Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic
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Moving Around the Kit
In this workshop, we’ll explore moving fills around the kit easily in two directions: clockwise and counterclockwise.
Five-A-Diddles
Throughout their careers, great drummers such as Zigaboo Modeliste, David Garibaldi, and Dave Weckl have opened our imaginations to the possibilities of paradiddles and their inversions.
Funk In Five
In this article, we will develop some funk patterns based on the following left-foot hi-hat pattern. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Dennis Chambers’ Half-Time Shuffle
In this lesson, we’ll focus on variations of a groove that Chambers plays on the song “Babylon Sisters.” TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Playing Around With Time
One aspect of drumming that I enjoy very much is playing around with time.
Beat Shifting
The rhythmic potential of a beat is not exhausted once it is mastered in its original written form.
Balance
One of the most important aspects of playing the drumset, and one that is often neglected by many players, is that of balance. Too many times rock drummers play with no bottom (i.e., too much cymbal volume, and too little…
The Shuffle
One might be hard pressed to find anything more musically exciting than a good drummer setting fire to a band by laying down a strong, straight-ahead shuffle beat. The shuffle is a very dynamic rhythmic feel. It has been used…
Artificial Groupings For Fills
In the July, 1984 MD, in the Ask A Pro column, a reader asked Steve Smith about a fill Steve played on the Journey song “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” The notation looked like this: Now, if you were like many…
The Quarter-Note Funk Hi-Hat Style
The quarter-note hi-hat style has a distinctive sound and feel that makes it well worth the extra effort required to perfect it. I first heard this style played by Clyde Stubblefield on James Brown’s recording of “Mother Popcorn,” and many…
Phrasing With Triplets
This article deals with the use of triplets within a compound phrase to embellish and create more interesting patterns. By inserting the 16th-note triplets into the duple feel, these patterns become more exciting to the ear. Practice each exercise at…
