his thumbs up, elrher when riding or Jert-hand ride technique.
when playing on che drums. His ¡rip is a timpani-like (French) Probably thc bcst reason for utilizin¡ lcft·hand ride techniques
grip, whlch allows him to use rhe smaller muscles of the hands for ~s lh~ interesting p~lterns this techniquc ?rings about. While play· '
greater speed and control. Leñ-hand ride also helps to increase mande patterns wJth the lcft hand, thc nght hand is free to incor-
your coordination. Most drummers.play fills from thc left sidc of porate toms and other percussive instrumcnts located on the right i
thc kit to thc right (sec figure 1), beginning with lhc rlght hand. sidc of the kit in creatlve and musical ways. Also, wlth the hi·hat
Left-hand ride gives you the coordination to begin fills with thc left and the ride cymbal on the left side, interesting patterns can be ~
hand and movc from the right side to thc lefl (sec·figure 2). playcd between the two. (See the end of this artlcle for examples.) 1 .
. Devcloping the leít·hand ride technlq~c can be difficult, cspc- f¡
Right·hand lca':d..¡,_-------.- c1ally far drummcrs who havc becn playmg for a few ycars, but ::
with a little work, íl can be achieved. In a way, il is Jikc starting ¡·
over. When beginning to worlc on ldt-hand rlde, a lo! can be done l
cven bcfore sitting bchind thc kit. On a pad, practicc Sth notes with i·
the left hand and play baclcbeats with thc right. Start by just con· !·
centra1ing on your hand5; don't worry about your fcet yet. Al first, t
it fccls very awkward be,cause the left hand is not used to working L
so hard con1inuously. A good way to take your mind off the awk· I~
wardneu is to play alon¡ with records. Put on a recording that has ;:
a simple rock or swing feel, and play very standard beats. ;
Once the motion of the Jefe hand bccomes a bit more natural, 1··
then move to the drums. One tip: Adjust thc hi·hat hcight so that it ·
•js approximately the same as thc snare drum (see photoaraph). ¡
'·
l
I·
t
.
f
'i

20
 .

'.

Now play these patterns moving rhe left hand to the ride cymbal. Play the hi-hat with foot on 2 and 4, on ·a11 four, and on 8th notes where
applicable.
The followina patterns are more advanced. They dernonstrate sorne of ihe advaruages of left-hand ride with a free right hand to play
k

:¡¡fe-1•2irJ ljJJJ]@Effi 91 ;to b

passages on thc toms.
· (D

0 b
> > Roe

rev o¡nr~rn 'JJL -r F

1~

F
~.r a ro rn f-:~
r
t f - p ~ ~=?11 ~ :11

1 il~. @ ~· ~ J ~· J Yt JJE@1 ;d~· '

J a"l---"f't'----"#"----"'Ji-'--·
~..:..--.::i· " 1- -.o

¡· ¡·
1, @e > > > > >

t ~] H o Jj ; ~ J ~ ñ ~I !F ;· a
t Lcft-hand'f ridc~can hclp
~ v ~ ll -¡ ~
J j ;-· ;
·
;su
broaden your rechnlque and your overall playing. More and more drummcrs are combining leñ- and rlght·
hand techniques to makc themselves more versatile. You havc wo hands, why not use lhem?
t $0 lfJ
l 21
t
.,
 The Shuf f liR•ndyM•rl~n
One might be hard pressed to find anything more musically excit- Rlde-Tlme Shume
ing than a good drummer 1ctting ftrc to a band by Jayihg down a The rlde-tlme variations are left-hand shulfles wlth a standard
strong, straight-ahead shufflc beat. The &huffle is a vcry dynamic jazz-time pattern played above thern. Note how each subtle snare
rhythmic feel, lt has beco uscd in a host of díverse musical ídioms, and bass drum variation signHicantly alters the charscter of each
ran¡lng from rhe earliest of thc simplistic rhythm & blues drum- beat. Be sure to malntain a strong backbeat feel, and a good bal-
mers to the complex, hard-driving shulfles of heavy metal's Alex anee between cymbal, snarc, and bass drum.
Van Halen. Though the shuñle is basic in naiure, ihere are a num-
ber of ways to play a good shuffle, Por the uninitiated, Jet 's first ® 3 J 3 3

µJ~
point out that the shuffle is nothing more than the following rhyth-
mic Ieel:

~4'. f~ J ~ =11
r
I

The ínterest líes, however, in the dilfcrcnt ways the shuüle can be
stated and moved around the drumset. © J >- .3 J 3

~_J_d;Ed
::>

J .l
fJ
Quarler· Time Shulfte ~
-~!:-f: ~ ~
:11
r
Ler's begin with a popular method whereby thc shulílc fecl is
stated in the left hand on the snare drum, beneath straight quarter
notes in the right. The changing bass drum patterns make each beat
quite distincrive from rite next,
c·5~ (
@
3 >
Q) 3 3 3 J (j)
>

fa r
>
J
"'::··~_: E! d d d ~I =')=e
r :~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

F
ji_
'"'
lltl.'1001
1
J > 3

1'
+\:
=:z. e

1 22

1
~-1•··--··
 Full Shume
In the final variations, the shuñle groove itself is locked in on the
rlde cyrnbal, whilc the snare and bass drum weave an assortment of
interesung rhylhmic variations beneath it.

:~u~
@ 3 ::---3 3 >3

--::L-~-r-·---=-T~-r ~:::::__ E ~r·

~L~,,=~~J
1 ® J

:=1ef~ ~ ~ lli~1
J > 3 3 >

~Lt @
1
3 ; ,. 3 .,_:

~~#=-~ ~
1 CJ1 ~ >,_.'"""'
3· ~~~
.>

1@ 3 >33 3 >33

1 ~-· ¡-n::=_.IJ t~--·~··.-= ~J F~ '/ d-- =~I --/

:;t::l:::= - -¡ J ··11 Deciding which ofthe many. 3 possible shuffle beau to 3use depends
entirely upon the musical sítuation. Careful listening, .cornbined
witb good musical judgment, are the watchwords. f1J
1 23

1
 Beot Shif ting by Howard Flelds
The rhythmlc potential of a beat is not exhausted once it is mas· Beat 2c uses thc original 4 as the new 1.

, --·o-~
tcrcd in its original writtcn form. By ernploying a technique, which
®
~~,__.IL1-r-.
ene might call "beat shifting," any beat can be transformcd into
interesting variations that are similar to the original yet present
their own dlstinctive ñavor. A vañation is most easily achleved by

.::·=!f1:1
:~'.· %4 a
shifting the s1ar1íng point of rhe beat írom thc original 1 10 any of _____..;.¡~ :~

Q 3i
rhe other downbeats, To illustratc, [et us first play this basic rock

3
J
i J
ji
L
3]1
Any baste Latín beat can be casily varicd with intcrcsting rhyth-
mlc eflects.

Now let us shif1 !he starting beat, so that thc original 2 is the new

J J
1 The origiuul 2 is used as the ncw 1.
Beat 1 buses rhe original 3 as thc new 1.

~=:!::r:.3_1_,0_3~~~.:b.11
. ·- -·r- ---,
:;L';'f=r-=--r-¡:· ·--=-·· . . _!
:.=:_---,r---·-
@
Beat le uses rhe original 4 as the new l.
Thc original 3 is used as tite new 1.

