Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic
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The Drumset Drag - Orchestration Options for Powerful and Melodic Textures
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Drumset Drag Orchestration Options for Powerful and Melodic Textures by Powell Randolph In this lesson we’re focusing on orchestrating the drag rudiment, which is traditionally played on the snare, by moving the two grace notes…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic: Double Bass Fills
The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning of the next phrase, in order to maintain a continuous flow of ideas…
Rock 'n' Jazz Clinic - Double Bass Fills Part 2
The purpose of this lesson, which is a continuation of what we explored in part one (June 2013), is to show you how to overlap bass drum notes at the end of a phrase into a crash at the beginning…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Samba Coordination Builder
I remember first hearing Chick Corea’s 1978 recording Friends at my music teacher’s house. This was when my ears got hooked on jazz. I was coming from a background in rock and punk, and I was amazed by the high…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - The Odds Are in Your Favor
Searching for a way to break out of the old four-16th-notes-per-drum rut when playing fills? Applying odd note groupings can equip you with some fresh ideas that also sound very hip. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Rock & Jazz Clinic - Melodic Drumming
In this article we’re going to explore a way to represent a melodic guitar riff from a classic-rock tune on the kit, while playing the song’s drumbeat at the same time. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG…
Rock 'N' Jazz Clinic - Bembe-Inspired Half-Time Shuffles
The original inspiration for these patterns came courtesy of Brady Blade’s wonderful groove on the tune “So Damn Lucky” from Dave Matthews’ 2003 solo album, Some Devil, and the parts have roots in traditional rhythms found in Afro-Caribbean bembe music.…
Grooving in Form with Mike Johnston
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic Grooving in Form Part 1: AABA Beats by Mike Johnstonb One of the first things you learn when you begin to play in bands is song form, and one of the most popular forms is AABA.…
ROCK 'N' JAZZ CLINIC - Hidden Rhythms Part 1 Cookin With 16th
The concept of discovering hidden rhythms within common subdivisions reminds me of the first time I removed the back of my boom box when I was about twelve years old. I knew that this simple device must have something fascinating…
The Paradiddle Challenge - Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Paradiddle Challenge Unlocking Keith Carlock–Type Hand/Foot Interplay by Daniel Bédard I came up with the idea for this article after hearing Keith Carlock’s playing on guitarist Oz Noy’s track “Chillin’,” from the album Ha! I…
ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Hidden Rhythms Part 2 Odd Groupings
Last month we explored the endless rhythmic and textural ideas hiding inside a measure of 16th notes, including clave and cascara patterns, partido alto phrases, and more. TO READ THE FULL STORY: SUBSCRIBE TO ACCESS LOG IN
Grooving in Form: AABC with Mike Johnston
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic Grooving in Form AABC by Mike Johnston In our previous lesson (July 2015), we learned how to use the simple song form AABA to create some hip triplet-based grooves. This month we’re going to push the…
ROCK ’N’ JAZZ CLINIC - Squashed Stickings
Finding creative ways to apply rudiments to the drumset can be a great way to discover new vocabulary. In this lesson, we’ll discuss what I call “squashed stickings.” A squashed sticking applies a specific roll to a steady subdivision but…
The Flexible Five - Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset
Rock ‘N’ Jazz Clinic The Flexible Five Exploring the Five-Stroke Roll on the Drumset by Mike Johnston One of the most common questions I get from students is about applying rudiments on the kit. They want to know how to…
