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May 2014 Issue – Volume 39 • Number 5

Rhythmic Transition Examples Transitioning from one time signature, tempo, or musical style to another is a very common technique in modern jazz. These shifts are often referred to as metric modulations, where a specific note value from the current tempo becomes the quarter note pulse in a new tempo. Tony Williams, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Ari Hoenig are masters of this concept. In order for a transition to work out smoothly, it’s important for you to be as articulate and clear as possible with your rhythms. As you approach the shift, you need to provide a foundation that makes the band comfortable, without disrupting the flow of the time. Our first example illustrates a transition from a medium swing feel in 4/4 to a double-time swing superimposed over the existing time. This is a signature beat of the legendary Philly Joe Jones, and you can hear the groove […]
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Articles in May 2014

Rachel Fuhrer

  If you try to pigeonhole Ume, you’ll fail miserably. The same can be said for the band’s hard-hitting drummer, whose road to rock ’n’ roll glory has been anything but predictable. Rachel Fuhrer hasn’t seen her central-Texas home very…

By Stephen Bidwell | Photos by Rod Maurice
Feb 9, 2018

Steven Schick

So strong was his teenage attraction to modern percussion music that he outright defied his parents in order to dive headfirst into the budding genre. As a recent retrospective concert makes clear, today his name is nearly synonymous with the…

Story by Will Romano | Photos by Bill Dean
Feb 9, 2018

Dubstep Drumming Part 1: The Basics

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music known for its head-nodding beats, dark atmosphere, and ear-shaking bass. It draws on many other genres, including Jamaican dub, hip-hop, jungle, drum ’n’ bass, and 2-step, while fusing them into a unique…

by Donny Gruendler
Feb 9, 2018

Rhythm And Timing Part 3: Single 16ths

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…

by Bill Bachman
Feb 9, 2018
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Open-Handed Playing

Discovering Rhythms Inside the Paradiddle Besides being one of the most popular rudiments, the single paradiddle is a good example to illustrate the overlap between linear and rudimental drumming, and it’s great for working on an open-handed approach (right hand…

by Claus Hessler
Feb 9, 2018

Amadeus

Trey Songz tour drummer and musical director Antwan J. Thompson always had big plans for himself. You can consider the bold nickname he’s had since he was a kid as evidence. It’s been quite a journey for thirty-three-year- old Antwan…

by Billy Amendola
Feb 9, 2018

Ricky Wellman

Ricky “Sugarfoot” Wellman may be most widely known as jazz master Miles Davis’s last touring drummer, but perhaps more important is his role in the genesis of go-go music, a marathon funk style indigenous to the Washington, D.C., area. Wellman…

by Stephen Bidwell
Feb 9, 2018

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