·~ J )J J ~ ~ .CJ . ~
~~ F- j rfª1I
Clo~dy! ~ollloo< b"t 1 nor ;15 • .,;,.;ons.aro extrernely rhythmi-
~~~. W -d. ;§J_J)1
r ir é-#r j r d =11
cally mspmng and are merely meant to illustrate. lt should be - - - - - - - -
poirued out that it rakes an interesting startíng beat to make rhe
"beat shíf1ing' • rechnique eñectlve. The original 4 is used as the new J.
Let us now examine a aood basic funk bear,

This rusion of Iunk and Laiin borrowed from Steve Gadd offers
Beat 2a uses the original 2 as rhe new l. sorne very tasty variations. Try usiog a cowbcll on these.

@ JI
==::;.r--
=:::::'.!:;)=
~ --.---"t-; ~~ ~1,___~§-- =-• :11
The original 2 is used as the new 1.
1 Beat 2b uses the original 3 as the new 1.

'
@
a===..~i-~~~~C.
.::==:~= -fJ---4:
1 ~11 n 1 J JJ J J n H J j 11
®
J 1

1
24

1
 The original 3 is used as thc ncw 1.

@
~~·
J ~ ~~j ~ jJJJ ~~
• J:u
~

The·ori¡inal 4 is used as the ncw 1.

'®
1 ~ j Ej J J ~ J ~ j 3 J J J ~ =JI
Kecp in mind again rhat thc more inicresting a beat is, the more

1i
rrwarding are its variarions. Simple 2 and 4 backbeats do not bcar
much rhyrhrnic fruit, as beat 1 and its variations show. lt is the
more sophlst icated rock, funk, Lat in, and fuslon groo ves that lend
thernselves most efTcctivcly to the "beat shifting" technlque as the
ctner bcats demonsuatc. You will find that, once the original beat
1 is conquered, the hard work is over and the ensuing variations are
liule orno problem to master. Hence, one beat equals four beats.
This is rhe bouom line,

1
Howard Fields was the drummer in the late Harry Chapin 's band
from 1975to1981. lf}

1
1

1
1
I;
1:
•1 25

.......... _
 1 by M. Ailpert Wa

1 Gadd's
tJ

1 Mozambique
1
g ~.~ º2 ~.~ ~)
H.H.~R.C. Thls column will Iocus on a time fcel that Steve L
T.T. Gadd has become known for. This beat is called R R L R L L R R L R l L R R L
...
1
$.D.
F.T. the "mozambique," and 1 recenily auended a
ao, clinic by Steve where he demonstrated it , The
9' i

¡;j '~ p J~ ¡.n~

basic pattern is:
L
J ~~ ~~

1
~· t ~
~9~!~~~~:~~~· ~Q~~:l~f~'. ~J~~V§f~'~J~Jg.
l

1
RRL ALLR LLAR LARl

He creatlvely applied ita nurnber of ways, such as with rhe right

hand on ihc bel) of the ridc cymbal and thc left hand on thc snare ~ j ~ ~~~.~Q~I
~- ~ -· .~Q~I : -· ;
_..J J J
1 drum: L _

ggp.= Jj ~.Pf ~.= j

R AL RALA LLAR LRRL

1 .,. i •11
L
RRL RLLRRLRR LRRL

1 Anorher way 10 apply i1 is with the right han<l moving around the
drumset (focus on rhe right hand):
L

1
ARL ARLA LLAR LRRL

0 PJ~ {'JJ PJf

l
RRL RRLRRLRR LRAL

I· l

q
R A l R R L R l L R R l R R L

1
El J r: j ~J J
~. ~ i J
1 ~
91 2 ~
:11

0f.lJJC9f.l3J
~ L

1
RAL RRLRRLRL LRRL

The following patterns are simple variaiions 011 the mczarn-

bique, Use two basic approaches when playing rhese bcats: tite 1
1 right hand on the snare drum whh the left hand on the hi-hat, and
ihe right hand on the bell of thc ride cymbal with t he ldt hand 011
the snare drum, Practice eacn pauern slowly until it becomes auto-
matic. Then, shift your concentratlon to the righ: hand. This will

1 aid yo• in corning up with your own combinations. ~ A L R R l R L· L R L L A A L

1~·'~'~~¡@.gj~J ~¡:~j j§~§ll:ll ~='ª§!~; g~¡~,JªJ~~q~,Q~J~.~

l

1 ~91§2~~~-
A~l

1 26

1
 by Rod Morgenstein
1 1
'
~
~
!
!
In Pursuit Of Odd
Time: Part ¡1
1
~

'
f~"" ~
¡¡;¡,¡~.i...-""""'..,.h's time 10 auack odd time head-on! Odd time
exisrs in ali styles of music, covering the spec-
becomes:

t, ,0
ao
º. ':t.
bcrudm.dfrom pop to l~dctal, So fit'shpr?~abl1y1
a 1 ca to gct a so 1 grasp o w al n s a aeour,
since chances are you're going to mect up with it
a

t
sooner or later,
i Ler's look at the following beat:

'@ µ B G B
Now wc havc creared an odd-rime signalure (7/8) by simply
rc:moving the last 8th note of our prcvlous exarnple,
Lct's ·cxpcrlmcnl -with this idea funhcr by 1aking a srandard-
meter beat and rcmoving the last 8th note from it,
1 & 2 &
¡.
IJn ga1hcring some basic information, we see that thís panera is J f·_...;;¡J
f,in 4/4. which means that thcrc are four beats or counts In the
~.measure. and that a quarter note gets one full beat or count. The
eg

P b tiji [J
counting can be illusrrared this way: ~
is equal to:
1 2 3 4 5 6

~u 1 o=a f
J f____....j
~
f. lf we look a1 the hi-het pan, we see that it consists of eight 8th ~
~no1cs, and thcy are courned in the following way: By removlng thc last 8rh note, ir becornes:
lf
i@ R B kij EJ
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
f_..__.J
3 4 5

1 f 1
1 Well, berieve it or nor, rhere is anorher way to count this very The following examples will give you ·a íew more simple odd
"samc bear, if we so choose, lf each 8th note is givcn a full counr, meicrs 10 experimcnt wilh. The basic idea of these exerciscs is to
:-v.·e have ei¡¡ht beats or counrs in rhe rneasure, with an 81h note understand the concept of how a simple common time si¡narure
¡rccciving onc full beat or coum. This pauern (which sounds can be tumcd into an odd meter.

li
¡cuc~ly thc same as the preceding examples) is now wriuen in 8/8
& 2 &
rs counted in rhc followin& manner: ·
1tnd
J J J
q§
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

:iw~n
' -1
1 is ec¡ual to:

IJ A.mazing? Wcll, not that amazíng. The point is, 4/4 and 8/8 are
2 3 4
j J
f
'lequiv¡lent lime ~ignaturcs 1ha1 sound identical. The only difíer-

t
e is that in 4/4, wc count 81h nores ") & 2 & 3 & 4 &," and in
,cnca

/!, we coum 81h notes "J 2 3 4 .5 6 7 8." 1

beLct's see what happcns if wc lcave off the Jast 81h note of rhe

:~R a f14§
, it tha1 wc've been working whh, which becomcs:
2 3
r_____...;;¡J
~~ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1

O B ~

1 27

f
·~ ..... .. _ .
1

jJ p j~ ~ el MJ J:
is cqual to:

1 O H ~J 1
1
~'~ij fEJ r
which becomes:

1 a i ~·Jj~ 1
1
rw
&

1 r J

P
is equal to:

1
a a ~· J j ~ j ~ ~~~j ~~
1
'1 which becomes:

1
1
1
1 is cqual 10:
4

1 ~ i· J j T [~L----""'.
J J
~
-1
which becomes:

1
'
1
1 1 The focus of this anide has been creatíng new time signatures

'1
from more "normal" ones by dropping off 8th notes from exist-
ing beau. Try this process with your own favorite beats: it really
works. Next time we'Il continuc our pursuit and auack larger odd-
t-
time signatures. ~

r 28

1
pm

1.
1 In Pursuit Of Odd Time: Part 2 by Rod Morgenstein
1 In my last anicle, we created beats in several dí((erent time signatures by omitting 8th notes from beats in 4/4 time.
To come vp with larger time signatures, like 13/8 or 15/8, there aire several modes of anack. For staners, ler's begin
with a simple pattern in 4/4, and progressively add 8th notes. Be sure to rernember that: (1} 4/4 and 8/8 are equiva-
lent time signatures, (2) In time signatures based on quarter notes, 8th notes are counted 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, and (3) Ir\
lime slgnatures based on 8th notes, Blh notes are counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

;--
; f--J
& 2 & 3 & 4 &
J
~ ~

1 is equal to:

;-..--.
• 2
3 4 s 8 1 e
~--J
1 [$1 ~ J
~ ~ ~
'"
1 By adding an Blh note, it becomes:
1 2 3 4 5 7 e

i
6

J
11.@ r
~ J
_
~
~ ~
~
111

'1!~~ p-J
--- ---------·

;
~

i-
2 & 3 & 4 & 5 &
~-~J
j r ~
)
111

111~ ~ ~
U is equal 10:
2
J
3 4

;-
5 o 7

~---"'J
e J,_
9 __ J
10

~ ~ ~·

;
whích becon;es:
s e

i
3 4 6 7 10 11

L f@=f.....-__..J
2 9

J J
~ ~
~ ~ ~

l :-~------¡--- ·-----

:~4 ;
2 & 3 & 4 & s & 6 &
J J J
1 J f,
~ ~ ~ r ~ ~
i5 equaf to:

;
1,,__..,.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

~J J J
r~
' ~ ~ ~
f ~ ~ ~
:lf
29
 B

which becomes:

is equal to:

which becomes: , _

& 4 &

I is equal 10:
16

1
1

1 Norice how this last example consists oí two identical measures of 4/4 and two identical measures of 8/8. One measure o
plus one measore of 4/4 is equivalent to one measure of R/4. Along those sanie fines, one measure oí 8/8 plus one measure of
equivaleut lo one mcasure of 16/8. .

1
With 1his in mind, a second method Ior creating new time signatures is possible. By taking two measures o( a 4/4 beat (or
rneasures of an 8/8 beat) and working backwards, and removing 6th notes, new time signatures are created.
1 & 2·' 3 & 4 & s & 6 & 7 & 8 &

1
is equal to:

1
1
1 30

1
1·.
By sublrJcting ª'' 8th note, it becomes:

;. pV/
; [r i·
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

j{
r (f j
~ ~ J j ~ ~ j ~ ~ ~ ~
FªI f ~

f J
~

J ~
1!1

----··--·-·-··--··--·---·--- .. --------··--·-· -· -----···-----------·-.- ....

;.
s

t
F9 r
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & & 6 & 7 &

( j j{
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ j ~ ~ ~
(: I 111

~ f f J ~
~
J ~

r-g
is equal to:
4 5 5. 7 8 ~ 10 1t 12 13 14
J
~
i J J
~
J J J J J
J
t{ J J
i 11(
~

:IJ

:{ ~·
4 5 6 7· 8 9 10 12
J J J d J J J o J J j
J ~
1
~ f ~ J
11(

11J

- .......... ·---·-._ -· -·-----·-· . --·· ... - - - . - ·-·-· . ----

t=~
···-··
& 4 & 5 &
J J J J J J J
::::q
~ r 111

.
'3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
.;i===Ji===Jr==111:115 J J J J J j J J J J J J
•
[ r 'f'
p 1
r r
;.
·s

i
5 7 8

f2
9
J J J J J
~

31
 1
In Pursuit Of Odd Time: Paít 3 by Rod Morgenste
1
This month, we will look at another method o( creatlng odd lime signatures. Thls method is a bit more chaltengin
and demanding o( your creatlvity than In prevlous artlcles. Begln wilh a beat in 4/4 and, justas we did in the first tw
parts o( this article, add on 8lh notes to create new time signatures. However, this time, come up with your ow
I snareft:>ass comblnations íor the additions. 1 have written out sorne patterns to give you sorne ideas, but don't Ju
copy mine; come up with your _own!

1
;
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

J
1 e 2 ~¡ ;¡ r ~
~
-[ r f i tl

L
is equal to:

;
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
J
1 8 s f ill
1
f.
By adding an 8th note, it becomes:
J F ~
e f f ~

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1
1
o R
~·
~
¡ f ~
~
~ ~ f
t f ~ p :1

1 1 &

1
1 is equal to:

; ;
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

J J
1 a w
11

~· J f f ~ e j ~ r ~ ~
:1

1 By addlng an 8th note, it becomes:

E} ·; [ r f t ; [ r r
I:·
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 e 9 10 11

1 J
8 :I
f.
¡;. ~ • ~

1¡¡ J ~

1 32
 l ~
·.1

1H
1
1.¡
( ·.

·r iij· 5P
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

}
~ f f :11
b ~

,
• By adding an 81h note, il becomes:

~ ~ w ?r
~ ~

1t~ 33

1
w
 Creating The 1

Drum Port
Recenrly, an Aslc A Pro questlon crossed hear the upcoming phrase in my mind so
1e
at
my desk that was not ear.ily answerable in moch as see it. This, by its very n<lture, is li
25 words or less, so 1 lhought: "Aha! Here's unfortunately nol communicable to others. a
another excuse for an article." But here- 1 guess 1hat's why we have wriuen musid y
you'll see whal 1 mean: But let's get into t~ really deep waters ,;
"Yoor ability to play in odd limes, play o( this question. All of the above will set a
odd accents, and insert your fills in the you up ior comfortable impfOvising, but d
most peculiar-'-yet proper=ptaces is sur- what if you want 10 a~range a dru~l part, c
passed by none. To follow sorne of your one that will stand rorever as the definilive you're playing speed metal, can yuu intro- Ji
more difficult music exactly seems (at my way of playing a 'songl (1 know, 1 duce sorne ideas from ska, samba, or swing b
leveü imposstble! My question is: While know ... dream on!) St.arting from grouncl tnat might make il more interestingl This is . i1w
..you are playing. how do you think anead zero, you have a hl,mk r.lale-a new soc1g- where the (un sl.lrts.
to what you will play nextl M0<e speciñ- and a drum f)ilrt to crea1e for it. So you f
lnevitably, it's going to be rough the first w
cally, do you 'Ihink by numbers'l Do you pl.1y d<.>tcctive, look for clues, put twc1 .1nd (ew times, especi<1lly if you and the rest ol d
'hear' the upcoming riff in your mindl Do two togcthcr-and come up with seven. the b.1nd are all trying to learn the song at · b
you see the 'hardcopy' of your music in · (Always a good answer!) once. lf you can do sorne experímentingl co
your mind, or do you jusi let ít flowl Can But the clues. Pcrhaps the songwriter will with il al home, even i( il's jusi on maga-~ fo
yov gíve me any advlce on a workablc play you .l rou~h tape: On it, 1here will be zines 10 your Walkman, more to the gocxq th
rnenral 1ra<.1 to use whilc playin~l" sonie indica1io11 of the l<!mpo. whether il's Out if you're diving right into it, again 1heter th
Mcltl Ancelin from a drum machín~ or in the inlicrcnt are lwo ¡¡µproadll!S. Somt! people start as 1 w
Toms River NJ "1i1t• lo the rnusic as it's played. Then there simiily as possible. Then, lf they feel com· ! p
Now, aside from adding to my wonder will be dy11amic hints: how the song builds, pelled to add to 1hat minimalist approach,~. m
about why 1 get so many letters from Toms where you misht want lo make the strong- they will, 01her people start the opposit'¡ a
River, New Jersey, and making me blush est statement, where you can be subtle and way-trying everything they can possibly1 .. ·
with ernbarrassment, you can see that supponive, and where you might add sorne think of in the first íew run throughs, then o
there's plcnty of "food for lhought" here. rhy1hmic interest. Whilt does the sons need? gradually eliminating 1he ideas 1hat doni¡ I
Many drurnrners' rninds will sran lo whirl Where are the vocal parts, the instrumental work. There's much to be said for either¡ p
when 1hey think about these things, and 1 parts, 1he choruses, the bridgesl These are approach. In lhe Jírst case, you'll interfere 1 t
think ali of Matt's assenlons are, or can be, ali the building blocks, not only of the with the rest oí the band less, and you'H;
true. song, but also o( your part in it. come up with a good, conservative part. In;
Sut let's start al the heginning: wilh the So your mind s1arts to sift possibilities: the second instance, however, you're more~
nurnbers. or course, it's never loo early to perhaps a big backbeat on the 3 fo< the likely to stumble into some1hing original t
Iearn 10 count, a skiíl rhat you'll need for- verses, mayhe a quarter-note bass drum and unei.:pected, and if you nave the lux·
ever, So it makes sense that when you first with 16th~ on the hi-hat for 1he chorus. ury of working by yourself, it's at no one
begtn to dabble in odd times, or even learn And 1hose bridges: lel's try a driving 2 an<l else's expense. This is, 1 suppose. the ideal.
to ilow well in 4/4 ar 6/A, courulng will .4 on the SO<Jre, wi1h a quarter-note ride, 10 (Sadly, our world doesn't tend toward the
teach you the "prograrn." As you become build i1110 the chorus, and then plane out ideal, and if others are complaining about
more Ilueoi in diffcrent rhythmic Iounda- under the vocal~. And 1 lhink we could do ali the noise you're making, you may not
tions, you will be able lo recall these "hard- sorne dcver stuíf in th.11 íntro to 1hc instrv- rn;ike many friends. And let's (ace it: In thi1
wired programs," lo set you ir.10 the right mental: Bri11g ít do~n and play élcro5s the business, )'OU rwed fricnds, and you should
"cadence." orto let you pickup the "odd" time, with lots of those "ghosl nolesH 1hat cert"linly nof alienale the bass playerl So
beats at different times. l've wrluen about ~od Morgenstein is always lalking about. be nicc.}
this beiore, so 1 won't give it too much Listen lu the so11g another couple of The big word hcre: UStEN. As you play
ernphasis now, but you learn lo subdivide times, mentally going over your "map" of the song, t.1ke lime out from your explora·
1he time signatures into their even-and-odd the musical lcrrain and trying 10 cemenl tions oí ooter space to listen to what your
compooems, orto muhiply them 10 make a lhe arrangement details i(I your head. Again, fricnd, the bass player, is gelling al, and 10
series oí odd bars add up 10 ene long, even people use different ways to accomplish see how the other inslruments are respond·
one. This is a lrick l have used many limes, this, and af/ are good. lt doesn't matter i( ing lo your rhythmic input. There may be
playing 4/4 over 7/8, 5/4, or b/8, and just yoo wríte out sorne nolation (or use the something nice happening 1hat wlll trigget
holding ihe rhythm chuggíng along until kind of .. shorthand~ that many drummers 01her directions (or you. One of the won·.
all the bar fines iJdd up again, and. 1 can do), or if you're able 10 rough il out in your derful things about working with othef
take ott somewhere efse! head just from meinory. In this case, if íl musicians is coming up wilh Somi!thing
There is ano1her thing, loo-a wordless works, it's rii;l1t! Is 1he song dark and inlro- to¡;ether. When 1he whole band gets exdted
mental "language" that 1 use to understand verted, or is il light and airy? Do you want . alJour something. you just know it's goinS
and remember pa11s. Certaín phrases even to be able to dance to ít, or is it ''jusi for the to work, because everybody will be happy.
have a kind of piclure symbol¡ not nota- ears .. l Does your band's common stylistic feel parl of this holistic experience, and
tion, or the physical move, but an inner ground run 10 samba, ska, swing, or speed play their fingers off, .
irnage oC the eífecr of sorne little lechnique metal? Whal sorts of filis are appropriate, 1Ju1 there are still many op1ions open to
or rhythmic twist. So in lhat sense, 1 don't and where ;11 e thcy appropriatel And if you. Much will depend upan your owll

34
 1
1
1

1
1
1emperamentas a ptayer. What sort of situ- Again, that's a personal thing, and 1 sure fying when you pull it off (not only for
a1ion makesyou most comfortablet Do you don't think l'm necessarily risl1t. lrs just yourself, but for the song, the other music-
like to have your part worked out as much 1he way 1 am. So 1'11 continue along in that ians, and, hopeíully, the aud'ence). ·
as possible, so your only concem when vein Ior a while~as that's what comes natu- reople so often seem to forget thal an
you play or record the song is getting it rally-and talk about organizing a song. audience cfoesn'I have to understand the
righll .Sorne wise editor once advised an My personal approach Is fairly linear. 1'11 music lo enjoy il. How many o( the millions
agonizing wruer: "Don't get it rigllt, get il oíten start simply at the beginning of 1he o( people who loved Pink Floyi:f's song
down!" There's something in that for musi- song and gradually build í it-if not "Money .. and bought the Dark Side Of T/Je .
cians as well, though perhaps not what the dynamically, then in terms of activity. A Moon album knew--or cared-that it was
literary advisor meant. lf you find you (ly simple roll around the toms in chorus one in 7/47 PeterGabriel's "Solsbury Hill" again
besl "by ihe seat oí your 1>ants"-again, if might double up in chorus two, and then is in seven, and is one oí the cleverest
il works, it's right. Go wil<l. by chorus three become a rip.roaring, two- maskings of odcf time-and. jusi happened
! have rold the story beíore about how 1 bar, triplet-Ieel ílurry of 64th notes. Or a 10 be a big hit for him. The time signature
was a big Keith Moon fan as a bcginning gemle backbeai in verse ooe can develop jusi didn'I m<itter; lhe musicians used sklll
drummcr.All 1 wanred lo do was get in a rhrough a Latín foel· 011 the ride cymbal in and mu~ic;1lity to make il feel good, and
band 1h,)t woul<l play sorne Who songsso 1 verse two, and I)(! echoed by a double- tl1.lt's wh.11 the audience responded 10.
could wail likc he did. Hut when 1 fínally time full-throule "race 10 the Iinlsh" during Tha&'s what "uccessibility" is really all about:
lound a b.1nd th.ll aClu.llly wanted lo play the rideour. Then there are .•ncceots, pushes, comm11nic.11ing the thíng properly. That's
these soogs. 1 discovered 10 my chagrín· hi-hst chokes, suddcn pauses, feel·shifts, your uhím.11cresponsibility, and your ulti·
that 1 didn't like playing like Keith Moon. 11 . staccato punctuations, downbeats on the mate blame. Sure, there are no black·and-
was too chaotic, and things jusi weren't toms instead oí the snare, leavlng the white absolutes in music, (or almost nonel,
placed ratíonally. 1 wanred 10 play in a downbeat ovt, or emphasizing 1he upbeats but it sometimes happens that a great song
more careíul. deliberare way-to think on che ride pauern. There's also something doesn't "click" with people because it jusi
about what 1 played where, and not jusi 1 hear Manu Kacche doing . with Peter wasn't p111 together right. The listenersmight
"let it happen." 1 am driven by a strong Gabriel and Robbie Robertson: insinuating not be able to articulate the flaw, and
organizational,perfectionist demon. Of tbe the rhythm-playing all around the beat neither may the musicians. 8ul if it doesn't
two extremes, 1 must confess 1 probably without actually playing it, but it's reach the 1>eople you would have expected
prefer the dull and "correct" to the advén- absolutely there. This gets more compli- lo like it, the song just-didn't connect. ~
turous ioray that doesn't quite come off. Cc'lled, but also more fu11, and is very salis· So it's up to (!Sto make the connections. ~

:1
¡¡
::

35
 by Kelly Pofefto
1
1
t
Style & Analysis:
'
u

Ornar Hakim
DJ!'JIB:JEIThrough his work wilh such diverse artlsts as Weitlher Report, Gil Evans, Sllng, John Scofield, and David Bowle, Ornar
Hakim has become one o( the most innovatlve ano lnfluenlial drummers on the contemporary scene, Hls playlng Is a
~~·
11.c.;; lesson In creativity and taste. The following transcríptions are examples oí the eloquence and wlt charactertsuc of many

-·
H. .
ID. o( his recen! recordings. .
'·'
ti>
The first exarnple is taken from the tune "Iechnc," on the John Scoíield album Still W,lfm.The basic pattern Is stated
""-
... , ......... e

in the first two measures and then repeated with varlatlons. Ornar avoids playing a straight backbeal throughout the
' song. He creates lensioo by not playing the snare q,um on beat 2 in the second measure of the panern, Nolice also how
a feeling ol Iorward molion is irnplled by tbe open hi-hat "barks" and the flve-stroke rolls leading into beat 3 of measures three and five.
The hi-hat is played with the típ of thc stíck (not the shoulder) lo :achieve a light, artlculate sound. When practicing this excerpt, pay
particular attention to the accenred hi-hat notes (especially in measures two and eight) and to matntainlng an even, conslstent bass drum

1 J J 1 J J J r fü,rl J J J :i J , J ~ J J j J J j j J :i JjJJJ
sound.
> o > > > >
> > >
JQ. J iJ11 1
>;
dj P JJJ ' j 'Jan tm, ImmJf]filM 3: ~Jnnoc.rm
RRLL 0 0 0

J J J 5JPjJ01i
>

o
Next is a series o( hand-to-hand coordination exercises to be practiced in preparation for the following excerpts. Play each exercíse
slowly and repeatedly until they can be executed in a relaxed, tlowlng manner. Remember, accented notes should be played loudly,
unaccented notes mezzo forre, and "gbosted" notes shou!d be barely audible.
RLLRLLRLLRLL RLLRLLRLLRLL

~
RLRRLRRLRRLR

JJérnD2.,~DJ~&;l
> > > > >
mmmm
I ~
After ma!lle1ing the previous exercises, we move on to two related p.·merns th.11 Ornar has played on record. The fl11t is Omar's solo
1(1
intro to "High And Mighty, ~ also from the John Scofield album. The next is taken írom the rníddle seciion of the Weather Report song
"Db Wahz," Irorn 1he Domino Tl1eory album. Ornar plavs 1his pauern very quietly behind the band's sparse rhythmic figures. The (111 in
1 measure five is written as 16th notes lo ease readability. To play 1his pattern accurately, 1he 16ths should be swung. Don'! let ali of the
notes Kare you; 1hese two eJCamples are jusi variations on the previous exercises. Once again, the hi-hat is played with the tip of the
!>tick.

Jwn
e e e e e e e
1
1
> > >>>>o > > >>>>o

og:g @dJJ
~1 1;JJ;nllifildµ;n;J ~bnqJJznn~1~Jdj
~ 1 B~
1
<~t~-1~~
-1 l~l ~~ ~jiJ1~ C-l~ ~ ~ ~;2l~

• • •
p í ii
o 2 J J J J J ~ j J J J J J J J o/l-"®:*"14_tJ_!J ' fj ofJlijl
Ri=L::;::::;L~R:;::=L=l... . o 0

1
1 .36

1 .............. -.-- .. -------~--------------·

~·
. --··- ....,............... _
 ¡¡
~ The next example highlights Omar's uniquc approach to pop musíc. The song Is "Conslder Me Gone," from Stlng's album T/1e Dream
: ()( tbe Blue Iunles. Throughoul rnost oí the tune, Ornar plays a very understated jazz shufíle, leavlng rnuch room íor Stlng's vocals. As
. ih' song buílds to its powerful coocluslon, Ornar plays a strong backbeat ancf adds a cymbal bell patrern that makes.this beat sound
'. mor' like a 12/8 Aírican groove rather than the straight-abeed shuffle he started with. The written straight-8th notes should be swung.

íl+d]J , g 1 BM
Cym.Bell 3

,.' El J fJ J ~==@IJ
ex
J.) J, ~ ~I
. leepsfinally,rhls "Shadows In The Rain," again from
The Oream The Blue TurÚes, is a great exampleo( a solid, hard-drtvlng shuffle. Ornar
beat s~1ging forward by rarely playlng the bass drum on beat 1. Again, play the wriuen straight-8th notes in a swlng Ieel.
1
R291 íl ~ @i-& M
3 3 3 3 > > 3 3

®®íl ~j
1

1 2

1
~.
11
1 !

1
li.
lí 1
J.

~
1

~
1 .
~

,. J.

'
'r •
37
 by Gary Chaffee

Linear Tronscribed by Lymon Mulkey

Drumming
fl

mm[I!lRDil- There are basically three ways of creating time In addition, there are also three odd grouplngs-The 3 (two note
feels In rock drumming. The mosl common way is in the hands, one wilh the foot):
through the use of C:)'mbal ostinatos. The term
%r.'~l l . C. "ostinato" means "a repeated rhythm," so with R L

"'-
T.f.
lD.
'·'·
a.o.
cymbal rhythms the most common would be quar-
ters, 8ths, or 16th notes. This method has been a • j 1
around for a long time, and the majority of time
..._ _.... feels today are still based on cymbal ostinatos. ·
When.you play a cymbal ostlnato using 6th notes, a lot of the
notes are being played by more than one volee. Abovt half oí the The 5 (four notes in the hands, one with the Ioot):
notes in the following example are played together. This happens
