This month we’re going to focus on the four different single 16th notes, which are “1,” “e,” “&,” and “a.” Playing just one note may seem simple, but it can be quite a challenge to isolate “e” and “a” and play them accurately and in the pocket where they feel great. The exercises will focus first on playing the single 16th notes as accents among taps. Then we’ll move on to playing the rhythms with the spaces between them left open. The exercise with the accents and taps won’t be too challenging to read, but it can be difficult to play using the perfect stick heights. Strive for high, strong accents and low, light taps, and make sure they are perfectly matched between the hands. The second exercise will be more challenging, as there’s a lot of space between the notes, and there’s a lot of starting and stopping of […]

May 2014 Issue