in all cymbal ostlnaios, because one voice is always playing. A l A L
When two volees stdke al the sarne time, we call il /ayering.
J
' J J
F
a •

:9i=k--:::g
> > n

f· F4
J ~
a=1 ¡= and The 7 (six notes in rhe hands, one wlth the (ool):
~

¿
A L A L R L
> >
J J LJ. a JE;J J ; J ~
• J 11

~
-~
r ¡ f. ¡~-§ Now that we have looked al the basic patterns, let's concentrat
linear Phrases on The 8. The flrst thlng we can do Is make a time feel out of lt b
movlng the right hand to the hl-hat, .
There are two newer ways oí playing time besides layering. •
These are called linear phrases and sticking phrases. "Linear":
means "resembli'ng a line." When you play linear time, you're
playlng a single line of notes broken up between varlous parts of
the drumset. There are no points where two volees strike at the
J JJJ JJddJJ J J JJJ~
same time.
In linear phrastng there are basically slx types: The first is The 8
(six notes in the haods, two with the foot): Rock feels generally contaln accents. We'll put accents lnto 1h
stlcklng by placlng a teft hand accent on the "ah" of beats l and J
R L L >
E?
>
"J J- 11

There Is also The 6 (four notes in the hands, two with the Iooi):
lf we want a more common 2 and 4 accent, we must brlng th
A L A L right hand over to the snare drum.

a -f
• J J •
mi

3$$3 n a=t J j )2 JJ
>
J jj X J j2 J
>
J jJ Jj 111

and The 4 (two notes in the hands, two with the foot):
Once you get the baste accent llne down, there are a few things
A L you can do to color 1he phrases and make them more lnterestlng
One thing would be to divide any of the notes lnlo 32nds. Her
8 J J ] J d thev are on the first and lhird beats o( the phrase.
> >

All of the above examples are similar in that they're all even, they.
all end with two bass drum notes·, and they ali use single stlcking.
·n~:::-=1 Ed-- J 1J;
~ ~ _¡
~: ~ 1 B JJ
!!! Ji!! ~)~ J~ .~1 ·11
!:_

1
38

1
«.·
.... ··-· ··-·-- __ , ._.....__.··::..·
r Here's an extended example using this technique.
> > >

)~ f1 tP:ko~:p J p J
>

r ~.t p
J
J~ o
f.:~ ~

> > > > o

k
~~5J J J J J J J J J J "o l a J j j ~ J il!
LJ g J J j LJ
« 11

Another one of the excíung things happenlng today is the play-

'; > > íng o( more time íeels using the full set (lncluding toms), as

1; . rJ J sJ J
opposed to cymbals only. Linear drumming works very well for

w~
;J doing that.
f ~j >

1 a;lJ n J Jj j J J
>

f:3:31
~Id;J:;q B JJ~~
1
1·•
\'ou can also open the hi-hat 10 achieve a longer sound.
r=~ifJ iJ kf%9~ 'J J J j 11

When you work on lineal' lines, don't be satlsfled wlth Just

doing them one way. Vary them to develop flexibillty around the
set, and mal<e muste wilh the phrases.
1 stkklng Phrases
Another way of playing time is with varied sticklngs. One oí the
most common is a variation o( the paradiddle.

R L L A L l

a J J j J ;J J 11

Again, play the right hand en the hi-hat and the left hand on the
snare drum.
¡
> >

>
W! J JZJ 0 J )2 8 3 J j2J{ 8 J 3 f ) ;U
>
;¿
bJ J J Ji J J
1:1
' J E u's also good to work on bass drum phrasing a long with the new
linear sticking pauern.

> 6 o

J JJJ JJ~JJJJJj~ ~ o 2

1 linear phrasing doesn't always worl< well for fas\ time playíng.
lt's beuer Cor medium to slow tempos. As you can see, the phrases
Now, add acceots, open hi-hat, and toms.
>
J
Jg
S.t are more syncopated, so they're good for íunk time playing. lí you
want to use them in a rock groove, you'll need to play shorter J ;¿ ;¿

l
f;!
versions, less oí them, and mix thern into the groove. Here's an
example:
> >
~
o

J J J n
~·
=1
t I'

39

1
 > >

tJ r·
;¿ Q
D
r· ~ •1 g
J ~ 3 ~~ : •
1
..

Thls is a six-note sticklng (RLRRLL) with one bass drum added, ;

RLRRLL > >
J J
0(

~ j9JJ ]JJJJ]JJjAJTI¡
> > o
Another thíng you can try Is playlng the stlckings in di(ferenl
ways on the set. The next example has the same stlcking pauern
(RLLR LRRL), wllh the rlght hand on the ride cymbal bell. o j j J Jj J
~
J J H J í? •o l

' f.B 1
> >
> > o

J
a 1 f.Bl ~
~
~

. ~
~
~ i!
Ja e ~
J ~
8 Jj ~
d J ~
J J J J 1'73
~

There are many ways to apply linear concepts in time functlon-

Now, keeping the righ1 hand on the cymbal bell, put all oí the
íng situations. listen closefy to players like Steve Smith, Vinnie
Colaluta, Steve Gadd, Ornar Hakim, Jeíf Porcaro, and others, 10
unaccented left-hand notes on the hl-hat.
clearly hear this exciling approach in action. I
o
o

J J J
:11

Sticking variaticns can also be used Ior special Ieels like the
hall-ttrne/double-time (eel. Here's a 32nd-note pattern using a
RLRR LLRR stlckmg.
RLRALLRR> 0 >

a 1 jjj"J-;J"ap J?j@i¡ w
~

·
jo~-
> . o >
--------
-------
o

~ ~ -,¿ >l , , J
D 3 ~ ~
> >
------
o J j J ~ J J J 9 J3Fj J J Q J ·'i::::;:?Olla~
40

..
,
l.
 Fu n ka di d d 1 eSyMa:Hurley
¡ PJ ~ j J ~·J ij~1
... , ,_ """'• One of the most interestlng aspects of funl</rock

a-$ ~
drumming is experimenting with baste rudimental

J
$tlcklngs around the drumset to achteve complex-
sounding paneros that groove. Possibly the most
adaptable rudiment of all is the simple single para·
diddle (RLRR LRLL).
The right hand should be plaved on the bell of
i.----- the cymbal in all of the Iollowing exarnples, or on
~ m'uffled cowbell. For srarters, the leít hand plays on the snare
drum only In patterns 1 through S. Be sure to maintain a strong
accent on 2 and .4. and keep all unaccented leñ-hand notes much
softer. Note how the five bass drum vartations give each beat a
dítferentcharacter. Start slowly, building to top speed gradually.
RLARLRLLRLRRLRLL
> >

R ~~'~c~-=~''n
i J J ( t -
! r.___J_ . J , j :: 111

a ~ ~ j n J. J ~ ?-JJ J ;P== ~1
> > Patcems 11 through 1 S involve further left hand movement. In
addluon to the hi-hat bark, move back to a closed hl·hac for the
=J last two notes o( che second and fourth paradiddles. Don't lose
slght o( the importance oí mainlaining a strong snare drum accent

ª~: B ~ n. n ~:u [t~Jf-u ª~1 tJ

on 2 and 4.·
> > ALRA LRLLRLRALRLL

~p
o > o >

j J~ J J j ~¡g ~ i1==== :11

[ ~ f. J J~ J J p f. JJ~ J ~11

1 :. r;JJ#.JJ] fV}~1
In patterns ó through 10, the left hand now plays an open hi-hat
0:=31/ tJ o >

J ~: :~;J J~~JJ J
o >

~i=;:· ~~?
"bark" on the "e" of the first and third paradiddle. Gel comfortable
With the hand coordination Iirst be!ore attempting the bass drum

f. J J~ J J ~ "
~1
variations.
R L A R L A L l A L A A L A L L
JJ~J
f; J J~ ~IJ lf. J
6 o > o > D ;14 •11

mg n ~=====J n:11
11 o > o >

, ~ J J j ~· J ~ ~ J J J ~· J J~

~ 41

l
 fl

The last set is another varlatlon on the previous panerns. 1 iere,

the "&" and "ah" of the second and íourth paradíddles are played
on a small tom. Note the counterclockwlse motion of the left
hand. Addlng the bass drum can presenta coordlnation challenge,
so take your time. Avoid increasing the speed until you're comfort-
able with the coordinatlon and can play each pattern with a salid
and relaxed groove.

;is f, nj f JJJ f. nj fi=;:J ~n3!1

ALAR LALLRLRR LRLL
o > o ·>

o
J j
o

This isjust a small sample of what can be done with a simple

single paradiddle. Use thi'i as a springboard to creare your own
ideas. For inspiralion, listen to Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Steve
Srnith, and Vinnie Colaiuta-players who have mastered the crea-
tive use of rudimental stickings in conternporary drumming.

42
 Linear Patterns
i 1

1.

Ir,
t
Made Easy by William F. Miller

~}Í 1-mJm!lC•'.4lm•·•llll don't know how many o( you read Gary Chaffee's
:·. . •. excebllen18c8ol~mnonf 1in0earbdru~,mingdi!'dt~e De-
cem e< • issue o M r ut 1 you 1 n t, you

.
\ "" ~ might want lo go back and take a look at it. Cary
;1 '° :;3 gives a thorough explanauon o( the sob'ect. As far
'° - as the level of di({jculty, though, Garv's column

t l
:
..._
jumped right into the deep end. This prompted
_, me lo come up with a (ew exercises that might
ease you into the whole idea of linear drun1ming. Just (or revíew,
a~d=E?:;J:)
>

J ]~
>

~ lineardrumming has lo do with playing time on the drumset, bul

l.). doing so by playing a single fine of notes broken up between:
J. variousparts of the set-no two volees sounding al the same time.
! This firsl set of exercises consists of simple linear funk/rock
í pallernsrhat are (un to play and, more importantly, sound more
! di((jcylt than they actually are. You'll nolice that no volee, be it
·i bass drum, hi-hat, or snare drum, plavs more than one 16th note at

~.:
•¡ a time. Your tight hand plays ali o( the hl-hat notes and your Jeft
hand plays all o( the snare drum notes. Start out slowly, and play
I
'
''
the accented backbeats loud. All of the other snare drum notes
$hould be ghosted (barely heard), One other piece o( advice aboui
these patterns: Concentrate on plilying the bass drum part and the
snare drurn backbeats. All of the other notes just fit in between.
I' > >
The next exarnples are slightly more difflcult in that the right
hand on the hi-hal occasionally plays two 16th notes in a row,

J J J fj
1
··;PI 1
.;:
J J J ;¿ J J ;¿
#%n
Again, start out slowly, and lay into the backbeat.

adfd~=n Jg;;p J P '

• •
1 > >
1.. > >

J J
5 J
J JJQ
~
Q j J
•1
Q
i3@1
D

. > >
1k44jJj±d:t'.8~j]jJJJo J 311
15 J J
041 ~
> >

o=tt j lJ J ~ J ~ ~] J J ~ i ~ 11
J

43
 > >
17 jJJ
a !~
> >

a j jJ J d J

> >
J J J J J J Q J j~ ~
For a good independence exercise, play all o( these pattems
wíth your right hand on the snare drum and your left hand on the
hi-hat. 1( you want lo make these even more challenging, play
sorne o( the unaccemed snare drum notes on your toms. Also, try
playing some oí the hi-hat notes on the bell of your ride cymbal.
With a little Irnagination, these paneros can really start sound- ~. :
ing complexl . ~ ;

44

~·
---------------------------· ·----·

~". ~*~,. :~n:~·

.,...

.
.•,·; .,:,

! by Jonathan Mover

,
t
l
<
Subdividing And
íi Regrouping Time
tl •""
;._·: ~ .. ~
i'.t::a-- In thls, my ñrst article for Modern Drvmmer, 1 would like to talk about and demonstrate a few different idea
concerning the subdivíslon and regrouping of time based on a common rate. These equivalent rhythms are merel\-
f
partial subdivislons of a larger rhvthrnlc group. d h , (
l 50
In any ume-keeping sltuatto», there is a cenain number o notes being p 1 ave in a measure. In t e 10 11 owing ew
•~ - examples, we'll look at how to subdivide and regroup these panicular notes. (The numerals wrinen above the note
1~
~- groupings refer to 1he number oí notes withi~ the group, and should not be mistaken as a rhythmic notation.)
0(
ters start by taking a look at the main time feel that we will be working off oí. For this example, l've chosen a two-
f.measure phrase oí 6/8 time with a 16th-note íeel. lhe total number of l61h notes being played in this phrase is 24, as shown below, In
~ 1he following example we have the main 6/6 lime feel set upas Iour sets oí six-note groupings,
1. 6
¡ 6 6

t.~ J ::d j J J
'T·
t :11
~

'
·~ Now lers l,lke ihese 24 l61h notes. and without changing the rate, regroup tiiem imo three seis of eight-note groupings.

'1 n=~ g¡ '

8 8 8

J J:J J J ~ J J J J J J J J J
~
~
-~ f :IJ

~''. Pla)•ing the prcvious example correctly wilhout ahering the rate of rhe 1 <·•h-notehi-hat line will give you a completely new feel without
:• ac1ually changing rhe origínal time.
Yi Hereare a few other ideas:
' Subdi\'idingand regrouping into six sets of lour-note groupings.

' ' J
4 4 4 4
.,

-r r--r= =r= J
J J J J J J J j
J J J::J ~
\
~ ~~ ~ ~

1~
~ ~ª-r f ~ f= ~ ~
:11

Subdivídingand regrouping into four Sl'IS of flve-note groupings and one four-note grouping,
s
'
E
5 s 5

j j ~ ~
i·
~·
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
@=B :11
~ f=· ~ ~ ~
~ 1 ~· ~~~ f-· ~

J,
' Subdividingand regroupíng using vanees sets of note groupings.
1 8 4

(@==~ J j J ~ ~ J J ~ J :11 .

45
 finally, here is an example of how 1 might use sorne of these ideas in my playing.

uf. ~
t f · J. g jf B Jzj
J <rnfWii--0 ; ~
~ ~ i. ~
@f. ~ ~
FJ ~

~·
~ ~
f ~~
~J 1 f.
j ~

f-·
~ ~

~
~

~
j f· j ~

1
1
1
1
1 46

1
 .., , ~'-·-~~ -~???~~,,~-~?'~ . i:7i~' ........;,:;p·'-•'"'"·•:;1~~~-·

-~- ¡;_ .

by Chad Wackerman

Playing In Odd
1 ::
Time Signatures
1 recently finished a master class tour for Drum
.... rt'l'!!rrs'Pf:I~ or ·
Workshop, and during the tour 1 was oñen asked c. 1 2, 1 2 3, 1 2
how 10 approach playing odd lime slgnatures, a 12123 1 2

n=a=:;;~~.ra=:j=fuJd=J
~ subject there seems to be sorne apprehension abont
1. 'º ::3 arnong drummers.
The first lhin¡; you must completcly understand
:11
beforc ¡ilaying odd time signatures is wh,11 a time
..__ ... signa1ure ilCtually sig"ifíes. A time signa1urc gives When you pl,,y in a quartcr-uote lime signature such as S/4 or
you information dc~suibing how c¡¡ch mensure of music is be to 7/4, it is fairly casv 10 pl.1y your pattcrns wilhin the subdivisions
counred. ·1 h1: 101> number wlls you how many counts are in une 1:iwn in thc music, becouse rbe counrs don'I go by too quickly.
measure. When 1 say "coums," l'm lalking ahoul numerical counts llowever, il your tempo is ;i f.lirly brisk one and vour mecer is in,
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,etc.J. Tbe bouorn number in a lime sign.iture tells say, 5/8 or 7/16, you need 10 Iind a way to play all the correct
you whal type ol note receives one count. Bottom numbers are subdivisions quickly so that you can look íurther on to the more
normally 2. 4, 8, 16, or 32, retatlng lo, respecuvelv, half notes, syncopated íigures in the music.
qeaner notes. 8th 001es, 1 blh notes, aod .l2nd notes. When 1 lirst practiced these 8th-note or l 61h-no1e odd meters, 1
lf you see a lime signature oí 3/4, it means lhilt vou have ihree decided to correspond mv sucklngs lo che subdivisions oí the odd
ceoors in one measure, anda quarter note receives one count. In meter. As 1 said earlíer, everv odd time signature will break down
omer words, there are rhree quaner-note coonts to a measure, and into a group o( two counts or a group of three counts. lf you make
they are counted "1, 2, 3." 1( you see a rneasure of 5/8, then an 81h upa sticking to play lor every 2 count, and a sticking to fü in the 3
nole receives one count, ancl there will be íive 81h notes per counls, and then string them together COITesponding to your sub-
measure. In a lime signature of 1 S/16, it would mean ihat a l 61h divisions, you will be pla)1ing the correct groupings.
nore receives one count, and 1here are 15 16th notes per measvre. For example, 7/8 can be subdivided into a grouping of 2+2+3,
When you look at any odd time signature, you should first try to or 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. Try thinking oí every lwo-note subdivision as
decipher where che subdivisions fall. Every odd time signalure is a RL Cright-left) slicking, and every three-note subdivision as a RRL
divided into subdivisions containing two or three counrs. Fur stickint:. Wha1 you end up with is 2+2+3:
ins1ance, a pauern plaved in 5/8 could be counted:
A. 1 2, 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3

I· J
2
J
1
J_ _..,..J 2
__..J 3
13 13· • 1 J J :11
B H A L R L R R L
or

I· 8.1 2 3, 1 2

;---..J--.J .El
1 2 3 1 2
Now try thesc <lifferenl groupings in 7/8:
2+3+2

a B 41)
1! A pattern in 7/8 could be counted:
' A.. 1 2, 1 2. 1 2 3 o=x
1 2
.ra J J J
1 2 3 1

~
2

:lf
1
1 2 1 2 1 2 3 A L R A L A L

.ra J7J ~ ? J :11

3+2+2
or
s. 1 2 3, 1 2, 1 2

J---J-J F3 F3
2 3 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 2 1 2

1 o J J J
A A l
F3 F3
R l A L
:11

1 47

1
.,_......__.
 In S/8: In 7/8:
2+3 2+2+3
1 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 2 3
J:=d+a+a
1 fJ

D B
~
• :11 D ~
F]=f3 ~
• ~
• J :11
A L A A L A L A L R. L L

3+2

3
1 2 1 2

o 1 J ~
• J J 111
1 2 1 2 1 2 3

A R l R L a ~
;=J FJ ~
• J ~
• 111
A L R l R l R
At this point 1 suggest moving your right hand to the hi-hat and
your feít hand 10 the snare, Your bass drum should he hittlng the
beginning of every subdlvision on all of the 1 counts. Make all of 2+3+2
the notes even, and try to play your le(t hand very quietly. Wilh
these guidelines in rnind, try these longer lime signatures: 1 2 2 3 1 2
A
15/8 (3+3+.2+2+3+2)
~ J==;J
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 t 2 IT z ~ ~
=11
e=:=g~*3=J?.3~;fJª1i A L A L L A L

A R L A A L R L A L A Al R L
2 1 2 3 1 2
FJ A
17/8 (2+2+3+2+2+3+3}
o ¡ ~ ~ ~

.o !J:mf)JJ mm=ai
1 2 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 23 1 23
111
R L R L R R L
n:=t A L R L A AL A L A L RRLRAL
3+2+2
Now lry sorne odd time slgnatures using a different sticking for
any subdivisio» oí three notes. Try rhese: Rll and RLR. 1 2 3 1 2 1 2
J J J f3 f3
In 5/8:
2+3
o z R A L A
:lf
1 2 1 2 3 L L L

8 B • 1 J J • 1 J 111
R L A L L
1 2 3 1 2 , 2
J
1 2 2 3 e A J J J F3 f3 111

023 J J J •1 J ;IJ 1
R l A A L R L

A L A L A
3+2 You should be able lo understand by now the method rhat I'
1 1 2 3 1 2
using. 1( you know whal vour subdivlslons are (2's and J'sJ, the~
simply apply a three-note sticklng 10 che J's, two ocies to the .2'
J J J F3 :lf and add the bass drum to the íirst count of each subdlvision. 11 wl
work out correctlv no matter how large the time signalure.
1 A L L R l Once you start 10 feel and hear how these patterns soun
experimenl with accenrs of your own. Flrst lry playlng all the
hand snare drum beats softly, then try making certain hits loud
than others, Hearwhat a dilference lt makes i( you only accent t
1 1
J
2
1
3
:Ld
1 2
J
last note of these pauerns: try the third note accented o( a 3 cou
then the second note oí a J count, etc. The rnost importa ne thlng
9 B • :11 to be able 10 play in any time signature with steady lime and wil
a good relaxed feel.
1 A L R R L

48
1
 Ghost Strokes:
by Rod Morgensteln

Part 1
"""'~'3'1-r.r,.Have you ever heard a really cool beat, rushed and Bth notes played on the bass drum will sound simultaneously
to your drurnset to figure it out, and pretty much wilh the rlght hand, and all of the "e's" and "ah's" on the bass
nailed it down-excepl íor one üule extra part drum should malch up with the left hand ghost strokes.
..
~10 ~ that you couldn't quite pul your finger on] And,
of course, that one extra thing is what makes the
10
a...,, bear so cool. Well. there's a chance that this
11•0-.t
eluslve pa1t is a ghost stroke. A ghost stroke is a
____ __, very soít tap on che snare drum chal, wben stra-
?gically placed berween the spaces provided by an existing beat,
an lurn an otherwise "normal" -sounding beat into one that is
mique. Basically, we "dress up" the normal beat hy fillin~ in the > >
10les wilh chesl' Mhmc stwk1:s.
Take, íor cxample, thc f1,lluwin11 bear:

> >

In chis beat, the right hand plays continuous 81h notes on the hl-
hat while the lefc hand plays the snare drurn on 2 and 4. To Illl in
lhe boles wirh ghost srrokes, let's begin by pfaying continvous
~e·- r 'í P r
l&th notes on rhe snare using alternare ri¡¡ht-lch sticking. Accent
all the rights and plJy the lefts as quietly as possible, Surely you've
heard the terrn "less is more," and in this case rhe quieter the left-
hand tap, the more effective it witl be.

RL AL RL AL AL AL AL Al

> >

f Now, leaving the leh hand to ghost on the snare. use the right
< hand to play rhe hi-hat ami hit rhe snare on the hackbeats lthat is,
on 2 and 4). ·

RLRLRLRLRLRLRLAL
-
~:.

IJ
> > Ghost strokes can work wonders wilh shuífles and half-time
shuffles. In preparation for playing ghost slrokes wilh a shuUle,
begin with the following exercise. Note that the RhOsl s1rokes íall
'. ,.~
r,,\~!
in tlie middle o( each triple! and are played wilh the left hand.
A L R R l R A L A R l R
: Add the bass drurn on 1 and 3, and we have the original beat > 3 > > 3 > > 3 > > 3 >
. dreued up with ghost strokes, In the interest of clarity, the paren-
~~ theses indicating the ghost strokes have been removed for the
lt folk>wing six pallerns. However, be sure to play che left-hand
044 Jjif??ffJfªdi(Ji J J:M;§11
: snare drum notes very so(tly. In the next exercise, the right hand shuffles on the hi·hat while
1 > > the feft alternates between ghosling and playlng the backbeat.

. w F P J nf P J
~
J11 R l A B R R L A B A

~JJ
;====P ~====J
~ 3 3 3 3
' > >

@=l
~· l J r¡J ~ !
~

~·IJ
~, 111·
Try the following beau, keeping in mind that ali quarter notes

49

-s::
 The following patterns consist oí various bass drurn patterns
plaved over 1he same han<l patlern. Again, the parenthcscs have 3 3 > 3 3 fJ
been removed, but be sure to play the unaccenred leñ-hand snare
drum notes as ghost notes.
111
3 > 3 3 > 3

s==4 r
J ~

~
!t ~

Pª ~
:'! ~
tll
3
'--3--'

3 > 3 3

r;
>

~:'
3 > 3 3 ·3

~ ~ ~ ~
D 2 ~
:IJ 3 '--3--'
~
3 3

3
> 3 3 3

;
>

044
~
~

3
f ~
:'!

"--3---'
~
[±j 3
~
J
:JI
Next time we'fl check out sorne orher feels to apply gh
strokes to, and take thlngs a step (urther. See ya!

3 > 3 3 > 3

o 1
f4 Pª :11

'
~ ~
'---3--' '--3--' '--3--'

I The next example is the hand pattern for a halí-time shume. Th'e
left hand ghosts in the mlddle oí the first, second, and Iourth
triplets, and accents the snare on beat J. As in the regular shuffle,

I the right hand shuñles on the hi-hat,

R L A R L A B A R l R

I 3 3 > 3 3

o g@J, ~
J ~
(•)
J d ~ ~ J ~ ~
(•) ill
1
Try the following half-time shuífle beats. Remember, parenthe-
1 ses indicating ghost strokes have been omitted in the panerns wíth:
bass drum parts (or the sake of clarity.

1 3 3
> 3 3

J j
JJ J J J J s
1 e 1 1
~
~ :11 /
~ ~

1 50

e:
"'."""' ....
 by Rod Morgensteln
J

Ghost Strokes: Part 2

~
In our previous meeting we talked about the effec- snare. As in tbe .. march" Ieel, all ghost strokes are played with the
1 in a straight-6th rock feel,
tiveness o( ghost strokes
a shuñle, and a hatr-time shuffle. Chost strokes
leít hand.
1
!·
also work very well when playing a "rock rnarch."
The hands follow an allernating right-left pauern
.._ _, as íollows: o B
~
'Ef
A
1
• •
L
1
R
J J
L R
1
• •
L
1
R
J J
L R
1
•
L

LEJg1
R L Again, try the following bass drum patterns wíth the previous hand
pauern. '"
1
Now have the righl hand play the hí-hat and the left hand pl.ly the
snare. (All ghos1 sirokes are played by 1he left hand.)

1
~mmfüll
Al RL RL AL RL AL

p
lghor
tt1 -§JI
1~ r· r· r'
0=1) 1fl

1 tt1 r· r· r· r· m r r r r ' E1 'f

An invened paradlddle also works great when applled to the

drurnset. The slicking is as follows:

1 e==t J u J J:J# ~ 3 J HJ 3 J hftl

RLLRLRRLRLLRLRRL.

1 The righl hand plavs the cymbal while the

plays the backbeat on the snare as fotlows:
left hand ghosts and

> >
1 D@=!~i:::::;::JJ J J ~ ~ J ,J ]) J J==J
:;:::::!l ===ti
~ 111

1 r==r p
Try the foltowing bass drum panerns:

a==2 rll
1 A verv popular technique in drurnming is the application o(
r r
rudiments (and derivations oí rudimems! to the drumset. In addi-
e+1
r r
lion, "ghostin¡;" sorne oí the notes of these rudiments can enhance 111
1 the soond a great cleal. Take, far example, a double paradiddle; 'I p y p
AL AL RAL RLRLL
®ti J J J J B==t
JU J i 13 U
cr
111
J J J
1 :IJ
CT4
Now, play the right hand on the cymbal and le(t hand on the

'1 1
l.
51
 1 The inverred paradiddle can take on a very dHferent flavor if the stroke/accent pauerns:
emphasis on the snare is switched írom the backbeat to the las!

1
fl
1 <>ch note of beats 2 and 4.
A l L R L R R L R L L R L R R L

J naJJ ~JJ,J J j
> >
ll@ J~ J¡J
1
Now add these different bass drum patterns. Now add in the bass drum lo complete the beaí.

[tjj
1 r r r r ·11
[tjj
r r r
1
B4A ,. p ,. p :11
1 D [J ll@
C1 t
., p y p

1 e 2 r=-:6 'í p '1 p ~ p::=Jíl

There are covnrless applications or 11host strokes in com
rary drumming, be it rock, (uslon, Latín, or jazz. The key
rnusical and utilize them .11 the rir,ht time and In the rir,ht p

1 The next example combines the two inverted paradiddle ghost

'•
1 '

1
1
•1
.!:

;].

i f 52
1.
... ~·-·· e•
 by Andy Newmark

Quintuplet
Rock
-.W~~u.i.::..-. fof the past couple of vears, l've been working on
a groove where lhe quarter note is subdividecl into
five 161h notes instead ol the usual four. 1 starred
practidng it jusi asan experiment; 1 wanted see 'º
if, after doing il for a while, it would siart 10 feel as
natural as playing ordinary 161h notes. Having

i-----
clone it · for a considerable arnount oí lime, I'rn
convinced that il can feel prelly good. within ihe
conrext o( l>einH sliHhtly "out there,"
The first examptes are lo Hel the Ieel oí dividing the quarter into
five 1 C,1hs instead oí into (our, bv1 keeping the idea 1ha1 this is a
slow 4/4. U vou ¡)llll out the hi-hat, you will have a basic 4/4 rock
beat. which you want lo feel .'.ll all times. lt's not meant to be
though: of as 20/16.

s s

hn
5 5

~.]n:;y_;¿?f±j " ;¿ s º ' ' f jl

Ihe hi:h,11 can be plaved by one hand al a slow tempo, as shown

obove, m if il's íasrer, il can be played by alrernating hands, with
the lefl hand moving over 10 the snare drurn far the backbears. 5 5 5 5

RLRLALALRLALRLALRLRL
5 5 5 5

a==rí'SJí2JJxí2ill'Jr;¿;¿JjQx'2J 11 is irnportant not to lose sight oí lile fact that you are playing
111 4/4 with a big backbe.il, wllhout whlch this could easily become
In lhe next grou1> o( exercises, to develop a linle bit of freedom very fusionesque and technícal, and sound very awkward. For that
wilhin 1his groove, we'H keep 1he hi-hat and snare drum the same reason, 1here are not many snare drum variations, because you

~~aw
ilnd plav sorne varia1ions wiíh the bass drum. deríved these beats
í don't want to get too busy and/or lose thal backbeat.
by (,1ki11g standard bests rhat we play in 4/4 when il'S four 16ths 10 5 5 5 5
the quMlcr note, and these are sor! oí 1ransla1ions of that. lf you
wan1 lo play an enrire tune in this feel with your band, these bass
drun1 v.Hia1ions m.ike i.;ood 1hy1hrnic pauerns Ior rhe bass plaver
IO use,
J JJi=;:::tJ~i@,
Once vou gel fJmilíar with these develoomental paneros, where
ihe second halí of the bar is che same as ti~ first, it would be good
to mix and match rhem. Also. although all of rhese examples are
noiated with ihe snareftli-hat part Irom 1he first example, you

~ªª º
shculd also practice ibese bass drum variauons with the alternar-
in¡.: snM~/hi-h.:11 pauern.
s
J
s
d i2 ;¿ Q º m s
jl J
s
d ;¿ í2 g :11
jl

s s 5 5

J o=g : j::Z 8 ;¿ j ~ i2 i2 )L! J j ;¿ i2 í2 j ~ ;¿ ;¿ il J tlf

53

«· . ' ,,.., ~ .·.

. ,, .......... _ ..
 One way to suerch out on this and still keep the backbeat is by
dolng rudimerual-tvpe stuff. for example, you can do altemating
par.adiddles, with rhe extra oote plaved by the bass drum.
fl

This next exercise also uses the idea of paradiddles, with a

strong 1 and J on the bass drum and a solid 2 and 4 on the snare,
J Follow each of those bears with a rlght-hand (RLRR) paradlddle.
s > ' 5 > 5

1 @A jJjJJj?jJDjí2j?
JJf9i2J QI

You can rnake up variations by simply shifríng the paradiddle over.

1 lí you do slart shifting the paradiddle, no maner where you pul tr,
you have to work it out so thal there is a big backbeat on 2 and 4.
Orherwise. this can gel too for oul. Again, you need thal backbeat

1 to anchor 1his type of playing.

Obviously, you cannol 1>lay this leel overa band if the res! of the
band is playing slraight 16ths. But i( the tempo is fairly quick, you
can use thts idea for one- or iwo-beat Iills, Unless you have

1 worked il out in advance with the other band mernbers. you have
10 be careíul about doinK this ata slow tempo, because they might
jusi think vou are rushlng. But at a fast tempo, where the rest oí the
band is worklng off oí the quarter-note pulse, you can rhrow in a

1 .quick five without messing up the other plavers, That can be

useful if you are playing a lempo that is too fast 10 play subdlvi-
slons of six in your fill, but )'OU want 10 give the irnpression o(
more activity.

1 u's very importan! 10 pracuce these fills with a meuonome,

because vou have to be verv carefu] not to slow clown or speed up
the pulse. As it is. even if you play il perfectlv in the pocket. you
run ihe risk o( belng indicted for "groove busting." But at least if

1
,
vou keep the quaner-note pulse golng consisteotlv and the time
doesn't faher, vou have ihe chance of being found "not guilty."
(Good luck!)
l'm golng 10 start wlth a panern on the third beat of regular 4/4
time. That wav, it will end with the big backbeat on the 4, lo keep
the rock groove happening.

1' On tne lasl example, the firs1 note should be thought of as a

standard backbeal, perhaps wilh a rimshol. In other words, think
oí this as a backbeat followecl by a four-note fill. On this particular

1 quintuplet, use a LRLRL sticking.

1
1 Al a fasl tempo, you could get by with playing a fill over the thírd
and fourth beats. You should keep four going with the bass drum.
These are: just a few examples lo gel you started subdividing the
beat inlo five. Be sure to interchange all of the ideas in this article,

1 and then come up with your own variations.

54
1
,,..
 . More El leclive Drum Fil Is
• by Will Kennedy

One oí the most challcnging aspccts oí bcing a

-l"IT:rr::ll"PJ":9:1• cHcctivc in differcnt music stylea.
musician is kceping an open mind lo ali styles
of music. Limiting your playing to a comfort
"·"~a.c.~
zone of ravorite music styles will · lessen your Step Two
so
lO chances of success in a \uy díverse industry
llaving at least a basic approach to as many Step two in playing more effective {ills is being aware of the
music stylce as possible will preve to be a grcat placemcnt of your fills. You are ddeating the purpose of play-
..__ ... advantage, becsuse it will improve your overall ing the fil! if you place it in a spot that diarupts thc flow of the
playing and also allow you lo be beuer-prepared for multiple music, evcn i{ it is a great fill that fita thc eharacter of the rong.
musical situations. One element that will help you place your filia in effective spots
Taking on ihis auitude as a drummcr also rnade me aware of is knowing-<lr at least having an idea of-thc musical struc-
rny apprcach to fills. For clarification, fills are spnntaneous or turc o( the song you are pcrfonning. Knowing where lhe diííer-
sornctimes contrived phraaes that are used to signa) the transi- cnl sections occur within the song givea you an imrncdiate
tion Irorn onc scction lo anotlier within a song. (There are understanding of where your fills could be most effcctive. For
cournlcss othcr uses Ior Iills, and 1 will comment on a Ccw oí examplc:
thern Iatcr in rhe articlc.) ll is difficuh to rnakc rules Iur this
personal and delicaie elemcnt of music-making, but lct's out- INTRO - VERSE - CHORUS
line Iive steps that will possibly help make your fills more 4 8 16
efíectin!.
This is a portian of a typical song structure with the number
· of bars listed below each section. Approaching thie example
Step One using the basic definition of íills, which is to signa! the transi-
tion Irom one section to another, the drummer knows he or shc
Step one would be lo try lo match your fills with thc charsc- can place a fill in thc last bar of eacb section, which are bars 4
ter of ihe song you are pcríorming. lt is appropriate for the of the intro, 8 of the Ycrse, and 16 of the chorus. Herc is where
drumrner, who is most responsible for the Ice] within a song, to you can set the tone of the song and even enhance the gracef ul-
play Iills that complernent thc characteristics of the song, In , nen or aggressiveness of the song's cntrance.
other words, íills that work well in a funk-oriented song may · In many cases it is appropriate to place· a fill in the middle of
not work as well in a traditional jazz song. Again, there are no i a section. For instance, the sample verse is cight bars long,
specific rules, but tradítional jau-oriented fills are most effec- which means that bar four of the vcrae could possibly contain a
tire when pcrforming traditional jazz songs. fill; but Cills of this typc should be approached with caution.
What is a traditional jazz fill? Gcnerally, it'a a phrase or Melody, tempo. and O\'Crall musical environment are some
pattern made up of rudirnents that fati under the feeling of important points to consider whcn placing fills in the middle of
jazz, which mostly involves swing-valued notes as opposed to a section. In most styles of music, the melody is the moit
straighi-valucd notes. For cxample: imporlant element of the song, because it is the one thing thtt
3 3 ali the other parts are supporting and enhancing. tf the phras-
ing of the melody leaves room Cor a fill in bar ~ o( the verse,
J J then it might be efíective lo place a fil! there. But if lhe phras-
1 ing of the melody goes through the fourth bar, than staying out
o( the way of the melody and continuing the flow of the song
might be more efíective.
filt
Tempo is another aspect to consider whcn placing {ills in thc

di
3 > > J

rJ
3 middle of a scction; In most situationa (not al/), your approach
~ J J J J J ~
1
to playing should be more lo thc point when pcrforming fast,
bright tempos-untes&, of course, you are pcrforming in a
more improviaational situation. This docsn't mean you shouldn't
<:»
play any fills at ali, but placing fills at lhe primary transitions of
In this example, the first mcasure is the standard jazz beat, thc song is an effcctivc approach to start with when the song ia
and thc following measure is a typical jazz fil[. The fill is made ; bright in tempo.
up of 8th-note triplcts and fíls within the framcwork ol the jazz The last point in.considcríng fills in the middle of 1 section
Ieel, Now, this íill would not be as efíective in a song with a is the overall musical environment. What's going on around
1 samba íeel. Again, keep in mind that anything can be playcd youl What kind of parls are thc other musicians playing? Aie
when ir comes to spontaneous creativity, but the drummer the parts relativcly busy ones? A good drummer is alwaya lis-
should have an understandiog of what types of fills are more tening to the other musicians he or she is performing with.

1 55

1
 performing as a group, and the common goal 1s to penorm auu

1 interact together, not separately. Playing Cills that are most

effective to the rnusic is part of achieving that goal.

1
Step Three

The use oí accents is the third step in helpíng mske your íills
more effective. Accents can change the charscter oí a íill dras-

1 tically by addíng expressicn and attitudc to what you are. play-

ing. For example:
> > > > > >
> >
1 e 2 J ~ j
J JJj ?j J ~
J J ;:! j ~

un
1 >
j j fj F3 J5
> >
a J ~
•
' l
1 r
<::»
In this exarnple, the first measure is a very basic baion beat
(similar to songo), and ihe sccond measure is a general íill

1 with a Latin Cccl. Uoth mcasurcs iuvolve acccuts, a111J if those

accents were removed, it would complerely changc thc auitude
oí the fccl. Acccnts are vcry importam Ior every stylc of music,
especially a style that is as expressive as Latín and other styles

1 of erhnic desccnt.
How docs the drurnmer know where to place the accents
.

within a Cill or beat? For drummers, one of the largest sources

of acccnt placemeru iníormation is recordings. 'I'here are count-

'•
less rccordings availablc in all stylcs oí music thal Icaturc
muslcians pcrforming with expression and attitude with the
use of accents, There are also books and videotapes available
that touch on the subjcct of acccnts. Ask around, do a liule re-
search, and more importantly, start developing your car lo. be-
come more sensitive to expression within ali the music you
~ hear and perform.

i Step Four

• Enhancing melody and solos is the fourth step in playing

more effcctive fills. 1 mentioned earlicr that the band should

•
perforrn and interact together, 'This is ene of the most enjoy-
'I able aspects of playíng live.
You may find yoursclf in a situation whcrc the mclody or solo
,

contains a rhythmic pauern that is familiar to most of thc

•
players in rhe band. This might be an opportunity Cor thc
drummer to duplicatc or enhance the paucrn in sorne way.
'fhis is an exarnple of musical interaction berween Iellow band
rnembers and, in most cases, can add Cun and e:<citcmcnt to a

•
scction and/or solo. Kecp in mínd that this l)lJC of interacting
may not be appropriatc for C\•ery song or style, which lcads us
to the last step in playing more cffcctive fills: risk-takiug.

Step·Five

~ How do you know when any of thc prcvious stcps are appro-

•
1
•I priate for the music you are playing? Just go for itl You'll find
out. As in Jifc, the more cxperíence you have, the better you
becomc. In thc mean time, take &ome chances and try f.liiil
sorne diHercot approachcs and ideas. ; ~
l:
56

•
~

t~.
 J
!
.
by Neil Peart
1
t.

Th~ Art Of Solo.irlg

, 1 mayas well admit the obvious: 1 arn, in· s1inct. And your fellow band mcmbers
,. dttd, a practitioner and partisan of that usually don't objcct to a sh.ort breathcr at
much maligned and ofr-persecuted musi- your expense.

l
cal forrn, 1hat thudding , plodding, tor- And now, 11 fcw words about my own me to trace those ideas that have been
menl of tedium, that dazzling display of approach. 1 likc to think that my solo is maintaincd, 1hose that havc developed fur-
'-' passion and virtuosity-e-the drum solo. constructcd likc a song ora story, in that it thcr, and chose which have bcen replaccd
Much conternpt has been rained down has a beginning, a middlc, and an cnd. by ncw venrures. With some lack oí humil-

J
upon rha: rime-honored insrlunlon by bit· Over 1be ycars, 1 have developt'd a chang- ity, 1 sinccrcly hope 1ha1 my drum solo at
ier critics and by man y drummers. Why? ing arrangcmcnt or rhy1hmic and dynamic. leas1 represenls fi11e years of working tO·
l'm nor sure l know, but J 've been giving it s1cps, much as a wrher must do. Thus the wards i111provt-men1.
"a bit of rhought . hridge$ :uul 1rn11si1ionul i;cc1io11s are ursa· Evcu 1 he prcscnc versíon ofmy solo dlf-
The conccpt of a drum solo is likc any 11izcú and fixed, whílc lhe individual scc· fcrs quite signifü::antly from the lalest re-
her form of selí-expression in one re- tions themselves are looscly structured cordcd onc, allhough thc arrangcment re·
~peer. lt can be very good, and it can be with some rcpcating passagcs. Howcvcr, rnains subscantially 1he same.
\'CT}' bad. One can dtsmiss the self-riglu- basically thc parts are off thc top of my Enough of what 1 do. Here's what l
:ous and oh-so-tircd accusations of "~elf- head. There is always improvisation, and 1hlnk: To me a solo on any instrumcnt

l índulgcnce" and "ego-tripning " in the

face of so much obvious appreciation Irom
.. audiences for even a simple or mediocre
irum assauh. lt certainly is not 011/y rhe
always room 10 stretch out when 1 fecl par·
ticularly strong or rambunclious.
The drum solo ccrtainly serves me well
as a field of rescarch and ·devclopment in
should combine emotion and techoique to
varying dcgrees. lt should pouess smooth
continuicy and exciting dynamics, lead 10 a
delinite climax, and incorporatc a variety

t e
layer who receives pleasure from this
'ego trip." ·
Let 's face ir. f'.los1 peo ple do like 10 hear
irum solos. Time is a definite primal Iasci-
which 1 can explore and refine new arcas of
approach, l like 10 kno\v how a thing
works beforc 1 vcncurc it in a song wich
possible disastrous consequences. Many
of colors and lcxturcs. 1 think a touch of
sub1lc lrnmor is good. 1 am fond of my lit·
tic collcction of sémi·melodic cowbells,
with their various, tu(\elcs.s "clunks" and
l~atíon which me rhychrnic thrashing of ideas tind thcir wa)' out of my ~olo and into "clanks." They have an innate kind of
ltrum-líkc objccts has on those who ha- new songs that wc might be workin¡ on. gooliness which lends a níce break to an
'- m1'1 )'ti glossed over 1hcír essential nature Some ideas fsnd their way out of my solo intense percussive onslaught. With a little
and into 1he garbage. carc and scnsiti\'ily, drums can be a vcry

l.
Ailh too much self-conscicus hipness,
h is unfortunare thal the 1 rue obligatory Thcre is also a kind of autobiographical emotivc a.nd cxpressivc solo instrument.
rum solo has beco me a kind of de rigueur scrapbook that 1 keep in my solo. Certain So, why ~hould the whims of fashion relc·
·. ~ideshow in the artillery of rnost every rock patterns which 1 spent a long lime learníng, gate thcm to the backup role from which so
>and. An uninspired and uninteresting or t hose rew t hat 1 consider rclat Í\'el y origi- many ¡reat drummcrs fou¡ht so hard to
~lo can certainly be very dull. Anything nal, give me thc most satisfaction. Therc e.x1rica1e them'?
11.J.~at can be done well can easily be cheap- are sorne things 1ha1 have been in my solo Brought down to basic principies, ifyou
-ned and bastardized, bue it has always for ten years. Of course, .Jhere are things enjoy soloing, if your fellow band mcm-
eemed to me that a concise, well-paced chat have only bccn there for ten days, and bers agrce, and if the audiencc rcsponds to
8oí~ always elicits positive audlcnce re· 1 'm sure there ha ve bec n man y accidental it, wlio can possibly have cause Lo criticize
IJ..Ponse. Can this rcally be self-indulgent? improvisations tha1 have only occurrcd 1he trurh and bcauty of that relationship7
· ·Derhaps jusi a tíule, little bit ! once. Go wild 1 r.lOI
1 remember my drum teacher Cellíng me i.:r.J
Not ali drummcrss/io11/dtake solos. l 've

1 ten and heard drummers who had excel-

ent timekeeping , anda ñaír for spking up
'··9 song with adventurous fills and inventive
1y1hms, but when it carne to the solo spoi,
that the two most dillicult things 1 would
have to learn would be indcpcndence, and
lhat flashy exercise in coordina1ion known
as the "double-hand crossover.'' Of

1 was justa meandering and featureless di·

resslon. The opposite is also true. 1 know
•• musiclan who for many years was beuer
course l'm still workin& on the limitless
universe of the fonncr, but how well 1 re-
. member that hot summer day in my par-
cnts' garage when 1 finally lcarned the tríck

1
: performing solos than at playin¡ songs.
bis is not very good eírher , of the la11er. In re1rospect, it really
. The real point of it all is that sorne drurn- couldn'I have bcen ali tlwt difficult, but
'"'ers do like pcrforming solos. Who what a shot oí confidence and pridc it gave
1ows? Maybe the others are telling the me. Those few s.econds of nostalgia will

1
•
uth when they claim t hey don 't li ke to.
ome drummers definilcly do justice 10 the
••radition, and many lísteners enjoy thcm
1 many lmls of undmtanding and in·
probably remain in my solo forever,
In comparing my t wo · recorded solos
from Ali T/Je World's A Stage (1976) and
Exit: Stage Lefl (1981), it is ínterestlna for

' 57

1
 Style a~d Analysis:
U2 's Larry Mull~n
by Mlchae/ Bettlne

larry Mullen plays drums with the vcry popular· three-piece Tite llrst four examples ore taken from the hit album War. On
band, U2. Larry and bassist Adam Clayton lay down a solld Ioun- the first example, "Sunday Bloody Sunday," Larry plays a 16th·
dation for the guitar. Ul is a prime example of a drummer and bass note hi-hat rhythm with aceents on the snare. This is underscored
player worklng together as a unit. The bass drum and bass guitar by a steady quarter-note bass drum. The fccling here is drivlng, yet
oñen play the same rhythmic patterns. While they may be simple relaxed, The rhythm is allowed to "breatbe," as opposed to being
quarter- or 81h-no1e patterns, rhe rhythms are always driving. played stimy.
1. lntro 3 fil!J..eS >

~:~: 3j;--r=J-Jl1-d==
.J
-F---r
===j J ~~-1Wf
r =f ~ r r ===r
i J ±31
~-
fti
e.o, -1
2nd Verse > > . > >

-íl J j ~~-JJJfI1=JJF J J J p==J J :ll ==j

Transcriprlon 112 is takcn írom "Seconds." The bass drum is not

mufñed. This open sound, along with a loosc, fat soundiug snarc,
gives a íullness to the drums.

This next one is from the hi1 single "New Years Day." This is a áriving son¡ where the bass drum and bass guitar work together,

H.H.
S.D.
8.0.

Bus I J
1 Rhythm

Numbcr 4 is" Drowning Man." Larry plays an open bass drum and brushes on tite snare. l lc plays a repetitlve three-bar phrase in 414,
while the bass plays a two-bar phrase in 6.
1 >

1
1 >

1 58

1
 The next three cxamples are from the October album. "Fire" On "With A Shout," thc beat is played on the toms and a¡ain
shows all three lnstrurnents worklng 101ether rhythmlcally. works wcll wilh the bass guitar.

s. 6 6 6 6
;6.
S.T.T . ....,,._,.1.__.-... ~--~-·t-"_......___ ..___
L.lºT.·- -
B.Ó. --~- ..~

8111

6 6

On •· 1 Thrcw A Drick Throu¡¡h A Window," thc rhytlun stays vcry basic, while lite snare shifts the accents.

11
lt
11
11
11 59

I·
 :P.l j
.~·.~:-.r.

. ,,.~

1
by Mlchá'el Bettlne
1 Style (, Analysis 1
1 :l...
) Simon Phillips
1 ,t:¡;¡;;!;;~~Pflffj~
.t
.- >

lJ
> .>
The name Simon Philllps has been popping up steadily over the Chlnt Cym.®

f
p&$l few years on récords from sueh diverse artl$ts as jazz-rockers 11.H. x ~ ~ ~

1 Stanley Clarke and Jelf Beck, to heavy metal aets like Judas Priest
and Michael Schenker. As a calented and versatile drummer, he is
always in demand for sesslons and tours.
S.D.
e.o. 4 ~
F
While Simon is an amazing techniclan, his playing Is nol an end-

1 less barrase of rolls and fills. Insread, most of il is very simple and
5trai¡ht ahead. The following two transcrlptlons are taken from
Pete Townsend's album, Empty Gloss. The first Is from "Let My
Leve Open The Ooor" and the second is from "And 1 Moved."

1 While both examples are basic beats, Simon puts a lot of energy
and feeling behind them.
The following example shows a progression of three beats from

1
"The Pump." As the song goes along, Simon belps build lt to a
climax. The dl'ect he creates is one of dynamlc tenslon. While he's
playing very slmply, you know that at any moment he can exptode
into a knockoat flll. This is the same type of elfect you gel by eem-
pressing a spring. You know that when you let it go the spring will

1
f ~
go ftyíng.

u.uCym.®X -¡¡ _¿1

r
Q1lna ~

1 ~~: :!t- ¡ 11

1
1
I~ f ~ ~~ j 1 J ? J Í
The next four exarnples are from the tille song of the album,
311
Crises, by Mike Oldfield (of Tubular Be/Is fame). Thls long plcce

1
ebbs and ñows, with Simon changing throughout. The ftrst passage
is anothcr example of crcating tensión. Slmon plays this vcry
stowty and deliberately. You can scnse the drum part building to a
climactic part of the song.

1 The next three transcriptions are from JelfBeck's álbum, There

And Back, The ñrst is raken from "Too Much To Lose," and

1 again Simon kceps his playing simple, but light and drivíng.
The second passage has a simple ride/snarc pattern on top oí a
driving double bass rhythm. You get a sensc of urgency from the

n
bass drums, yel retain lhe tension from the ride/snare figure that

1 d J ñ .ri J
builds up to lhe final climax and cnd of the son¡.

1
::~: ~1:·--r<-----r
UH. ¿t
-r TI

In the following rhree-bar phrase from "El Becko," Simon kicks

rhe band with heavy accents.

1 60

1
..
 Thc followina passagc shows thc advantage of Simon's Ieft- The next three examples are from Simon's work wlth EnglYsh
handcd rechnique. While thc lcft hand plays the hi-hat, thc riaht is sln¡cr/actreu Toyah Wlkox. Her music is ver)' modern and ener-
-· free to play thc snare and toms. ¡etic, wlth the drums often belng the heart of the song. The first

u~iJP@@f@
two passages come from the live album, Warrior Rock. Thc first is
from ''Good Morning Universe," a fast son¡ kept moving by the
otf-beat hl-hat,
+ o + o o + o
+
,p
~F
1

1 - -- Ji
*TI EJ
L H.H .. 1 ~ 'f } 'f

tr
B.D.
Shown belew is a Iour-bar phrase played on the floor tom. Thc
aecents are on rhe snare with a risina small-tom fill leading into a
cyrnbal crash at thc bcginning of the fourth bar.
::e: 11

The second is from "Castaways." This is also a fast son¡ on whlch

:1iffJi JJ ~n J
Simon plays a more complex rhyrhm, usln¡ thc toms for accents.

H:1- -""--lf 11

The following exarnple is from a song titled "Stand Proud," on

the EP, Four More From Toyah, and agaln shows Simon's leít-
handed technique, Tite righ; hand gives a mclodic quality to thc
rwo-bar phrase by usin¡ the snare and toms.

u
>

*-"A.--tj j~+-f""i~-++ic;:::-f'L~====_J
:;:::::..,..__~ -p::;;:_.Sf-~~~:=
J3..:....:.::::Jj

e 1
. >

~ r r ~ ~ jt====f ~===JJ

'1
i'
11
61

1
 1
1 ~
by Joe Franc

1 Dreaking Up The
Double~Dass '.Roll
1 ·'

loe Franco began his professionat career playing witl: rock bands in th« East Víllage of New York cu», In tht "Fitlmore days. "Hejo
the Good Rats in 197J, recording six albums tmd touring constantly overa nlne-year period. /11 1982, Jre toured Canada wíth Chifliwa

1 Since 1981, loe has been in volved witlr session work in the New York City aree, as well as authoring Double Bass Drumming, o book b
on his inncvative double-bass concepts, some of whlch lle presents in this arttcte.
In today's double-bass drumming, the bass drum rhythm that is 1·
rnost commonly played is the single-suoke roll. Various rhythms
¡
1 can be derived from the single-stroke roll, simply by removing
notes from it. The following exarnple illustrates the l srh-note dou-
ble-bass roll: ·

1 Dass DrumCode:
8.l>. 1 .. t.hln Dass Drum
ll.D. l a Second llass Drum (011 hl-hal slde) r + m + A 3 E + A (i] •
1 ~~:ti= [ r [ r [ r [ r [ e [ r ~ e [ r :11
1 1 E + A 2 E + A 3 E +A 4 E + A
Now, consider the concept oí playing 011y l6lh·note rhythm by
pla)'ing the notes of the rhyrhrn on B.D. I and B.D.2 as iíthcy were

1
pan of the 16th-note double-bass roll, led by B.O. l. In other
words, play a// 8th notes (1 & 2 & J & 4 &) on B.O.!, and atl rhe E's
and A's on B.D.2. + (l)E + A 3 E + A@) +

1 Here's a practica! application of this concept: In the Iollowing

pauern, rhe main bass drum (B.D. I) plays an 8th-notc rhythm.

1 :11
1 + [l) + 3 + @] + 1 E+ .., A 3 E + @ +A

1 O= not playcd
By inscrtina B.0.2 between ihe notes of B.0.1 (on E's and A's),

1 16th-notc double-bass rhythms can be formed, as in rhe followin¡

psuerns. Note 1ha1 B.0.1 rernains constan!.

•
1 E+A(í] +A3E+A@) +A

-
• t.o.11W~#--+----;ll,___ __ ~----1ll~
_ _,,,
a.o.~ a.L.-l--+----=1--4-.._+-_...,..,_..+--..3f---t.il--..&'9

•
+ (!]+AJE+ @] + 1 E + [l)E + A 3 E + @]E +A

•
62

·-------·--
IX.

- .. - .
l tl

r
f'.· The followina example illustrates the 8th-note-triplet roll

~r
'. on double ba$$ drums:

'! :~; lt; r L F r r__r~F

3 3 3
TL2TL3' T L 4 T L
By raking notes out of the above single-stroke roll, che bass
3 J 3 3
drurn rhythrns in the following pauerns can be formcd: TL 2IT)LJ TL 4(I]L

I••~ ..,.
1,
~~·'º)·
eo•

•• J

I: IT)L 2 T L 3 IT}L 4 T L 1 (TI L ffif IIJ 3 T L 4 T L

•
t·.
.J .
•

1
t·,
3
T L 12 T L 3 TI L 4
3
T L
3 3
T L 2 T L 3 (I)L@] T([J Try using this concept lo creare your own d'ouble-bass rhythms.
1• Keep in mind that these rhythms are deríved from the single-strcke
roll, simply by removing notes from it, while playln~ the remaining
notes as if the roll were continuous.

1•
Next time we'l! add sticking to our concept and crea te hand!/oot
patterns for you 10 try, llJ

',:. T L 12 T LI 3 T L 4 T L

'~
•·

,.:
I~
t;

I::
•·
I·1 63
,,.
e:
 ----- .........
, , : ':~~k:~r

by. Joe
·- Franco
..,

Double- Dass Conc•pts:

Hand-Foot
Combination Patt~rns
A popular concept in double-bass drumming 1$ breaking up 16th
notes berween both hands and borh feet. For example:
H .. Hands F = Feet

= ,J jjJJ jj J j j j J Jj j j 1
R L
R

R
L

L R L
R L · íl L R L

]1 ¡J J J J J=====J J J J J J J
1 e " A 2 e & A 3 E & A 4 E & A

:¡J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J A L R L R L
These and similar paucrns can be used as one-bar fllls or can 'be
repeated and combined with cach orher 10 form extended lills and
solos. Whcn pla)1ins a hand-foot combinarion pattern as a fill, or
when cornbiniug rhese pauerns, it is desirable to play the lead
(dominant) hand and foot on the downbeat of 1 of the followi111
]J~JJj J J ]¡
measure, By usin& the followin¡ systern, this will always occur: ( 1) A L R L A L A L R L A L
Play all 8th notes (1&2&3&4&) with the right hand or Ioot. (2) Play
ali E's and A 's with ihe lef1 hand or foot. (Left-handed players will
reverse this sysrem.) By using 1his sysrern, the dominant hand/foot
will always play che downbeai of 1, and cach Collowing note will
alternare as R, L,R, L,R, L, regardless of whether ir is playcd with
lj J J] j J]] j J j J J J J ]¡
the hand or foot. The above patterns will be played as: A L R L L R L'

j J J J J J j j J J ]) ·.
A LRL ALRL
L R
~ ¡J j
R L R L R R L R

j j
R L A L R L A L
,; J J J Ji::=;:]===] J J J J J J J J ]¡
L A L

~ IJ J J J j J J J J J J] J J J ]1 ¡J J J J J J J J J J J J J~j J 11
L R L
AL ALA RLR

íl L A L R L A L
Here are other cxamplcs of 16th·notc patterns: R L L R L L R L

J J j J J J J J J J J J J J J J 1 ¡J J J J J. J J J J J J J J J J jj
Al RLRLRL RLR RLR

~ 1
Al AL. LRLAL LRLRL

¡)) J ~ l J j ~ J ~ J J j) J ), ,1 J J J J J J j J J J j j J J jl
?
AL AL L RLRL RL

lj J J ] J ) J J J ] J j j J. J 1 ¡J J J J j J J J j J j J J J J ~
A L A l R L A L A L R L L R L R L

64

.J----····
.. ---~-·--~
 This sysrem can be applled to 8th-notc ttiplcts by playing: 3 3 3 .
3 r--3-. 3 r-3--,

:.:: 1 J '{ J :t j) 'f J :t J :t j) '[ 1

,---3---.., 3 r-- 3--, 3
\~· ¡_:. :t_. j),._:. ._:.:t_..,.J.,__;:t--1J~.,~J)~"f~J:t~J1
L A L
R L A A L A
3 3
1
JJ j J1
L.F.
Here are examples of triplet patterns:
R L
J
R L R
3
L ,· IJ J J J J J J J
jJJJJ
L R L

~ IJ J J J-J~JJ
L R L

RLR LA LR
1
3 3 3
R L
3
R L
3
R L

3
R
R
L
L
R
R
3
L
L
¡J J J J J J J J J J jj 1

IJ J J J jj ~ l J J J J¡ R L
3
R
L R
L
L
R
3
A
L
L

IJ J J J J J J J J J J J 1
R L R L
R LA L R LA L
3 3 3 3

IJ J J J J J J J J J J J1 R
3
LR
L R L R
Al
L

J
R
AL
3

JJJJJJ J j j J J1
R L A L

J
R L
3
A L
3 IJ
j J J
¡J j 3 3

J 5 J 5 JI
L A L R L

1 j j R L
3
R L
3
R

d J JJj]JJJJJJ¡
ALAL RLR l
L.

1
R L R l R
J 3 3.

J J J J1
1

IJ J J J
1

JJ~ J
R L R L LRL
· You can reverse all oí these pauerns by playina thc hands' part

1 R L R L R L
. with the íect and vic~ versa. The R's and L's wiU remaín thc same.
· Pracrlce playlng these pauerns wüh both hands on the snare.
Thcn try breaking up thc hands 011 thc different sound sources in
R L R l. R L
your kit. Try applyina them as one-bar fills. Once you are Iamlliar

1 3 3 3 3 with thern, try repeating and combining thcm as extended fills and
fl}
¡J J J j J J jJJ
solos. Experiment with your own patterns.

j J J
1
1

R L R L R L
RL ALRL ALA

1
1
1 65

1
 by Rod Morgeostein

Thoughts .' On ..
i
Practicing !t
1
''l hite to practice l '' How rnany of us have more awarc, and more musical drummcrs. source oí our owri creativlty. One thing l
. madc this staternent at one time or Thcre are a limitcd number of hours in a· find efTcctive Is to play a rela1ively simple
ancther, ehher muuered under our brcath day an·d cvcn fcwÚ practlcc hours. lt's · bcat over and ovcr to scc wherc ÍI takes me.
or screarned at the top of our lungs? 1 cer- necessary, thereforc, lo make in1elllgent 13y doing this, several ingredienlS are al
tainly have, and on more than one occa- use oí our time. Spcnd some of it thinking work simultancously. For one thing, l'm
sion. However, after giving it more careful about thc inusic~·I in¡redicnts thal are rclaxed and ablc to work at my own pace; 1
thought, l 've come to a fcw realízations, important to rou, and try co· incorporatc can play thc bcat endlcssly until it feels pcr~
sorne obvious and some not so obvlous, them into your daily practice routinc. To íectly comfortablc and hopefully it will
about the special nature oí practlce and me, every musical ·i1\grcdienl is impor1ant soon be grooving along. 1 try to concen-
how it fus into rhe total picture of pla~·ing and crea1es an overlappína clfcct. For t ratc on being a human metronomc,
the instrument we love so much, example, by pr:i"cticina hand a11d foot because a good scnsc oí time is a must as a
The thing ihar struck me initially was thc coordinacion, )'OU cxpand your musical · drummer. Somcthncs l '11 prctend 10 be
fact that, when you practice, it is probably library oí pallcrns. In turn, this can playing with a band and sing melodies in
the only time you're actively alone with enhancc your ~oloii.1g and grooving potcn- my head or aloud, trying lo "lock in" whh
your drums. This is very import ant 1 ial. I' ve Í ou nd, f O( ex am ple, 1 hat SI udying my imaginary band males. Or l '11 try to
because )'OU can work at your own pace odd lime signaturcs has opcned my ears ro visualizc thc bcat in my mind in order 10
and experience a comfortable and relaxed ocw approachcs to 4/4 lime. Thc point gel a clearcr picturc of whal l 'm doin1.
feelin¡. Whcn you're alone, one-on-one, here is that many musiclal insredients have When the beat is comíoreablc, 1 solo
you are free from thc external variables tremendous valuc imd descrve their share around it in different ways. For examplc,
which can cause problcms. These cxrernal of practicc time. Rcrucmber thac qualíty is think in four-bar phrascs and play a fill on
variables include live perforrnances, such more imponant tiian quantity. A great beats l and 4 of thc fourth mcasure. Or
as ccncerrs, club dales, and recording ses· dcal can be accomplishcd in a rclativcly think in four-bar phrases, play 1he beat for
sions which also involve musician interac- short period of1íme if it is wcll thought-out the first chrce measures and solo in the
tion and relating to an audience in sorne and organizcd. fourth measurc. Another method is to solo
manncr. In such situatious, it is by no Learning through books is a ''ery popu- in mcasures tl111ec and four. You might
means uncornmon to experlence stress-orl- lar form of drum practicc. With books, wc cven think In two-bar phrases, playing the
emed feelings, such as fcar, intírnldatlon, can cxpcrlencc differcnt approaches to bcat in the first mea5urc and soloing in the
uptlghrness, nervousness, and the fecling playina drums and havc our eyes and ears second. Sometimes this leads to ali-out
that the bouom is about to drop out. or opcned to concepts we may never have soloing-with che original beat still
course, a cerrain level of ability and corn- thought of. lfowevcr, it's imponant to put implicd-which can becomc almost medi-
petence isexpected in live performance sil· book Jearning inlo pcrspcctive, and to talive or trancc-like. lt is at this poinl that
uarions. What we're Iaced with is the need undcrstand 1hat it's a mcans toan end and somc of my most r.rcativc ideas come 10
to have it rogether, in so many ways, . notan cnd in itsclf. lifc.
before we find ourselves in frighrening pre- About the time wc wcrc complcting our Assumina that you play the cxcrcise
dicaments. Pracrlce is a rnarvelous way to s1udies al che University of Miami, Danny abovc for scvcral minutes wi1hout a break,
help prepare for the challenges that await Golllieb and l wcrc talking aboul ali thc lhere Is also an cndurancc factor a1 work.
us. ycars we had spent lcarning via drum And spcaking or cndurancc, you should
We hear time and time again thal it 's books. We condudcd that the lime had makc a mental note or how physkally hard
importan! to maintain a well-balanced diet come 10 put thc books asidc and to deter- you play thc drums In lívc performanccs.
10 ensure strengrh of body and mind. 1 mine the exccnt of our assimilation of or1en1imes thcrc is a tcndency not to hit
believe 1ha1 practice should be approached knowledge. The poinl here is that, when the drums as hard when you practiee as
in the sarne manner. Justas comblnations you're in a perform·or-dic situation, you when you pcrform. This can cause prob-
of differcnt food groups make up our daily ccrtainly can't cal! time out 10 search lcms Ir (1) you are a relatlvcly hard hiuer
food diet , so should difTerent musical 1hrough your drum books for !he correct and (2) you do not play livc on a regular
íngredicnts íorm our drurnrning .diet . solution. Obviously, you won'I rc111cmber basis. You can avoid a potentially cmbar-
Sorne of these musical ingredients are hand all thc exerciscs, pattcrns, and bea1s you've rassin¡ momenl thc first night back on the
development, stick control, hand and foot learned over thc years. Bul chances are gig lf you practicc al the same volume and
coordination, síght-reading , chart read- that 1he general conccpts will consciously in1ensi1y as you play in live performance.
ing, soloíng, odd time &igna1urcs, endur- or unconsciously remain wilh you and be So, you sec, difTerent facton are át work
anee, pla)•ing grooves, versatllity, listen- part of your drummina vocabulary for- through lhis onc basic cxercise. 1 encour~
íng, and transcribing. My inteurion here is cver. The uhimate purpose or books, of age this kind of spontancity along wilh thc
not to overwhelm you with problems, but course, is to s1imulate thc creativc clemenc more disciplincd sludy of books.
rathcr to point out how many different insidc ali of us and to achicvc our own Another topíc w'orthy or mention is
things there are 10 absorb. And through unique styles oí drumming. practicc as il relates to the travelina drum·
absorpcion, we become-hopefully- A flcr the books have becn pul aside, it is mer. When I was in college, much oí my
suonger, more capable, more confident, important 10 chink about tapplng the time was cakcn with non-music·rclated

66
 1
1 uudies, and a good deal of the music stud-
ies díd not dcal spccifkally with drum-
ming. l carne to thc concluslon that, once 1

1 gol out of school, ihere would be a ¡rcat

deal more time to practice and to get it
1ogcthcr. Well, what I thought and what
actually happened werc two diñerent

1 things. Suddcnly, the tests and terrn papers

were replaced by the need to rnake a living
and to gel a ncwly íormcd band off thc
ground. Once rhe band started 1ravcling on

1 ...'• regular basls, doing one-nighters, ihe

problem of practicing becarne a scrious
matter. The moral of the story is that, if
you plan to be a road musician, &et it

1 rogether bcforc you hit the road. On many

occasions, the only time you'll be sitting
behind your drums is at the gig itsel]',
Thc intcnl oí this article has been to shed

1
sorne light on thc importancc oí pracrice,
differcnt ways to approach it, and thc qual-
llics that make it so special. hs benefits
encornpass numcrous aspects of drum-

1
ming , Earlier we spoke about thc iruerrela-
iionship and overlappina of various musi-
cal ingredierus. This can also carry over to
the cmotional aspect of drurnming. As

1
thcy say, "A heallhy body, a healthy
mind." The way you think and Ieel are
very impónanr. 1 f you play wcll, you'll Ieel
¡ood about thc way you played; this1 in

1
turn, will inspire conñdence andan overall
positive outlook. So, thc next time you're
alonc with your drums, stop and think
about how ver)' special it is to practice!F+l
i.l:'J

1
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:

•
67
 ...:., ..
.- '-' .,.~ :¿..··.

by Brad/ey Branscum
Style e, Analysis:
Steve! Smith
In the past couple oí yean, much attcntion has been aivcn 10 Steve
Smith and his love for jazz. His solo albums, Vita/ Informatton
and Orion, dernonstrate his unique approach to jazz. playlng;
Howcvcr, Stevc Smith can also rock 'n' roll, as Is cvidcnt on his
recent albums with Journcy. He combines power with tinessc and
Incorporares this wcll with the Journey sound. To see Steve in con-
cert is proof'that this guy can rock 1 The following examples come
írom his work wilh Journcy, and are characterized by subtle cym- These rhree examplcs come from the album Departure. The fol-
bal varlations with powcrful execution of both bass and snare. lowlng example Is from "Stay Awhilc," a 6/8 ballad that relics
The ñru six pattcrns come from thc E110/111io11 album. This heavlty on the change in cymbal pauern.
example is from "Whcn You're Alone (lt Ain't Easy)" and has a
deñnite laid-back fccl to it.

CD
~11;·º""'"º"." ~ 3 J J J = J ;
~~¡'--
J
n=IM::t:=
~~ •1t 1• 1 "Where Werc You" is a driving rock 'n' rol! song thal highlighls
The followíng is from "Do You Recall," a straightforward rock Smith's aggressive playing. Here is thc strong introduction to the
'n' roll pattcrn with a slight hi-hat variation. son¡ along wíth the rhythmic pattern oí the verses.
CD
iíA~~m~Fi ~18 19-a¡ JJ r n~
3 3
(!) > >

~ r
This exarnple is from the first and second verses of "Just Thc Samc

ip~ '
Way," in which the bass drum plays an important role in the

:ipJ~rnr.~~
song's ovcrall fecling.

J ~ J
e J~ o o o o o o o o

1 The next exarnple , "City Of The Angels," shows the changc in

lime signaiure at the song's end.
©
~:a@f ¡~;~~¡t~
> :;:... > > > > >._
1 Escape has been an extremcly succeuful album, and thls exam-
ple illustratcs the energetic quality of Stevc Smlth as a rock drum-
mer. Thc following Is taken írom "Stone In Leve."

l ®
i
> > > >
These two pauerns are iaken from "Lovin' You Is Easy." Thcy
J J J
r j~.
show how a panicular rhythm is elaborated u pon, and how thc hi·

1
hal and ride cyrnbal play an importan! pan in the groove,
0 \?]
if ~'f-n ~ ~~'ID~ o
~

Pr pif =p r r
OnB•I~
~

1 2 The hit single "Don't Stop Bellevin " mixes thesnarewith the l'oor
tom, and the accenu on thc cymbal provide for an intercsting com·
binacion.

1 68

1
l,.;
1
1
1
1 This pattcrn from "Hopclcssly Jn Love (The Party's Ovcr)" is
[ound on thc Coptured album. In this cxamplc, the 32nd notes are

1
~rem~~j~~nr:m
played asan. open rotl.
@) o

1
1 "Cha in Reacuon" is from Frontiers, and is an excellent example
of how the hi-hat, bass, and snare rhythms coodinate well with the
song.

1
1
1
1
1
1
l.
11
11
11
1 69

1
 1
by Micha~/ Bettlne
1 Styl~ & ~nalysis:
1
1 Neil Peart
1 ~·=001 Chine

1
1
1
1
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1
1
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1 70

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':· ··:- .. ·.·~··t

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E§ J ·8 ¡ i t J ~1 r nd
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1 w.. 1_ ~jJJJJjjjj; JJ 1

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v: r r ~~r =tl=zt~r~rr~~=!
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'º -r . ,:'.". .' : .=--===--------~

.i.
Moving on rhe Slgn•lsLP, Exarnple J ls Irom "Losing lt." ; ~:
ml Taken from the break aüer rhe lirst verse and into thc second, rhese :
three phrases show Ncil "building up" the rhythm, Startin¡ wirh ; ~ rz..N 1 FlA 1
1 1 ]
; rimshot and hi-hat , he adds bass drum, and titen snare drum and ~ . _x_ __ x_x_ ~~~--X..
...}._

~ 0 -~i.hu
open hi-hat. ·

J .iJ .1 .L.!
- · : ----------- --···-:::]

:_:_~,;::__:::::.~-:.=-,_~-~- -===.-===:=.:::-=.=::.=-.:=i
li .... , ~-·-- =-==:4t~~-- :==;t~ 1JJ nwm~
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r· - ----~==--=--=-==--==:.:·
ia
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1 .... J_JJ.J j J f Jij ~ J ~·~nJ.n~nnJ J J]b
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1. -:;:t:::__IC.
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--
.
-
.

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Exarnple 4, "Chemistry," is also from the Signalsalbum. This ~-
1
shows Neil catching thc accents with his crash cymbals. Even with
the crashes and ñlls, he keeps the beat right on targct. -:;:!:.

;]: r ~ /ѱ=r fr
J = 125 •

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71
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72

.,. •:

«' ,.
 by Brsdley Brenscum

Jirn Gorcon.
Style & Analysis
From his early days wilh the Everly Brothers and Oary Puckett &
The Unlon Gap to his monumental drumming with Derek & The
Dominos, Jim Gordon has been at the top of bis profession. Dur-
lng the lace '60s and throughout the '70s, he was th« studio drurn-
mer for rock 'n' roll, Hls ftuidity and uncanny sense of feel put hím
on the road with such acts as Joc Cocker's Mad Dogs &
Enslishmen, Qclaney & Bonnle & Frlends, and Jackson Brownc.
The ñrst example comes from Joe Cocker and the Mad Dogs &
Englishmcn tour. This highly publicized tour resulted in a live
album featuring Gordon and Jim Ke.ltner on drums. As expected,
the5e two heavyweights combined created some great drumming,
This piece is fróm the Rolling Stoncs' "Honky Tonk Women,"
whereby Gordon adds sorne ñavoring of bis own.

CD
J

The next iwo examples of Jim's work come from thc Delaney &
Bonnie tour. The album is entítlcd Defaney and Bonnie and
Priends, and the ñrst example is taken from a 6/8 blues piece called
fl~JJ.JJp ~~ fJI~. J rl~ J Ji
"Thar's What My Man Is For."

j J

.This transcription is taken írom Oeorge Harrison's Alf Things

Must Pass album. These patterns are variatlons of a single pattern
that Jim plays throughout the course of the son¡ "Out Oí The
Blue."

© J =82
The following cxample is the introduction to the son¡ "Whcre
Thcre's A Will, There's A Way. • • Here, Jim is playing the usual hi-
hat pattern on the snare, providing a unlquc Latin-rcck sound,
~
~
J ~
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J
R~ ~
J

=!)=9
~
J J
e. ~~J i J

73

. .,........,._. .. _ " .. - ........, f ·fa ·ra:z'9J- ..... ----~~·----.---·

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Free-playing throughout song
J j
1 ñ~ 13~ ñ~ 13
1 p~ ~·~

r
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j J
~

The next cxample is thc result of Jim's playlng with the

J
=9=
r 19 :gbifTI
Thb cumple comes from the album Oalabasas by B. W, Stev
lmmenscly popular band, Derek &. The Domlnos. The song is entí- son. Thc 1ong u "Picase Come To Boston," and the transcript

1
tled "Lay la," and here is the drum part through the verses with an covers the chorus and thc bridge. This Is a good cxample of Ji
example of how Jim approaches fills in this plece. ability to play for a song, that Is, to play a drum part that
beautifully as if no other drum part could work.

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B ~ J ~. \.
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;
ir ~_J,~J~J _..,._J___.,J.___J ~J----
1
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~l~ Je?p~e~ f]j~ ri 1 F Afi. F@l {l
Tne ncxt lwo lranscriptions come írom thc album Tbe Low
Spark O/ High·Heeled Boys by thc band Traffic. Jim's drumming

l. on thls record is phcnomcnal; fcw drummcrs today can plaY. wilh

such fccling and kccp such immaculate time. Thís exarnple shows a
varíatlon of a particular pattern near thc cnd of t he song "Hidden
Treasure."

, 1
.
.

- J

•
( The tille track, "The Low Spark Of Hlgh-Heeled Boys," fca-
l tures approximatcly 12 minutes of lncrcdible drumming, The
drum parts are so ti¡ht, yct one can picture Jim playing with rela-
tivc case.

'

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•1
1

74
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1
The album by the Souther, Hillman & Furay Band offers some
unique drumming. The song "Border Town" is an adventurous
piece, and this transcription features the solo introduction. ·

® J = 110
1
1
1
1
~

1
1 Jim's work with J oan Baez displays bis versatility as a drumrner ,
This example starts where tbe drums kick in, and highlights his
bass drum work on the chorus of "Oh, Brother. • •

1 @ J = 102

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a 1~ G.LlP=1 i/ ~ ~

1
1

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~; r----. ~' J r~ e
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The Jase transcription is taken from Steely Dan's Pretzel Logtc;
The ñrst example is from the verses, while the second one is from

1
the chorus of the song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." Once
again, it seems that Jim is effortlessly creating some fantastic

Wjf_J_j~f J¡JJ
drumming.
@ J = 119 >

1
1
1 ~11 f=~~r~~ f ~~r~;¡ 1

1 75

1
 ~·" •i.'1:'·:' • ~.
< ' .. :· .. !·
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•,

1 by Michael Bettin

1 Style & Anolyss. ..

1 i AlonWhite ' .
Alan White hu been thc percussive force behlnd Ves since 1972. Hi! intelíigent, musical, and powerful approach to rock drummin¡ help

1 make Yes one of the top bands of the '10s. With the band's triumphant return in 1984, Alan has become a drummer Ior the 'SOs.
The following examples are all rakén from 9012.5, Yes's long-awaitcd return album. Alan's playing on 90/1J is brllliant, and il helped
secure a ncw generation of loyal followen for hlmsclf and rhe band, The examples selecred reveal Alan's tasteful and well-executed play
style.

1 The ñrst example is taken frorn the introductory sectlon of "Changes." Plcking up right after thc drums enter, we find the band play
a tighl, aherna1ing 1/8, 10/8 pauern. Thls pauern sounds complex, yet it is simple 10 understand when wrluen out. After the break a
drum fill, ftic band reenters at measure 17 with the acoustic guitar playing in 4/4 over the odd-merer pauern, The effect is quite polyrhy

1
míe, At rneasure 25, the band drarnatically joins the guitar in 4/4.
Ist time onty
CD 1'~ 12s '

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T=1~--,. . __-- 1~9

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l st time 011/y

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Exarnple 2 is from "Our Song." Srarting four bars before thc lirst verse, the band plays 1111 alternatlng 7 /4, 9/4 pattern. Thc fccl ¡5 kc

•
even by Alan playíng the odd-bar grouping as a 16/4 phrase, with a hcavy backbeat eflect on the snarc drum. This is a good example
taking an odd meter and making it feel even .
J = 157 .

·-
Q) o

76
 . . . . ~~r:'.f: .......... ·. :ir

Example 3 is the verse and chorus pattern from the tune "Cinema." Here, Atan plays a march-like feel over the odd-bar grouping. He
breaks up rhe l6th-no1e roll on 1he snare drum with a hi-hat note on the "e" of the pauern.

1
1
1
1
1
1 > 6 > 6 . > 6 > 6 > 6 .:> 6 >
To 2nd Chorus
6

1
11 77
1~-
~·
1
1
Phrasing Concepts: Part 1
Three-Note Groupings byJoeFranco

1 Here's a concept that can help you with your fills and solos. lt
tnvolves organiz.ina your musical phrases In a marhemarlcal way.
By dividin¡ thc four-note grouping (RLRL) into two two-note
¡roupings (RL, RL), thc following ten phrasings are formcd:
To start with, check out the following accent pattern:

1
1 ~ªWªifH$j®Jmm
L----J 1---l 1....-..-J L.__J l-J
RLLRLRLLRLLRLLRL
\---1 L--J 1---1 L..---J 1---....J l....J

•
3·. 3 3 3 4 3 2-3 3 3-'.l
Norice that the accents are spaced everv three notes. Bcing that
we're dcaling with 16th notes and three docsn't divide evenly into
16, there are four three-note groups and one Iour-note grouplng.

•1
Now, consider the concept of assi¡ning stickin¡s Ior the dilfcr·
ent groupings and then switching them around in every possible RLLRLR LLR LLRLRLL
pcsitlon. In this case, with four three-note groupings ami one four- L--...J L--l 1-----l L.-_J a__J '---'

note ¡rouping, there are ñve combínations: 3.3.3.3.4, 3-3-3-4-l, 3- 3 2 3 3·2-3

3-4-3-3, 3-4-3-3-3, and 4-3-3-3-J. If RLL is the sticking for each
three-note ¡rouping and RLRL for the íour-note grouping, the.
íollowing ñve phrasings are formcd: ·

RLLHLRLLR LRLLRLL

1
L..---1 ......_,l___J L._.J 1---J l.....--1
3-2·3 2-3-3
RLLRLLRLLALLRLRL

•
1-..-.J L---...J L---.J L--...J '-------1
3 3 3 3 4

~1d~oo~=J~::J§1:
••
RLLRLLR LRLLRLLRL
L---J l____J l......J '---J l..__J L-.J
R LLRLLRLLRLRLRLL
'---1 L---1 L---J ¡___J
3 3-2 3 3·2

•
3 3 3 4 3

•
RLLRL LRLRLLRLRLL
RLLALLRLRLRLLALL l---J '-----J 1...-.J L.--.J 1.-.J L--J
'----.J L--1 1..---J L.-....J 3 3-2-3-2-3

•
3 3 4 3 3

:n¿JJJ J J J J J j J J 3 • =11

-
RLLRLLRLLRLRLLRL
RLLRLRLRLLRLLRLL 1.....--..J l.____.J L---J L...J '---' L...J
L---J l-..1 L...-.--J L--1 3 3 3-2-3-2
3 4 3 3 3

R L R L R L l R .L L R L L R l l RLRLLRLLRLLRLLRL
L..--' l---...J L--....1 L--J i__¡ 1---.J L----1 L--.....J l._._...J L-.J
4 3 3 3 3 2 - 3 3 3 3.- 2

78

l.•
1 .
1 Phrasing Concepts Part 2
1 Five - Note Groupings by Joe Franco
Last issue's Rock Perspectlvespresented differcnt ways of phras·

1 ing three-note grouplngs of 16th notes. The concept lhat was lntro-
duced was to arran¡e the groupings in a measure, assign sríckings
to them, and thcn switch the groupings around in every possible
position. This article applles the samc concept to ñve-note group-

1 ings.
By caldng rwo ñve-nore groupings and adding a slx-nore group-

~~dmJJJJJ Y3 J J #§¡¡
in¡, a measure of 16th notes can be formcd. This measure can be
phrased in three ways: S·.5·6, 5·6-5, and 6·S·S. By using RLRLL for

1 the Iive-note grouping and RLR RLL (paradiddlc-diddlc) for 1 he

six-note grouping, the Iollowing rhree plirasings are Iormed:
R....____,
L L R L L A L R L L R L R L L

~:d®~~Aí1ittmm
3 3 5 5
1 RL RLLRLRLLA
5
LRRLL ~=JJ-E J J 3=3=laiitl J a J a :
5 ó R L L R L R L L R'--------'
L L ,__
R L A L _.L
1-----J
s
!li -J J 3 U:dW~ ~ J ~-J#i11
3 3 5

1 R L R L L R L A R L L R L R L L J JJ J JJJ V J J J J ~ J ~
1
5 6 5 R L l A L A G L A L A L L R L L
L---J --J ~

~-I31-WE%100W#lfül 3 5 5 3

1
Try using the Iollowlng ccmbinatlons of ñve- and three-nc
R L R R L L R l R L L R L R L L groupings in the prevlous phrasíngs:
6 5 5

1
By using ihe same ñve-noie grouping {RLRLL) and dividing the
~ :~~
slx-note grouping into iwo rhree-nore groupings (RLL,RLL), the
Iollowing slx phrasings are forrned:
"fl2
R L L R L R L L

1 ~=HW.JlfW ~311
ALALLRLRLLRLLRL L m.-JiS=a=s=s== i ~
11' ~ ~

1 5 5 3 A l A R l R R l-

1
1
~#WliJilad]A11
R L A L L R L L R L R L L R L L
'---~-~~
5
L..--.-1
3 5
'-----1
3
~J~
A R
~
l
~

R
~
L
ffi .
-J
R
=~
R L

~ JJ JJ J3 JJ J?EW~ ili-m.·m_ .e~

1 R LR LLR LLALLALRLL
i ~:
s
L---J
5 3. . 3 RLR l A l RLR L

1 80

1
1
1
1
¡gJ R
~

L
~~
AR l
~

L
ffi - ~~~~~

AR l L

1 i~ =
~
~
~ fü ~~

I~
A L R L 80 A L BD

To furthcr devclop a feel for playina ñve-note aroupin¡s of 16th

notes, 1ry repcating a ñve-norc grouping over two mcasures. Since
rhere are 32 161.h notes in rwo measurcs, you can play six ñve-nore
11 groupings with t wo notes left o ver. Here's what this looks like
using RLRLL for the ñve-note grouping and RL for the rwo-noie
grouping:
1
~JWW-~J4JklJ.=~
1 s
R L A L l R l R L L R L A L L R
5
---~~~--- '--~~~--'
5
t......_

1 ~ JJ131ihB#Aa ~ JJ Hf~I
1 LRLLRLRLLRLALLA
~~~~
5
~~~~~~
5
~~~~~--
5
\.--J
2
L

Now try placing che two-note grouping in the other slx possible

1 positions:
S·S·S·S·S·2·S, S-S·S-S-2-S-S, S·S-S-2-S-S-S, S-S-2-S·S-5-S, s.2.5.5.
S-S-S, and 2-5-5-5-5-5-5.
By now, l 'm sur e you have an understanding of this concept and

1 how you can expand ir. The mathematics might scem a bit sterile at
firsi, but once you develop a feel for playing these odd-note group-
ings, you'll stop thinking about numbers. As 1 suggested in last
month's article, when practicing these phrasings, play them with
quarter notes on rhe bass drum, This will help develop a sensc of
where each grouping falls within thc mcasure. Try applying these
phrasings in your fills and solos. By voicing and acceruing them in
diñerent ways on the drums, you'll develop patterns rhat are both
polyrhythmic and melodic. El}

81
 1 Style & Anolysís. by Michael Bettln

1 Terry Bozzlo
1 Throuah his work with Frank Zappa, UK, and his own band, Miss·
ins Persons, Terry Boztio has built upa reputation as a hard hit·
ting drummer and dynamic showman. While rnost of the auenuon
The next examplc Is from "As Lona AJ You Want Me Here,"
from the llve UK album, Night After Night, It shows Terry movlns
away from straight-ahcad patterns. The rhythm is broken up
seems 10 be focused on Tcrry's spced and technique, lt Is important between the snare drum, cowbell, and hí-hat chokes, The reclina i

1 to rernember that 9()0Je of the time he is a supporrlng musician. He

may do sorne awesome fills and solos, but it is his job 10 support
and drive rhe band, and this is somerhlng Terry does well. This
very precise, yet moving. ·

column will take a look at sorne of the different and íntcrcstlng

1 thíngs Terry plays, while laying down the time and supporting the
song.
The first example is taken from che title cut ofthe Danger Money
álbum, by the group UK. The verse Ieatures two simple but drivlng

1 rhythms in IS/8. Each mcasure ends with a simple fül that carrics tt
into the next. The odd meter and changing snarc/bass patterns add
to rhe shifting mocd of the song.
Thc last two exarnples are from the Misslng Persons album

1 Sprit1g Session M. Thc excerpt bclow is from the intro to "Walkin¡

In L.A." The Chincse (or double cymbal) and bass drum play the
accented figures with the band. ·

1 > ::>- >>

1
1
1
1 Thc last example is írom "No Way Out." This two-bar phrasc
from the chorus has rhe acccnts on Chínese cymbal, cymbal bell

1 and snarc drum, They are underscored by a 5teady quarter note

playcd on thc bass drum. The end of the phrase again uses a tom
pickup into the next mcasure.

1 G)
~'-~ _J-~ _J ~-J-~_J_..,,¡3
1
1
1
1 82

1
...,
'•'
¡.
1 by Joe Franco
16th-Note Triplets
1
On Double Boss
1 MUSIC . KEY In this article, we'll apply 16th-notc triplets to
two bass drums, and form various rhythm and
hand-foot comblnation patterns. First of all, ,. U E1 [rrf rr
1

1
ri r1 1 1

1
consider how much space is takcn up by a l 6th-
note triplet. In one bar of 4/4, a 16th·note trip-
let takes up one-half ora beat, which is the same 6
, .... o amount oí space as one 8th note or two 16th
notes. This is showo in the following three pat-

'
tcrns. These pauerns are identical, except the bass drum(s) changes
on the & of 3. In ihe.ñrst pattern, the bass drum plays an Sth note
onthc&of3.

1 )1
1

1
11
r =
The following patterns break up continuous 16th·notc triplets
berween both hunds and both reer. Practlce them wich both hands
on the snare, and then try breaking up the hands on me difrerent

1 In rhe next pauern, thc bass drum plays two 16th notes starting 011
1he& of 3.
sound sources on your kit.

1 111

1
10
By playing a 16th-note 1riplc1 bcginningon the& of 3 with rwo bass
drums, the following pauern is formcd: !)i
3
,.---, 11 r+t ,.--,
1 Ef t5 ;
[[r "
'Ji 2 f 111

.,,
11
6 6
3 J ~ $ $ j ~ ' ' J j• 111

1 This is ene way of applyíng the 16th-note triplet to double bass

drums. The triplet forms a four-strcke ruff'wlth che snare beat that

JJ Jj Jo Jj j j j j JU J J j j J J J@1
follows it. Here are sorne orher pauerns 1ha1 use this concept. 6 6 6 6
1 JJ
1 n ,.--, ,.--, n
4 !)I

!l'1 [frrSíWS '11 13

1 5
3 a
n
6 6
t : J J J JJ J J ) J J J J 1 J JJ J J J J Ji J J ll
§ 6

1
' í
tf 1
t r "--.-r.r JI 14
1 6 6 6 .
3 3 3 3 !)I 2 j ) .• J J J J ' J ] J ' J j ' J ü..J j -- J 111
1 Since each triplct takes up one-half of a beat, two triplets can be
playcd in ene beat of a measure, as in the followíng pauerns. Play
these slowly at ñrst, Keep in mind that, when playing cominuous
Try applying these pattcrns as ene-bar ñlls. Praetlee playing
16th-note triplets with an 8th-note ride, a triplet is played for each
these together with the beats from pauerns 1 through 8. Once

1 note of the ride.

. -.. .
you're familiar with the fills, try combining them to form eight-bar

B f'
6
solos.
11 i 1 11

[[r![rf
Experiment with l6th-notc triptets to form your own pauerns.
¡
1
aE 2 ill
J Kcep in mind that the three notes of the triplet are three evenly
spactdnotes that take up one-half oí a beat in a measure-of 4/4.
6 ~

1 83

1 ········-·····------

('o·
 1 by Kenny Aronoff

Ringo Srorr. 1

The Early. Period

Thc Bcatlesl Ringo Starrl Whcn 1 was ten ycars muste. His fllls just rolled from section to section, always in a
old, J saw uie movie A Hard Duy 's Nighl and clever and muskal fashion. Listen 10 "h Won't Be Long."
H.><.•
T.I.
CC11.c was overwhelmed with the desire to be a drum-
f~· mer in a band líkc the Bearles. The Bearles' Deíore lirst verse
•.o. rnusic, thcir appearancc, and pcrs.onalitícs were >

i
~·~- CtA a magical formula rhat never had happeued > >.,.. > >
bcfore and would never happen again.
Al age ten, 1 didn't appreciate Ringo S1arr's :a ~
~
J J j J J j E3
creative abllities. He didn't play with lots of technique or flashy
chops, which was my basis for judging a drummer. t' actually Middle o(second verse
rernernber thinking that 1 could play beuer than Ringo, and 1 >
wished that J werc the Bearles' drummer, 1 dídn't understand that > > > >
it took more than ju11 techníquc to be a great drummcr ora musi-
cian. 1 dídn't reallze 1ha1 muslcaltty, style, and personatiry were 8zj gl "'"' J 3
E) El
very important qualities of a great drurnmer , and thal tcchnique
was only a too! to express rhose qualities. To really undcrstand his fills, you have to listen to him on rccord-
Since then, my opinion and feelings about Hin¡¡o have changed ings, ~1:ause it's not thc: rhythm as muchas it Is Rlngo's phrasing
greatly, 1 consider him one of uie great innovarors oí rock drum- anú styk. Anorhrr example is "Ticket To Ride." He plays a simple
ming and believe he: has been one of the greatest influences in rock fill on 1he !loor tom 1 wo times, then he plays the same f11l on the
drumming today. snare drum, and linally he plays a variatlon of that rill on snare and
! 've bcen listenlng to üeatles albums that have been rereleased rack 10111. ningo is simpl)' musical, always playing the right stuff.
on cornpact disc, and can clearly hear bass drurn, snare, and hi-hat These fills come in the chorus.
parts 1 never heard before on their records. I've rranscribed sorne
of Rin¡o's beats 10 show how creaiive and musical he was on those
albums. Hopefully, rhls will inspire you to listen 10 his playin¡ with
the Beailes, and/or inspire you wirh your own ideas and approach
to the drums.
The Beatles recorded so much material and madc so many stylis-
tic changes rhroughout rhese albums that 1 have decided 10 break
> > > >

'
their music iruo three periods: Eorly Period (March 1963-Aug.
1965), Middle Period (Dec, 1965-Nov. 1967), and Late Perlad
(Nov. 1968-May 1970). In the Early Period, ñve albums were
¡ i ¡
released in England on Parlophone. (Capitel in Arnerica released

1 nine albums in this Early Period by putting Iewer sougs on each Here are 1wo fills Ringo p!ayed in the song "You Really Got A
album and by also addíng rhe Beatles singles to the records, unlike Hold On Me" aftcr a chorus.
Parlophone.) fl's hard 10 itnaBine that five albums were relcased
wilhin such a short pcriod of time (two and a half ycars). There
li! ~
• J J J J J 2J
1 were enough great songs on 1hose albums ro creare singles for ten
bands. The Bcatlcs didn't even include 1heir hit singles ou the
1J B

.: o J
English albums. Today, a band will relcase one album evcry 1wo
ycars and, hopcfully, hove 1hree hil singles.
a R
~
w J 'J J J J
1 lt 's impossible lo idcntify Ringo as jusi one thing, or pigeonhole
him as a drummcr who playcd just one beat or f1ll. Tite Beatles
made many stylistic changes throughout their carecr, and so did
Ringo. He constantly carne up with new ideas that always seemed
B
Ringo was great with texturing songs by changing from his
splashy ride cymbal 10 hís hi-hats and vice versa. Listen to "lt
Won't Be Long." At the beginning of every verse, he plays hi·hats

1 perfcct for the songs. 3ut it wasn't justa maner oí him pickina a
basic bcat to a sona. bccause lots of drummers co11ld do thnt.
Ringo definilely had the right kindof personalicy and cmuivc ideas
for thc Beatlcs' music. You'll .rarely fmd a Dca1les son¡ without
but then goes to his rídc cymbal.
Man y limes, he would leave thc cymbals allo¡ether. and play the
noor 1om or nothing ar ali. He did this In ''Money."

1 something noticcable that Ringo played or didn't play, > > >
In the Early Period, Ringo played simple, bouncy bcats that
were alive and cxciting. His splashy cymbals made rhe sonas light
up colorfully. When you hear Ringo play, he sounds llappy and
a 3 J J s ¡ J J
! J
1 olive in the music. Ringo hada distinctive style when playing drum
fills. He did not havc the finesse and technique of a wcll·rehcarsed
tí l ¡
>
J J i J
>
J
3
drummer, but he did have incredible style and persooality. You
can tell he wasn'l thinking about his fills as much as about tite ~

1 84

1
1

............ ··- -··---.----------

1 He also did this in "She Loves You."

J ¡ J i J
Ringo played this beat on "lt Won't De Long" using the ride eym-
bal most of che time, except at the beginning of the verses where he
J played closed hi-hats. This was a common thing for Ringo to do,
and it was very musical. Here are sorne other exarnplesof where
Ringo came up wüh beats for intros, bridges, and solo sections Ringoused this bear: (1) "All I've Oot To Do," (2) "Liule Child,''
1 in songs that were so simple but musically perfect, These parts,
many times, became memorable, like a hook line or melody in a
(3) "Picase Mr. Postman," (4) "Roíl Over Beethoven," (S) "Devíl
In Her Heart," (6) "Not A Second Time," (7) "1'11 Get You," (8)
song. As soon as you would hear onc of these particular beats, "Boys,'' (9) "Chalns," (10) "Please Please Me," (11) "TwistAnd

1
you'd know it was Ringo and the Beacles. Shout," and (12) "Money." ·
"What You're Doing"-intro Here are a íew other beats Ringo used in this Early Perlod.
>
..................___..> >
a j J j J
~ J ~ d J J d J
u
1
"Tell Me Why"-intro
= > >

j 3 ;
3----, 3
a j
J
~ j ~
J
8 j y y •h J J
J 11 i ;¡
j j 3 ;¡
j j j
º
> > ~

! -C"i
.-----3-, 3

1 ijl1 ., y
h
w
J J J He also used the splashy ridc cymbal when he played thls bcat. lt
really added a nice, colorful background to a son¡ while he would
pound out the beat with his snare and bass drum. Some examples
"Ticket To Ride"-intro of chis beat can be heard on these songs: (1) "A Hard Day's

1
>
l:::J ,,.
>
:;:1
>
Night," (2) "You Can't Do That," (3) "I Cal! Your Name," (4)
"Dizzy Miss Lízzy," and (S) "When 1 Oet Home," The sound oí

J
(1amb.)

u l J ~ lJ 111
the splashy ríde cymbal combined with solid snare and bass drum
became Ringo's disrinctlve mark.
Beats that Ringo played, which were more unique, were heard
"Picase Mr. Poscman"-incro on a song called "Anna" and 011 a song called "It 's Only Love."

(hand claps~ J d Jl f]g

These bcacs were not very rock 'n' roll, but they were very creative
and made the songs sound unique and special.
B l J = f 1 J f
"Anna"•

1 >
fj d fl fl fjJ ~
J J a ~ J
X

El f 1 1 y
J
1 Ringo's beats were basic rock beats played with lots of exprés-
sion, but ihen he'd play a shufñe, like on "Ali My Loving"
• Arthur Alcxander wrole and recorded "Anna" before the Beatles
recorded it. lle is a drummer.
3 3 3 3 "h's Only Love"
>
J ., J >
~
y
l J
X

or use brushes, like on "A Taste Oí Honey" and ºl've Just Seen A
8 y
Face." He even played a latín/rock beat on "1 Feel Fine." Listen to these songs, and it will be obvious why Ringo used these
beats. They made the songs swing. He used a \'&riatlon of thls beat

f? on a song called "All l 've Got To Do."

>
}
Ringo also played songs with a 12/8 feel, Jike "Baby's In Black".
a l J J J
and ''.You Really Got A Hold On Me."

J j
j j J J '
Ringo has inOuenced drummers more than they will ever realize
a or admit. Whether he created these beats or heard chem somewhere
doesn't matter. What matters is that we heard him play these beats
There are so many great examples of Ringo's playing chal 1 can when rock was starting lo influence the entire music scene ali over
only show a íew in this article, but if 1 were to pick a beat chat the world. These beats are still the foundation or basic rock 'n'
represented this Early Period, it would be this one. roll. Ringo laid down fundamental rock beats that drummers
loday are playing, and they probably don't realize it.
> >
J
A lot of changes carne about after thls Early Period, but lt's the
Ringo on "A Hard Day' s Night" and on the Ed Sullivan Show that
made me and other kids want to be drummers and to be a Beatle •.
(f)
85

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1
1 Ringq Starr:
1 The Middle Period
!

by Kenny Aronoff

1 , .. "What will they do next?" That was rhe big

question the Beat les had everyone asldng. From
(A) Verses

°""im''"'~
... H. -....-
Decernber 1965 to November 1967, the Beatles

1
U. released four very slgnificant, but vcry differ-
tt ent, albums 1hat reshaped rhe direction of pop-
ular music, and set ncw artlstic standards. D1,1r-
ing these few maglcal years, it seerned that

1 anything was posslble.

Rubber Soul (Dec, 1965), Revolver (Aug. 1966), Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band(June 1967), and Ma¡lcal Mystery Tour
(Nov. 1967): Each of rhese albums was stylistically unique, Rubber

1 Soul was basícally a Iolk-rock album w.ith Bob Dylan inñuences (B) Choruses
both muslcally and lyrically. Revolver demonstrated four musí- >
clans al the peak of their creatlve pewers with cach membcr experi-
mcntíng in his own individual way. Sgt. Pepper was, ancJ still is, a

1 brilliant studio album. No onc had used the studlo as creatively as

the Bc:atles had at thís polnt. Magico/ Mystttry Tour was a heavily
orchestrared al bum likc Sgt. Pepper, and it was an extension of ihe
psychedelic sryle that occurred in 1967.

1
The Beatles also released sorne incrcdible singles in between
album releases, once again dernonstrating new changes in their
In songs likc "Thc Word" and "Wait," thc maracas and tam·
style, sound, and musical concept. "Rain"/"Paperback Writcr"
bourine werc a big pare of the basíc bcal. The parts changed in each
was released between Rubbe« Soul and Revolver. "Penny Lane" /
scc1ion, giving the songs more dynamics and musical effects.
.
1
"Strawberry Fields Forever " was rcleased berween Revolver and
Sgt. Pepper. "Ali You Nc:ed Is Love"/"Baby You're A Rich ''The "'ord"
Man,'' and ''Hello Goodbyc''/''I Am The Walrus" wcrc released
between Sgt. Pepperand Ma&ical Mystery Tour. Finally to cnd this Verse

1 period, thc Bcatlcs released "Lady Madonna" /"The fnner Light"

aftcr Magical Mystery Tour.
Capitol Récords, U.S.A. released a fifth Bcatlcs album called o o o o

Yesterday And Today in June 1966, but il was a compila1ion 1 1 J J

1
album that had songs from 1he British albums Revolver, Help, and " lC

RubberSoul, and two songs from a single wilh "Day Tripper'' and
"We Can Work lt Out" on it.
In lhis middlc period, the Bcatles redefined and reinvcnted pop
1 LJ L.....J

1
music. Rock music becamc an art form-something to listCJl lo Chorus (wilh rwo maraca parls, wrinen on the sccond and third
and something capable of makíng a scrious starcment. An album lines of the top stafl)
bccame a viable ari form and not just a collection of songs. Sgt.
Pepper was a perfect cxamplc of how the entire album madc a

1!
statemcnt and each song was a small parl of this s1a1cmcnt. You
almost have to listen to the entire al bum from bcginnin¡ 10 end to
íully appreciate and undcrsland Sgr. Pepper. In fact, the Beatles
chose not 10 release a single from chis album.
Ringo went throu¡h as many changes as thc Bcatles music did
during 1his period. He had to adapl 10 ali thc diffcrent stylcs and
musical transitions chat thcy went through from al bum to al bum .. "\Vall"
On Rubber Soul, Rlngo's splashy ridc and hi-hat sound from the
c:arly period occurred less oftcn, and pcrcussion parls, cspecially First half of Verse (tambourinc on top staff, cymbal bcll on bot·

:
tambourine and maracas, be¡an to domínate. Ali the Bcacles got tom)
¡;
>
involved with che percussion parts. For cxample, on "Think For:
Yourself," Ringo used maracas and tambourine with a baslc i
drumbeat in the verses. (A) In 1hc choruscs, he blc:nded the ride:
c:ymbal with the percussion parts, but the percussion parts slill
dominated.(The 1ambourine is wriuc:n on the top line, <op staff,'
and thc maraca part is writtcn on the sccond linc, top sraff.) (B) 1
86

'.
cr.·
 ¡
Second half of Verse "Dríve M)' Car"
An openlns fil! Rinao played became a signaturc to this song:
> > >
.r-i
r E ( f r= ==a....r ... f
Thls ·¡, the two-measure fill that appcars before each cborus. He

1 changed the second mcasure of thc fill each time lle played lt.

> >
====
Chorus >
=1
tFN J J
·> >

b !A
-- J--]~
> >
AJ 1.J J J Id J
.. Thlnk For Youuelf"
1 The Oeatles experimented a lot in the studio. In the song "l'm ---3--- ---3---
tsJ
Lookin1 Throuah You," Ringo played a basic: drumbeat, but
instcad of playing his hi-hat, he or someone else overdubbed a hi-
hat type part by slapping out a bcat on hls le¡s. (This part is notatcd
N
with díamond-shaped noteheads In the second slaíf.) 11 had a This example lrnplíes slx against four.
uniquc sound and rhythmic effect, There was also a tambourlne
part that poppcd in and out rhroughout the song. "Rain" /"Paperback Writer'' was relcased after Rubber So11f.
Ringo rcally broke into another style on "Rain." He played with
more auchority and aggrcssion. The drums themselves were
rccorded louder. Ringo played real free and experimented a lot,
which was dilTercnt from his early period style. lt's one of his best
recorded performances.

1 On Revolver, the Beatles' individual styles were pealdng, but

still served the purpose of a band and the songs. While Lennon got
into abstrae! lyrics and his acid rock guitar style, McCartney
expanded and reñned his pop writing craft, and Harrison got very
l. Another examplc of how the Beatlcs experimented with percus-
involved with authentíc lndlan music and lndian instrumenta.
Ringo, meanwhile, had the challenge o( adapting to everyone's
style. He always played what was called for. ff he had been a rigid
sion was dcmonstrated in "You Won't See Me." Ringo over- drummer set in his ways, the Beatles would have been in trouble.

1 dubbed another hi·hat part (wrltten on the top stafi), whlch had che
effcct of a percusslon instrument.
He played the songwriter'.s versión o( the song, not his, like anego-
less drummer,
Verve and Chorus > > >I Listen to Revotver, and keep in mlnd how diverse and di!Terent
F9 each song is. Here are sorne examplcs.

1 "Taxm1n"
lntro and Verse beat

1 ti j
r EJ EJ r H

11 J ..t
>

Bridge
A a r f 8 r 1
f [] tJ r
11 Fills (ali on snare-they became a lheme)

11 ll~ JJJJJHJ3JJFEJ
11 becamc beganintricatc
Ringo more to develop bis fillsbut
and biggcr, more Rubber
slillonalways
pria1efor che son¡. Herc are !ome examples.
Soul.appro·
seemed Thcy tJ1~§~~1~~E3~~~.J~~~8~~~...l~~j~~j~~l~~L"':::'.'I~~~~
j J íF3J J Jíí! il J iíl J ~

87
 Thé"tollowi'ng oeatSlnllnea1a1e1y IUCUUíy me •VII" wo~u' o,; -
them, especially "Tomorrow Never Knows." They are signature
l
1 beats-e-book lines to the song.
f
1

[· ¡
•
"Doctor Robert" (maraca part wriuen on second line, top staff)
1 1 1 •
1
Thls is an example of how the Deatlcs expanded and really crled

•1
dift'erent ideas on Revolver. Compare this beat to "I Want To
Hold Your Hand." .
"She Said She Said" has so many incredible parts. You have lo
listen to the record. lr's lilled wilh wild ñlts, odd-tlme si¡natures,
Intense beae, and a double-ume reel at the end. It's dcftnltely an
1 1 1 1 1 example of one of Ringo's most creative moments.
"Strawberry Ficlds Forever" and "Penny Lane" once again
introduccd a changc Ior rhe Deatles. These songs focused on heavy
"Tomorrow Never Knows" (cambourine part wríuen on top line, crchestration, ucilizing strings, brass, and percussion. Ringo's

•
top staff) pares became very basic and supportive in this new style.
Sgt. Pepper was a unique album for lts time and still is consid-
i 1 ered one of lhe greatest albums ever recorded, On Revolver, the
Beatles spllt apartas individuals, and you could hear the individual

•1
personalitics, while on Sgt. Pepper, they uniñed and focused on
one idea-o ne concept. The al bum became a song in itselí•
Ringo's playing on Sgt. Pepper was simple and basic. He played
like a percussionist in an orchestra, accentuating and hlghlightlng
che important seccions of cach song. The drums took on a ncw role
now. They didn't domínate or drive the muslc llke they had in the
put. Ali che instrument parts became simplified, but were care-
fully composed and became small pieces of a large puzzle. Ringo's
drurn sound improved significan1ly on chis album. The Beatles
"\'ellow Submarlne" made use oí the studio more, and rhis affecred the sound o( every

1 lntro and Verse instrument.

The nexl two singles after Sgt. Pepper were on the MagícalMys·
tery Tour album. "Ali You Nced Is Love" /"Baby You're A Rich
Man" was one releasc, while "Helio Goodbyc" /"I Am The Wal-

1 rus" was the other. These singles and the rest of Magica/Mystery
Tour werc an extension of what the Beatles had already started on
Sgt. Pepper. They continucd to use hcavy orchestration in their
music, utilizing strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion instru·

1 1 1 1 1
ments. The Beacles concinucd to e,.periment in the studio, and used
it tocreate different sounds and sound effeccs. They recorded back-
wards 1alking, telephones ringing, laughter, weird talking parts,
sound clTccts, etc. They crcatively introduced these effects in their

1 Chorus

. 1
arrangcments. Ringo still played his role like a percussionist in an
orchescra. The more complex the arrangements, the simpler and
more basic Ringo played, but this is not to undermine or take any·
thing away from his abilities, because once again, he served the

1 music. For example, in "1 Am The Walrus, ••he played this basic

o
beat:

11 1 1 1 1

1
This beat kept the song tighl and solid. There were a lot of instru-
"Good Day Sunshlne" (íloor tom, snarc drum, and crash cymbal ments and elTeccs added to this son¡. So Ringo's part was perfect.
writtcn on top scaff, snare drum and hi·hat/tambourine wriuen on The arrangement was involved, utilizing cellos, horns, telephones,
bottom staft) laughter, percussíon, etc.

1
Ringo also played basic, but very solid and strong, on the sons
Chorus and lntro "Magical Mystery Tour." The song had four dilferent musical see-
tions, and Ringo bridged them together, so that it ended up being
3' as smooth as glass. He always hada gift of being very musical wich
3 '

1
the Beatles music.
The Beatles f1nally released "Lady Madonna"/"The Inner
Light" after Magical Mystery Tour. Once again, everythlng
changed again. They left the psychedelic era, and this time, they
recurned to theiF roots with "Lady Madonna." lt was basically a

1 Fats Domino, old-style rock 'n' roll song. This is an indicatlon ol

what was next. Tlley had pushed their experimenting to the limit h1
this period, and it was time to look back to their roots. [t
1 88

1
~·
 .

Ringo Starr: The Later Years

. . by Kenny Aronoff

fil
Durina the final períod o( thc Beatles' career, lnfro/Vcrses
the ¡roup released four albums: Th« Beatles
11
Fr-J
'
(known as "The White Album"), Novcmber
1968; Yellow Submarlne, January f969; Abbey
Road, October 1969; and Let It Be, May 1970.
EE4 r .
Each album was very dilTerent from the others.
Choruses
The Beatles had a lot in common with

i11 irt
Revolver, in thal each mernber of the ¡roup
experimented in hls own way, producing a very díverse collection X K
of songs, Sorne of rhe styles represented on this album lncluded
country & western(" Rocky Raccoon" and "Don't Pass Me By"),
folle ("Blackbird," "l Will," and "Dear Prudence"), old-tirne
rock 'n' roll ("Back In The USSR"), Engli5h blues rock ("Ycr
On the sonll "Dinhday," Ringo playcd a two-measurc bcat.
Blues"), hard rock ("Birthday" and "Everybody's Got Sorne- rJ
thing To Hidc"), lndian ("Long, Long, Long"), acid rock ("Hcl·
ter Skehcr"), muslc-hall vaudeville ("Honey Pie"), '40s Holly- 8 t r X

p
wood (''Good Night"), jazz bi¡ band ("Savoy Truíllc"),
avant-garde electronlc ("Rcvolution 9"), and quasl reggae ("Ob·
11
(] f
La-Di, Ob-La-Da'"). Thls double album was iike a pinlta filled
with differenc musical prlzes. lt's amazlng that thls album was
recorded only one year aüer Sgr. Pepper, but it was so different. X i!I
Throughout the album, Ringo adapted to the difTerent writlng
styles of Lennon, McCartney, and Harrlson, His playing was very He thcn playcd a breakdown lhal set up thc bridge. lt was very
basic but vcry supponíve. For example, on che song "l'm So basic, bul it was perfcct for the son¡ and worked wcll with t~
Tired," he used four simple beats, but used them in a way rhat son¡'s basic beat.
made the song build. > > >. >
r-1 11 r+: rl u
"
"
f
X X

8 j f
r r Por the bridge, he uscd just the first bar of the original two-bar

0f §
r-1 r+: bcat.
Three monchs after "The White Album," the Beatles released
"
X
a j f Yellow S11bmorine. This was a movle soundtrack, and il only had
four new songs on it. Thc rcst of thc al bum consisted of two songs
from a prcvious sin¡lc ("Yellow Submarine" and "All You Nced
11 11 11 11 X Is Love") and severa! instrumentals by Beatles produccr Georgc

ErJ (· Ef f· i
X Martín.
B l ~
The next album that thc Dcatles recorded was Ltl 11 Bt. The
Beatles wcre actemptln¡ to gel back to thclr rools and record In a
live Cashlon, but they had lost much of thc livc sound and attitude
from their carly ycars. Tbcrc wcre also a lot of bad fcellngs
1 X1 1 1 1 1 1 X1 1 J J i J betwcen various members of the group at that point, and so Ltt lt
"
r
)t X X l( X
& ended up being very disappointing. Thc group mcmbcrs wcre
~ r
He created a similar effect on "Rocky Raccoon." First, he
~ not happy with it, so it was not releascd until after thc group had
actually broken up.
One of Rinao's most distinctivc beats on Ltt lt Be was on the
played only thc hi-het on beats 2 and 4. Ncxt, he playcd 2 and 4 on song "Gel Back." As usual, it was a simple pattern, but it gave the
the snare drum with brushes. Finally, he played a double-tirne bcat son¡ a uniquc fecl and personallty.
wi1h bass drum and brushes on snare, and he addcd fills to creatc
> > > >
more encr¡y and excitcmcnt.
u H J J J J H
f f f f
A few songs on the album went back and íorth from straiaht
time to hall time. Not only did thetcmpo do that on "Happiness Is ~
A Warm Gun," but in the choruses, the rest oí rhe band went into
3/4 whilc Ringo continucd playing in 414. Listen to the bass After the disappointing sessions for 11 Be, the Beatles ut
a¡ainst thc drurns in that section to hear thc differcnt time signa- wantcd to malee a great album again, so they went back to what
tures. they did best. They returned to the studio with producer Gcorge

89

-------""'·"""·'"'···....,,...,
....,,
... ~ ..,.,,,,:r.
•• . ..,.,T",°"'\•:'""·
.-:
•• - • ..,..,
.• ~ ..-. ~1 =·-:==: .... ,., .. ;1,1· .. : •• ~.,:-·--··--:.. ·-·1: ••••••. g::.-4,;-. ··''
 1
1
1
1 Martin and recorded A bbey Road. As on Sit. Pepper, the Bea1les'
experimented with sounds and studio technlques, and the band
seemed to be more unified than it had been on sorne of the other

1 projects.
One of the new thln¡s on this album was adrum solo! Ringo had
never played onc on a Beatle1 album, but the time was right. He
r

An interestlna beat on this album was'the one Ringo played o

kept steady 8th notes on the bass drum whíle he played torn-tom "You Ncver Oive Me Your Money," which Ieatured an open hí

1 f\lls on top. The sparse phrases going up and down the roms made
thc solo very musical,
hat on 2 and 4.

1 LJ LJ
1 fJ r
o
Jn thc B secilon, he changed the beat to this:

LJ LJ __
1
B D ~-
¡;
J 'j
J
t
In the bridge sectlon, he used a combination of the verse and
g
r
~
l. r
release beats,
One of Ringo's rnost unique approaches lo a song was demon
strated on "Come Togcther." The beat he played on the intro
became likc a hook linc to the song.

1
11t:f B
> > 3 > 6
3
,.'JJJJJ) !JJJJ¡ >
1 D rj LJ'.
j Og
1
On the verse beats, Ringo playcd stralght Bths on the floor tom
instead of rhe hi-hat, and accented ali four beats wi1h his snar
drum.

1 LJ
> > > >

1
9 B
These three articles have ¡ivcn just a few examples of Ringo
J Starr's drumming with ihe Beatlcs- Thelr muslc and Ringo's crea·

1
~
r [j [] tive input are wcll worih listeníng 10. In a very short period oí lime,
The Beatles gavc the world a trernendous amount of music to enjoy
and be inlluenccd by. Ringo approached the songs more llke a
songwritcr than a drumrner, He always served the muslc.

1
r
I want to than'k Gienn Gass/or his help and tnthusiasm whilt 1

r r [P r
J J ? was writing thes« articles on Ringo Starr and The Beatles. Oltnn ts
a ~ an Associat« Prof essor at Indiana Unlversity School Of Music
~ r where he teaches a ctass on Rock History. ~

1 90

1
 Warming Up: Part 1
rTTTr.:1"3ow=rm l've been on tour wlth lohn Cougar Mellencamp since late October. Obviously, t can't practice the way 1 like to when
l'm on the road, When you're going from city to city, there isn't enough time or-accesslble places to practlce. After a
one-and-a-half-hour soundcheck and a two-and-a-halí-hour show, not to menlion my own warm-up, lt's sornetlmes
lD~ more important lo let mY. body get rest between shows than to squeeze in more practlce.
ID iC Even though 1 m¡y not pracuce every day on the road, the most Importan! thing forme to do is to warm up befare 1 go

------
on srage. Being warmed up makes me feef conflderu and exclted to play. Not belng warmed up malees playing a struggle
and frustrating. Tryin8 to get warrnedup during a performance can be harmful. lt's like belng an aihlete. They warm up
to prevent injury, and we need to do the sarne. 1 developed a routine o( warm-up exerclses for myself that 1 use before
each soundcheck and befare each show, These exercises help coordinate me and warm up my hands and (eet. They help prevent
tension, stiffness, and injuries, and basically keep my technique up where it should be.
1 have many different types of warm-up exercises that 1 use, each oí them for different reasons. This first group oí exercises is designed
lo help you develop balance and control between your [cur Iirnbs, Speed is not important far these exerclses. You should strlve for
evenness among your four limbs, both rhythmically and dynamically. Play these exerclses as steadlly as possible. Be sure to ahernate
your hands (R.L.R,U as well as your íeet. Use two bass drums ora bass drum/hi-hat combination. Also, be aware of the transitions at the
. end of each mea su re. Al 1ha1 polnl in the exercise. there are four 16th notes ptayed in a row, either with tll<? hands or the Ieet. Make them
smooth and even. Fínally, practice this exercise with your hands playing only the snare drum, Once you feel comfortable this way, move
your hands around the kit.
1

.. e@zjtd J J J J • j J J J J j J J J jJ J J J J J • j • Azjq1
J JJ JJ 1 1
~
1
A L A L

1 Now let's add a new hand pattern to the last exerclse, Play the 32nd·note figure whh your hands, and lceep your feet the same (16th
notes). Again, ahernate your hands and (eet.

111 J .: 5 5 J j ~ iS 5 J J J 3 JZ J J J S 5 5 J J t=J.j J S s J Jj J J 3 S j J J J J 3 j J J 5§-m

Aíter you have mástered this exerclse. try comblníng exercise 1 with exercise 2, playlng them back and forth contínuously.
Exercise 3 is a varialion of exercise 1, except that now a 6/8 or triple feel is implied.
3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

eg~==7.t:==~1rr.r1=JJ • " J j "J • " J j .J j u .Jjj J J ju 5 J 3¿ j J.5 J j J 38 z J je j J 5 j j {J 4 s j j 111

Once you feel comfortable playing exercise 3, try combining exercise 1 with exercise 3, going lJack and forth between the two. Fo'r
example:
4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

a=:g 1!i JUjjJUjj.JUjjJSjj J j z u J i' J jJJ 5 5 • j 1 J J

1 2 3 4 1 2 ·3 4 1 2 3 4 '"
D J d J J J J J J J J J d J J J J¡J J J J J J J J J J J J J J J Jt3 J J J J J J J J d J J J J J.]MI
Pracrice all ol these exercises until you can go from one 10 the other smoothly and evenly, hitting any drum or cymbal you desire.
Come up with your own combinations or variations 10 1hese exercises. The idea is to use the exercises to warm up gradually, using no
lension and relaxing as muen as possible. You can use the drumkit, pads, or even jusl you'r hands on your legs and your feet on the ~
íloor, as 1 do sometimes when l'm on the bus. All oí lhese different ways work. · t.XJ

91

---~-.....-..·~. =·-=-·~- . ·····-·-····.-:-·~- - :····"'"--:' ~·:; :·.;,.:·.:.::···!;::·.-:.:.-·:.:.:·

:::;=:.:::;:~:=::;:;:;;::;:;::;:::;;;;::¡:.:;;·
.•.• •., ¡. ,h .• ,,
;:;;;;;;:;:;
... +tt ....
,, ••

-· .
 Warming Up: Part 2 by Kenny Aronoff

•m:DEIWarming
Jr.J:Tlmu[m
.... up is imporlant, both Ior preventing ¡0•
Exerclse 2
Juries and for helping you utilize all of your devel- Once you've accomplished playlng these hand patterns along
l u=i3
oped technlque. Playing the drums is a very ath·
letlc activity, especlally rock drummlng. And like
an athlete, a drummer needs to warm up before
wlth your rlght fool, you should lhen practlce them along wltfl
your left foot. lncrease your speed as you get more comfortable
wilh the panerns .
•. o. :i3 performlng. Warming up is essential for prevent-
Exerclse 3
1 ._
ing tenslon, especlally lf you're a hard-hílting and
_.1 aggresslve player. Tenslon makes it difflcult to play
al your bes! ab.ilily level. lt will affect your time, the groove, and
Now we wlll change the íoot pattern. Practice playing the 13
stlcklng patterns with lhe following foot pattern:
your coordinatlon when trylng to execute technical beats or fllls.

l When you're warmed up, you'll íeel relaxed, more coordinated,

more coníldent, and. consequently, you will play beuer,
In "Wa_rming Up: ~art 1_," 1 sho~ed you a few exerclses utillzlng
all four hmbs. In thls anicle, 1 will g1ve you more exercises that

1 focus on using all four lírnhs. 1 feel it's imporlant that both your
ha?ds and feet be warmed up and coordínated together as one
umt, tí one Ioot or hand is dragging, it will affect the other limhs
A L R L A L A L A L A l A L R L
and slow you down. You're only as good as your weakest hrnb.

1 Exerdse 1
The first exercise that 1 want you to practice is one thal Iocuses
Now reverse the foot pallem to begln wilh 1he left foot:

a ==A
rrcrrrrr1 rrrrrrn
on your hands, and at lhe same time lncorpoeetes the feei. Prac;tice

1 the following 1] fundamental sticking pallerns with your hands

using the 8th-note rhythm that appears above them. Keep a steady
quarter-note pauern going whh your right foot.
Hand Patterns: LRLALRLR LRLRLRLR

1 When these foot pauerns are combined wllh the previous hand
panerns, both hands and feet are pl~ylng·8th notes:

1 1.
2.
3.
RLRL
LRLR
RRll
RLRL
LRLR
RRLL
RLRL
LRLR
RRLL
RLRL
LRLR
RRLL
4. LLRR LL RR l l R R LLRR

1 s.
6.
7.
RLRR
RLLR
RRLR
LRLL
LRRL
LLRL
RLRR
RLLR
RRLR
lRLl
LRRL
LLRL
8. RLRL LRLR RLRL LRLR

1 9.
10.
11.
RRRL
LLLR
LRRR
RRRL
LLLR
RRRL
LLLR
LRRR LRRR
RRRL
LL L R
LRRR
As you move from line 10 line oí the hand patlerns, try to make
your hands and ~eet play p~rfectly together as if they were one
12. RLLL Rlll R ll L Rlll sound. Once agam, work w1th a metronome or a drum machine

1 13. RRRR L L L·L RRRR Llll and gradually increase speed. Never sacrifice being relaxed (or

!@Ar r r r 1r r=r
Foot Pattern: more speed. Tenslon is not whal you want.

1 Fª11
Play sticking patterns 1 through 13 with your hands, whíle playing
Finally, play all lhree exerclses, one after the other, and at the
same tempo. For example, play each of the 13 sticklng patterns
(hands) once with Foot Pattern l (right-foot quarter notes), then
foot Pat!ern 2 (left·f?Ot quarter notes), and finally Foot Panero 3
the foot pattern wilh your ríght foot. Keep your heel down when (ahernaung feet playmg 6th notes). Keep repeating the entire cycle
playing this exercise to help strengthen your ankle. Play each for 1 S to 20 minutes, and you should begin to feel warmed up.

1 hand pattern one time beíore going 10 lhe next line (patlern). Try to
8~ from ll!'e to_ line evenly and smoothly, and be sure to practlce
thls exercise with a metronome or drum machine. The comblned
These exerdses, along wlth those outlined in Part 1 of 1hls
series, are only part oí my warm-up rouline, and represent a baslc
program for warmlng up all four limbs. There are many other
hand and foot pattem for line 1 of this exerclse would look like exercises thal you can do to warm up. The routine that you

1 this: develop for yourself will depend on your own abllity musical

FJt=J~~* f ~~~Jf3=m
RLRLALAL RLRLALRl. style, tim~ constralnts, .and olher factors. You need to e~perlment
and try d1fferenl ~xerc1ses that best suit your particular needs. 1

1 a i hope these exercises will help you and Inspire you to come up
with your own warm·up routine.
. ll
R R R A A A A A

1 92

• . . _,. .. , ...;,, _
 ·:bY Albert Bouchord

¡_ Rock Around The Set

1 Steve Smith said something in a Modem Drum-
si;LC.i:::u::i~:s.-.
mer inrervlew that stuck in my mind. He talked
then blow the rooí off the sucker,

e e. about throwing away the "road maps" he once

3 ~r· } J F:
: ; J : } J
1 .~
....
tr ~

'º
"
used to get around his drumset to creare ñlls, He
wanted to get away from his comfortable old no·
tions and preconceived ways of doing thlngs. He
didn't want to be afraid to explore new, possibly
1 ·r,
~-----" more difficult, territory. But Steve is a very accom-

1 plished drummer who, at this polnt in hls career, can drive with
his eyes closed. Most people need sorne directions to gel where
they wam 10 go. 1 have designed sorne exercises to facilitate

'
geuing around &he drumset. They are very simple and easv lo
rememlJcr. 1 call thern the "ones," "lwos," "lhrees," "fours," "fives/
and "slxes." The names are derived from how many limes an
individual drum is struck befare moving to the next ene.
The "ones" are meant lo be played by ahernating che stlcking,
RlRl, íor each drum. The first "ones" can be played at any lempo
~ from 100 to 200 beats per minute íbprn).

'fgFR-FS Here's a popular variation

• among many others, uses it.
on the "threes." Alex Van Halen,

:ª~f1~~s~pg~~F3~:11
The second "ones" exercise should be played at a medium
' tempo, about 120 bpm.

•nRBR J
i
J J J :!( Th~ "feurs" are almost anti-climatic. You will find them much
easier because the dominant hand can lead again. 8ut jusi be·
cause they're easier <loes not mean they're notas useful.
1

These "twos" aren't se lerrible. They're among the most useful

"road maps" ín creating fílls. Once again, use alternaling sticking.

tF-bpppp
, You'll notice you can now lead with your dominant hand.

'
--1

o p ~ j J
The "ílves" creare a
interestlng fill.
propulsive, broken rhythm that makes an

The "threes" are tric.ky because you must alternate your lead
hand, and at sorne point you must cross over to maintain a consis- l
ten! single·stroke sticking panern. Sorne people do a double stroke
wilh either the right or left hand, but to me, this never sounds as
powerful or as even. Practice thls slowly until vou've got it down,

93

' .
«'
. -·. ··-·- ---·· --...,¡¡---···~···-··-···· . ···-··"'"··---···
....~ .
 1
1 1 ncorporale sorne rudiments with "ones," "twos," Nthrees," an
How do you create fills from all oí these exerclses] First, maybe

1 we ought to talk aboot what a fíll does. A good fill not only
relieves the monotony of a stralght beat, 11 adds excltement. lt
propels the muslc from one sectlon to the next. Sometímes lt
accents the rhythmlc (igures of another instrument or volee; sorne-
"íours." For example:

1
limes it plays against them. Often it stands alone. That does not
mean it should stlck out like a sore thumb. A íill should always
have a purpose. 11 should not be thrown in [ust because the
timekeeper gol bored.

1
Sometlmes as you play and lísten to the muslc, something will
occur IO you that will lead you lnto the next section. lt may be 6
perfect, but more often than not, you may need lo work on a fill
before atternpting ít in performance. As the saying goes, the best -----
·-
¡fJ -J ; j J :
1
improvisauoos are the most well-rehearsed. Difíerenl combina-
tions oí the "ones," "twos," "threes," and "íours" will crea te sorne
original-soonding fills of your own. Do two "threes" to make a
"six." Or try these, for example:

1
1
J JJJ J J
1 tf ~
•1
~
JJJ

1 Here are sorne advanced fills. Notlce how they pertain lo w

-1
we've jusi discussed.

a
f3 p
"Threes" and "Iwos"
~.
J J j
r
~
• J Jg1
6

J ) J J Lf1
> > >

bn
> > >· >
.. >
j
f-~ ¡-J .r=-] >lTI>
:

JJ 1 i
•• J J •b
f f
~
o ~

••
~

1 94

1
t_ . .
-~-··
 Two-Handed Ridinc by Howord Flelds ~
...... ~~·-·• ~- On Steve Gadd's first instructional video, Up Cfose Begin slowly so 1hat you get a good sense of when the left t
(OCI Music Video), 1 was delighted to see hlm moves to the snare and then back to the hl-hat. The "e'" of 1
begln his second solo with a pattern that 1 had standard place to put in a funky snare accent, but the coordiné
:410.~
seen him play live a number of times. lt conslsts
o( a baste 2 and 4 on the snare drum, and 1 and 3
in thls context Is a bit móre compllcated. Once you get lt, tho
you'll have no problem golng on to the next example, whlct
on the bass drum. The ride, however, incorpo- th~ left hand moving to the snare on the "e" oí 3:

j J J ~ j j t J j j_,,I J J J J J
rales both the hl-hat and the bell oí the ride cvrn- LRLRLRL LRLRLRL
...._ bal in a most interesling and unusual manner.
While the Jeft hand stays on the hl-hat, the right hand plays Q::::g
1 between the cymbal and snare drum. This can best and most
easily be understood by first combining these parts into an overall

•1
rhythm pattern played with che bass drum and snare drum only: Now let's pul the two prevlous examples together In a pa
thac has the leít hand moving to the snare on the "e" of both 1
J:

. -- - ·- - - ·--= -- - - - - -· _.
The next step is lo move the left hand from the snare to the hl-hat:
LRLALAL LRLRLAL
That llavín¡; lJ<?en clone, let us now move the left hand 10 the s

a--i-~-l JJ_g;kJ~_ - --~· . --,- , on the "a" o( 2:.

11 ··==- -- -·--·------ ------- ----¡

=--=-. .~-::::::.:...:.·===-~:::::.:-.:-
---·-----_:..::===-
--·--···--··-·...
J t .1
·""·-·· l A L A L R L L A L R L R L
The nexl shows the rhythm you are now lcfl with on rhe snare: ~ ~ ~
J ~ ~
JJ ~ ~ ~ ~

1
A A A ~
J J J And then on the "a" of 4:
'

- jJ J Ll J
L A L R L L L R L A L A L

gggg]?J'.J-d j
h
Now all that remains to be done is to divide this rhy1hm between
the bell of the ride cymbal and 1he snare, in this manner: ~ ~ ~

•
A A A R A A

~~Ji~J~J
And chen !he previous two examples in one patlern:
~ 'í - ª"~rrJ . . . ·in :! ~ l' A L A L A L l R L R L A L

• j J J :! J J.~ J • j J ~ - J ! ~ ~ ~
Here then is a beat that has the left hand playing the hl-hat on
all the "'e"s and Ha"s, and che right hand playing che rlde cymbal aggg· 1
011 all the "&"s while also going to the snare drum on 2 and 4:

•
The next íew patterns are combinations of those ideas w
just covered. Starc slowly and bring up the lempo as you bec
l A L A L A L l A L R L A L
j J• j ,= j . sure of the movement of the lefl hand between the hi-hat

o=td ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ J ~ .)_ snare. Fírsl, we'll move to the snare on thé "e" of 1 and the "a

•
1
• 2]1 2:
LALRLRL
Before you proceed, practice thls pattern unti! vou have a good
feel fOf it and can play il comfortably. lf you record yourself, yoo'll
JJJd~JJ
nouce on playback that il glves the illusion of two rídes golng
-
on-one playing "&"son the c:ymbal and the other playing 16th
notes on the hi-hat. Preuy tricky, yet effective. Now let's see how Then the "e" of 3 and lhe "a" o( 4:

~J:r:l-3 d J J
the beat might be etaborated on.

j J ;j J11.~
Moving the le(t hand from the hi·hat to the snare cJrum al a few LALALRL L R L R L R l
specific points in the bar, withoul changing the rhythm, can help
make this more lnteresting. flrst, let's try ít on the Ne" o( 1: j

Jd J 3 P JJ P n _J n J ·11
LALRLRL LRLRLRL

a:=q A quick word on the next pallern. The "a" of 2 and the "e"
Is a beat that has us playing two consecutive left-hand notes on
snare. Be sure to gel the left hand back to the hi·hat on the

95

~·
1
1
1
1 left-hand count, whlch is lhe "a" of 3.

1 o
The same applles when you move to the snare on the "a" of 4 and

1 the "e" of 1:
LRLALRL LRLRLAL!

~ J J J J J J t1 J J J J J J ~ J~I
1 Now combine examples 12 and 13 into one pattern:

1
LALRLRL LRLALRL

¡gg J J J:J J J J~ j12 i~ª11

- There are, oí course, other points in the bar where the left hand
can move from the hí-hat to the snare. Play around with this two·
handed riding technique, and l'm sure other combinatíons, ideas,
and applications will occur to you. There really is a great potential
here, so see what you can come up with .

•
~

"•

96

~·
 . ( ;;iiii.,
.¿~·· ..

...... -~·

11
~1
11 The Ageless Beats;
· Of Rock
· 'N' ROll by Kenny Ar9noff

Beat #3
After playing a recenl show with the Jefíerson

11
MUSICKEV
Airplane, 1 was riding on the bus aod listenins to
sorne music from lhe '60s, '70s, and '60s, when 1
realized that certain beats have been used over :11
and over since 1he beginning oí rock 'n' roll mu-

11 '-------'
sic. A lot of ihese beats have stood the test of time
and have become the signature of rock 'n' roll
drumming. 1 have chosen eight beats (and a few The Mamas and the Papasused thls beat for their song "Calilor-
nia Oreamln'," and the Byrds used lt on "Turnl Turnl Turnl" (Mike

I'
variations) to look at in this article. These beats are like lhe ABC's
of rock 'n' roll. Clarke used a cross stick for his backbeat.l The Searchers recorded
1hls beal on &heir song "Lovc Potion #9," and lt can also be found
Beal #1 on the Oeatles'"Orive My Car." The Stones recorded "Jumpln' Jack
flash" and "Honky Tonk Woman" in the early '70s and used this

1 D DD beat. In the '60s Stewart Copelancl used it in the chorus of "Spirits

In The Materfal World," and Al.-in White of Yes used part of. this

r r beat in "Owne1 Of A Lonely Heart."

Beat #4

1 Beat # 1 Is probably the most baslc rock beat you can play.
Ringo Starr used it in the '60s on a lot of 1he early Oeatle songs, "I
Should Have Known Better," "Can't Buy Me love," "1'11 Be Back,"

1
"Help;" and "And Your Bird Can Sing," to name a few. Charlie
waus also recorded 1his same beat on the Stones record "let's
Spend The Night Together" during the verses. In the '70s, Ehon
John used this beat on his song "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." The Beatles used this beat for "I Saw Her Standing There" and

1
More recent examples of this beat can be found on Foreigner's for "Mlsery.'' In the '70s. A()DC used lt'for thelr song "Highway To
"Juke Box Hero" and INXS'~ "New Sensation." To me, the best Hell," and 1 used it for John Cougar's song "Hurls So Good."
example of how this baste beat defines what rock drurnming is all Beat #5
about in ils purist and rawest form is on AC/OC's "Back In Black."

1
This beat is so perfect (or rock 'n' roll. lt's like what the swing beat ; In 1he '60s there was a strong Motown inOuence In rock 'n' roll
is 10 jau music: When you play jazz you swing, and when you music, which still exists. for example, the following beat was a
play rock, you rock! "Back In Black" dcfinitely rocks! very popular beat that the Supremes used In their song "Stop In
The Name Of love."
Beat #2

1 Another beat that has worked its way ftom '60s rock 'n' roll into
the '60s is 1his one: · agt ~ . ~· ~ ]I
1 In the '60s, there were many examples of this beat In rock

1
music, like the Young Rascals'version of "In The Mldnight Hour"
Once again, Ringo Starr played this beat on the following Beatle (solo section), the Rolling Stones' "let's Spend The Night To·
songs: "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," "I Want To Hold Your gether" the Dave Clark Five's "Glad Ali Over," and the Jefferson
Haod." "She Laves You," and "Nowhere Man," to name a few. Alrpla~e's "Somebody To Love" and "Plastlc Fantastic lover." In

1
Other songs from the '&Os that had this same beat includc the the '70s, Oerek and the Dominos used thls beat In the verses of
Kinks' "Tíred Of Waiting," Jan & Oean's "Oead Man's Curve," the "Layla," and CSN&Y u sed it ill the releaseso( thelr song "Ohio."
Animals' "ll's My Life," and the Four seascns' "Walk like A Man.'' 1 used my own version oí this Molown beat for the inlros and
In 1he '70s, Russ Kunkel used this beat on the Jackson Browne verses of John Cougar Mellencamp's "Paper In Flre.''

1
pppp
song "The Pretender." And in the '80s, 1 used this beat on ~ohn
Cougar's "Authority Song." 1 did, however, change the h1-hat
rhythm lo this:

tll
1 B

1 97

__ ,_ . ·- -_ -·---:·_--··-~ ---·--.
1
,
•1
1 Beat #6

1 o
In the '80s, Stan lynch played thts beat on a Stevie Nicks rece

1 Creedence Clearwater Revival used this beat in the '60s for their
song "Fortunate Sun," and the Young Rascals used it Ior ~1n The
called "Stop Oraggin' My Heart Around" (same verslon as M
used on Sprlngsteen's songs).

POGR
Midnight Hour." •

1
Ginger Baker oí Cream used a more funky version of this heal in
rhe song "White Room" that went like this:

-~--.D_D__D_O~.i
1 ü==-1==-r-- p=-:1-( (P=- . ::111 ll's importilnl lo know that the previous beats exist, becau
they have become ,, f)\lrl o( the foundalion of rock 'n' roll musí
íls sound, and its vibe. Once )'OU can play lhe important ro
1
In the '70s, Levon Helrn from the Band plavedrhe following

1 beat on the song "lhe Weight/ and CSN&Y used il for "Ohio."
You can also hear it on the Stones" "Brown Sugar." (Ch,irlie pl.ws
his signature hi-hat part wilh this beat.)
l>e~ts•. you can the~ l>r~nch off and come up whh your ov
vanauons and comblnations, This process wlll help you deveh
vour own sound and unique s1yle oí playing.

1
1 Beat '!7

on
1
1 Ringo Starr played this beat on these Beacle songs: "Mean Mr.
Mustard," "Sexy Sadie," and "Dear PrucJence."During this time
period che Buífalo Springfield also used this beat on their song
"Bluebird."

1 In the '80s, CS&N used lhis beat in their song "Southern Cro~s,"

aJ@nEf ~J~g~
but made the beat into a two-bar figure, wilh the drummer playlng
l6th notes on his hi·hat instead o( 6th notes.

1 ª z

o ~
PEEJinJ~Jn
~ 1 t m
1 Beat #6
In the '60s, the Hollies used the following beat for a son~ called

1 "Bus Stop." In 1he '70s, Max Weinberg from the E StreetBand used
a slight variation of this beat for "Tenth Avenue Freeze·Out" and
"Born To Run" (verse and solo sections).

1 98

1:
1 by Greg D'Angelo

1
1
Rock
1
1 o los
1 Eve<ybody has dífferent opinlons of drum
solos. Sorne people love 'ern, sorne hale
'em. 1 think most drumrners, however, are
takes if we have some1hlng golng for us to
start with. This is where rudiments come
in. Rudiments ate like the words in a drum-
uhimate $Olo.
In lhe same brealh, l've got 10 say lhat
1he1e's no1hing that gels a crowd going like
curious to see what kind oí tricks or cbops mer's dictionary. We string rudlmencs to· n simple gmove. Once again, remember

1 the other i.:uy has rleveloped. So most of us · 11e1lwr, ,15 we do wilh words, lo 1n.1ke
listen, watch, and leurn. Oul jusi ,1 chops'Iest
can 11e1 boring real quick! Don'I gf!I me
phrases. A whole bunch o( phrnses put to-
gether <:<111 conceivahly llecome a !\ulo.
lh,1t lllOSI of the l>l?Ople you per(orm (or
a1en'1 drummers. Give the audience some-
1hinH 1h,lt 1lwy e.in cl,lp lhl'ir hands to. This
wrong, chops are Hreat, and rechniqoe is When 1 first SIJrtecl pl,1ying drums. 1 ab- makes lhl!m foel like they're pall of wh;it's

1 importaot. But vou've gol lo remember,

mosl of 1he people you're perforrning for
aren't drummers. They mighl jusi see the
solutely hatecJ 1he iclea of siuing behincl .:i
practice pad and playing 1>aradiddles while
singing NRIGHT LHT RIGHT RIGHT lEFT
going 011, nol jusi speclalors. Grooving is a
gre<il way tostarla solo; 1 wouldn'I want to
play my fasle$1, most difficult licks in the
solo as a good chance lo get a hot dog- RIGHT lEfT LEFT." 11 was like algebra 10 íirsl five seconds o( my piece. By 1he time

1 unless you keep il interesting.

One way 1 like to approach a solo is 10
treat il as a song. Give the solo a verse.
me: When woulcl 1 ever use 1his stv(fl \·Vell,
lo and behold! 1 sl.-irled really digging inlo
my Oeep l'urple ancl led Zeppelin reconls
l've gol everyone's auention. all the cool
stufí is sJíd .lnd do11e! lt's jusi as silly as
kickinH into a slow ballad wilh a (ast
bridge. and chorus of sons. Offer a frame- to try 10 cop the PaiC"e and ílonham lil ks. douhll'-bass rolJ! 13(>sides, when you're

1 work so thal when vou play your "chorus"

part, n's immediately recognizable to the
audtence: because they jusi heard ita min-
and guess whal 1 dis<:overed? Whether 1hey
knew it or not, lhese guys were doing all
these different ruifs. ratamacues. ;md 01her
grouvin¡.:, you can lhrow in di((erent kick
clnd clCCelll ideas thal Slem from that groove,
m.iking a smoolh transilion into your next
ute ago. Jusi like a good hook makes a íorms oí 1or1ure in their licks. So 1 said 10 p.irt.

1 song popular, a good "drum hook" can

make your solo entenelning. thus keeplng
the crowd lmerested,
myself, "Sclf, you shuuld practice 1ha1 scuff,
'cause il'll make lhese licks easier to cop,
okayl" So 1 did 1>rac1ice 1hem. and loday 1
The final parl to thlnk about is lhe end-
inK. This is very im1>ortan1 íor one simple
reason: This is the part of the solo that
Besides satisíying the audíence, \'OU have use them cons1an1ly, even though most oí everyone will remember, because it's 1he

1 10 Inspire yourself. Pl.wing 1he same solo

ni¡;;ht afler nighl can set extremelv tedlous.
the time ifs so suhtle, )'Ou'd hardly even
notice. (lt's jusi like ;i ¡llnch o( bay le<if.
Th.:it's why 1 like lo leave a section for . "What gives it thal inleresting fl.lvor,
lasl 1hing 1hey're going to hear. Don'I let
lhal gel you ner\'Ous! Usually when l'm
lh.lt for in10 a solo. l'rn in my own lillle
experirnentation, usually the micJdle sec- Marge?"I They also spearhead a lot of ide.1s wodd. l'm clware o( lhe audience, but

1 tion. This is a great lime for invention and

cre.:ilivity-10 really suerch out ,lnd push
my 1>laying beyond my ability, so ihat I'm
(or cornbin,11ions b<.>tween hands and foct.
Take .1 p.u<1diddle, for ex.1m1>le, ó'lncl assi~n
your lefl-hand slroke to your right íool:
lhey're w.)y oulside; it's almost like my
hands are lellinf: rny brain what to do. This
is where 1'11 grJdually build up to a big
jusi over 1he edg<.>. The key is 10 s1;1y "loose" clim;ix. Whether 1 do it by starting some

1 and relaxed. You'll find thal you'll be play-

ing things voo've never played or even
thougíu of before. (So keep rhat lape re· o
R L R R l R L l
J _J. .~§~;;J '===@¡
lype o( roll or riff slowly and increasing lhe
tempo as 1 go along, or by grooving and
making the beal more intricale as 1 get
corder going.) ll's like working out: lf you doser 10 1he cmd. my solo will peak at this

1 don't push yourself, you'll never grow. Don't

be ;ifraid to make mistakes, because that's
how vou learn. (Besides. íf you do make a
becomes:
poinl, ami 1'11 stop and take a bow or kick
into the 11ex1 tune. In eilher case, al 1he
next 1>ossible break, make sure you take
rnistake, jusi repeat il, and no one will ever R F R R F R F F your bow; \'Ou'll deserve it.

1 know 1he difference. Creeuve liceose,

duele!) You'll look íorward lo this secuon
every night, and il'll pul anticipation and
o#J J ttF J=l=tl Greg D'Angelo has pfa)•(>d with count·
le!>s musici.lns in 1l1e New )brk area since
tlie st.irt of his career. A foundins member

1
sponlaneily into your playing-the emo-
lions thal change a good performance into With 40 rudimenls bouncing around, 1here ·of the group Anthrdx, Creg is now ~ mem-
a great one. are a 101 of combinations to lry. (Sorne oí ber of tlie multi-platinum band White Lion.
Creativa license aside, ibere are ways 1hem sound greal, too!) Rudiments can defi-
we can cut down 1he odds oí rnaking mis- nitely be useful 1ools in your quesl for the

1 99

•· ,, .
 1
Applying Dauhle Strakes
1- ....
Ta The Drumset.
1
• by I3obby Rock

1
1 -.
flLM~,¡,.:;¡~a.mlt

HH.-X_

•11.::ic:=
u.::z=::
Although double-stroke rolla may be more cloaely
associated wirh marching banda -.nd anare drum
pieces, there are plenty of ccnternporary drumset
applications for them IS well. Ler's start with a very
basic double-stroke roll-the Ilve-stroke roll, l Iere's
the basic sticking for 1 Iive-stroke rol! (played as

1
_____ 16thnotes):

1 íldorc you move on to thc oibcr cxercises, he surc that you can pl~y
the prcvious Iive-stroke rolls very clcanly on your snarc drum.

1 One way to apply double strokea to the drumset is by using thcm

within time fccls on the hi-hst. The following example demon-
strates the five-siroke rollas applicd lo the cnd of a bar of 16th notes

1
on the hi-har. ~atice that it's written with the open, JZnd-note
interpretation, as opposed lo thal oí a closed press roll. This givcs
the Iive-stroke optimum definition and clarity.
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLRRLL
1 a±q...--___
J~ J J j J ~ J J J ))
-- -
J J J [jJj
- -- ~I
1 Now add ihe kick and snare to ihe previous hand pauern, and you ---- __ )Jtr]J~
~- L•.
j :&® Jm;i
bJ~I
J··-~, · p . 1.
have this beat:

1 Now Jet'• expsnd the concept 1 linle more by using seven-strek

rolls the samc way we used Iive-stroke rolls. Here's a bar of lbth

1
notes on the hi-hat with a seven-stroke doubling the last three 16th
notes, creating J2nd notes.
Here are sorne exarnples utilizing the [ive-stroke roll in other anc-
RLRLRLRLRLRLRLLRRLL
1
har 16th-notc paucrns. It may be easier far you lo play the hands
alone before adding the bass drurn pattern underncetb=-eud thal's
íine. Just be sure to play rhe doubles on the hi-hat as cleanly as you
can, and be sure to groovel
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
-,,-l===:-_.._..__
03=--: :11
o

1 J J;Jfil_:Jil2:
(' FI
~ ;J .)2 Again, lct's add thc snare and bass to creste 1simple beat:

1
º·- ~~¿J_dl~tf~1
'1 100

... f
.. ,.
~,~:
 ·~ ..~· ··:~~Fr~;·~1. . :=::.!.

; . : }::.~~i~ff/. . ..... ·:~~;>._.,

• Here are a Iew one-bar cxamples incorporating the scvcn-strokc ·

•1
roll.

•
•
•
•
111
11
"
"•• .=J_JJJ~~' J,;_SJ5~tp,1
0-1-FFí -. ..
o

·11
111: Lbd~ Pí t

11·;
11\:
lli

.:•.
;

This article is based on material /rom Bobby Rock 's Metalmorpho-

11111 sis Workbook. Repti11ted r~ith pennission. : ~

101

;
•• The Benefils DI A
••• Four-Piece Kit
r-:-

• by Andy Newmark

1 Rece111/y we receioed an Ask A Pro question directed lo Andy playing I suppose, depending on how much revamping o( th•

•11
Newma1:k, wlzich we passed a/o,,g to him to 011swer. A11dy obvi~ fills you would have to do. If l'ºº were playing long (ills that an
ously spe1it a lot o/ time and effo11 thittki11g about his response, very dcpendent on a lot oC notes (drums), then yes, you wil:
and the results tumed out lo be so good--a11d tliorouglr-Jltot we have to shorten those (ills and cho11ge your oppl'ooc/1. The real
tliought it might make a great full-bloum anicle. W/101follows is o( your playing nccdn't changc a bit. Ninety-Iive percent of the
the ongi,,o/ question lo Andy, and his response. time, you are playing bass drum, snare drum, and hi-hat, so the
other five pcrcent is ali we are lalking ahout possibly having te
DcarAndy, . edit.

•
Many drummers are geuing back lo using much more basic The tuning of thc bass drum and the snare drum should be
drumkits these days. 1 juat purchased a four~picce kit, and l'd as you had it on yo11r biggcr kit. Why change the boom and
likc your advice on how to gct thc most out oí this type of sctup, crack? That's your stamp; keep them as you like them. As fo1
as far as general tuning, Iills, and so forth. Your style, creativity, the tuning of the t_oms, each drum has ·an optimum note whcre

-
and overall technique on this type of kit has always impressed the two heads (forget single hcads in this set-up) seem to res-
me, so you scern to be thc best person to ask onale the longest. Don't stray too far from thal
about this subject. note. 1 would say with the floor tom, tune it to itE
Sincerely, ''You are lowest possible note, without the heads buzzing
Mike Dmytriw Leave it there. Try to utilize that nice, long, Cal
Clcveland OH nowat note. Picase don't mufíle it¡ you'll spoil everythin~
nice about it. lt should command one's attentior
Dear Mike, the wheel when you hit it; it should have ballsl
There are two ways 1 can approach your Thc high tom'e tuning .•. well ... take your pick. 1
question. Either veraion could give you different of a would want something that cuts through the set
ideas. So 1 guess both ways of looking at it have 1
and the niusic-not too obtrusivc, but a deíinitc lit-
sorne validity. sports car, tle kniCc wound or stab. It's as if the drum were
saying, "Hey guys, l'm small, but 1 can hurt you
Answer #1 built for tool"

The only real difference between our Iour- one Answer #2

piece kit and a larger kit is that "they" have
more toms. You've probably always played one purpose Here's another way of answering your qucstion.
basa drum, one snare drum, and a hi-hat Although you have only changed the number of
(assuming you are nota double bass player). So only~the toms 011 your kit, and everything else is the same, I
all you have changed by de-escalating to a Iour- think you will noticc very quickly that this is a com-
piece is the number o( toms, Everything else is big beat!" pletely diffet-ent 011imal. You are now at the wheel of
the same. Therefore, I could say to you, "Don't a sports car, built for one purpose only-the big
think about playing any differently now than beatl I'm talking about serious grooving now. You
before; you just have to re-distribute your notes have traded in your Cadillac that had al1 the extras
over fewcr toms." That'e the only difference. built in, and that lumbered along okay. Now you
Depending on what kinds of filts you play, you have· decided that you finally want to groove your
hsve to work out what sounds good with only brains outl
two toms, This could take you into a new style o( Bere'a the story: 1 don't know what you were

102
·-- doing before, but with a Iour-piece set, I assure you, 1 know
what you wil/ be doing from now on, You will be playing the
groove ninety-five percent of the time. That's bass drum, snare
drum, and hi-hat. This could be aignificantly different than the
Cadillac. You must make the groove feel good now, because
there is nothing else to hit. The srnaller kit íccuses you on play-
ing time, but presumably notjust playing time. You'IJ be playing
time with more affection and a much more intense Cocus on that
function. Now the challenge becomes, "How can 1 -keep the
groove going, but add a little splce]" You will learn how to get lo
the toma withÍll the groove, not just playing a fill on them.
There's a dirterence. Incorporating the toma into the groove
makes them beeome a part of the beat. Thia wayyou don't break
a groove to pl1y a Iill.
So you are now faccd with a new diecipllne: doing more with
less. You wíll learn to extraer much more out oí this Iour-piece
than )'QU realized. You will be pushed into a comer, and )'QU will
think more about how to color your playing. Thlngs likc dynarn-
ics on the hi-hat, dynamics on thc othcr cymbals, anti plllying
diííercnt parts o( the ridc cymbal are ali options, Also, breaking
up your hi-hat and ride patterns 10 that your right hand plays a
song of its own is something you'll want to try (but nevcr [et il
interfere with the flow of the rnusic).
You will learn how each drum becomcs more irnport ant,
because there are so few of them now. When a hockey tcam
loses a player, the remaining playera have a much greater load
on them. So now you must pick your shots carefully. You wíll see
how just a slight alteration oí your bass drum patlern will suí-
Iice, instead of playing a fill. Or adding one tom note into the
groove-a fanlastic filll By the way, when l talk about addiug
toms within thc grcove, it is usually by coming off the hi-hat
momentarily.
There are many ways to hit thc toma. 1 often hit rimshots on
the high tom. Depending on how Car back you pull the stick lo
your side of the rim, the note will hsve a very different character.
lf you come way back, it will becomc more like a timllale. You
can also takc your othcr stick and pul prcssure on thc tom hcad,
and during a "timbale fill," alter the pressurc so that the pilch
of the drum changes.
Here's something clse: Whcn you have a strong groove hap-
pening, it will feel so good that you won't want to break it up
with anything. Once you gct that train motion going, it just gets
more and more powcrful-if you don't break it up. You will see
how just dropping one bomb every 16 bara or cvcn cvcry 32 bars
is magic. l know you've heard it a miliion limes, but 1 tell you,
the most difficult thing is playing the groove-nothing elae-so
that ali the notes írom ali of the playera swing. It's the drummcr
who makes everyone elae'a notes swing or not. II your groove
makes everyone in the band ícel secure and it's easy for them to
play their axe with you, then you mu&t be grooving. lf you are
doing that, then you're doing great. That's a Jot of responsihility.
And a four-:piece kit is more than enough to do thall

103

·.'·:' !
1
.: .. :;;
. ·. .···..:
\
.. ¡.