NUTHA JASON
04-04-2007, 07:06 PM
i wrote this lesson for my website. its one way of creating something new on the kit...
A BEAT DEVELOPMENT LESSON
We start with the simplest beat of them all…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
But now we look at the accent pattern of the hihat. It is most likely to be played comfortably like so…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
However you should also learn to play it like so…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
So far its all straightforward. But what if we combined it as a two bar pattern alternating between the two?
HH|X X X X X X X X (play at least 5 times in a row
SN|. . X . . . X . to get the feel of the groove and
BD|X . . . X . . . how the last accent jumps the bar)
Try playing just the hihat part slowly with a definite difference between the accent and the soft note. Even try beatbox it with your voice to hear it. There’s a nice latin feel to it. Let’s focus on the right hand part for a while and forget about the rest.
Try this
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . . (once again play it through 5x)
T2|R . . . . . . R
We are no longer really accenting but have replaced the accent with an arm movement so that all the ‘soft’ notes are played sharply on the hihat while the accents are played on the two toms. Time now to bring in the LEFT hand.
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|R . . . . . . R
SN|. . x . . . X . (Not too hard on the first snare
stroke or it may drown the tom)
Notice how the snare is first a unison with the high tom and then with the hihat This ought to help you ‘get’ the pattern. Play it until you are comfortable with the pattern.
Now we add the bass drum. It’s still the same beat as at the start but now the original hihat part is being orchestrated all over the kit and in a regular pattern. This is also a good exercise for developing your right arm technique.
The result…
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|R . . . . . . R
SN|. . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . .
Once this is locked in it’s quite fun to play but we are only beginning. Let’s try other orchestrations. The toms can make lovely melodies in this pattern. Try these below and then come up with your own. Remember to keep the right foot and left hand exactly the same.
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|. . . . . . . R
T3|R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . .
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . . . .
T2|. . . . . R . .
T3|R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X R
BD|X . . . X . . .
My advice at this stage is to get the beat started and then play random orchestrations over the kit BUT each new one must be repeated for four cycles. Pay attention to what sounds good.
As a further challenge now try to add a bit of the left foot as well. Open it once every two bars. Where? Well you can figure out a place for yourself.
Now try combine two of your different two bar patterns to make a four bar repeating pattern. For example
HH|. R . R R . R . | . R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . . . . | . . R . . R . .
T2|. . . . . R . . | . . . . . . . R
T3|R . . . . . . . | R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X R | . . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . . | X . . . X . . .
Hmm… a four bar pattern using this accent pattern. Why don’t we tweak the original accent pattern so that it is not so repetitive. How about
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ?
Let’s use only toms and hihat again so it is…
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|R . R . . R . R R . R . R . . R
Now mess around with the orchestration…
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|R . . . . R . . . . R . R . . R
T2|. . R . . . . R R . . . . . . .
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|. . . . . R . . . . R . R . . .
T2|. . R . . . . R R . . . . . . .
T3|R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R
Try the pattern on the ride now; with the accents on the bell. If you have a cowbell why not put the accents on the cowbell and the ‘soft’ notes as ghost strokes on the snare. It’s not too far from a Mozambique this one.
If you are a more advance drummer try to play these with a samba foot ostinato beneath it or even something funky.
Finally…
So you’ve learned a new set of grooves here but more importantly you have seen how a groove can develop from (in this case) a practice need, into an accent pattern, then into simple orchestrations with all the limbs doing something and then into a longer cycle (2 bars becoming 4 bars).
All the time you need to keep a rubbish detector switched on in your mind. Really listen to the patterns you make and decide if they are too busy or noisy (less snare perhaps) too regular (try alternate two patterns) or perhaps just ugly so try something else.
Have fun
NUTHA JASON
04/2007
A BEAT DEVELOPMENT LESSON
We start with the simplest beat of them all…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
But now we look at the accent pattern of the hihat. It is most likely to be played comfortably like so…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
However you should also learn to play it like so…
HH|X X X X
SN|. . X .
BD|X . . .
So far its all straightforward. But what if we combined it as a two bar pattern alternating between the two?
HH|X X X X X X X X (play at least 5 times in a row
SN|. . X . . . X . to get the feel of the groove and
BD|X . . . X . . . how the last accent jumps the bar)
Try playing just the hihat part slowly with a definite difference between the accent and the soft note. Even try beatbox it with your voice to hear it. There’s a nice latin feel to it. Let’s focus on the right hand part for a while and forget about the rest.
Try this
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . . (once again play it through 5x)
T2|R . . . . . . R
We are no longer really accenting but have replaced the accent with an arm movement so that all the ‘soft’ notes are played sharply on the hihat while the accents are played on the two toms. Time now to bring in the LEFT hand.
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|R . . . . . . R
SN|. . x . . . X . (Not too hard on the first snare
stroke or it may drown the tom)
Notice how the snare is first a unison with the high tom and then with the hihat This ought to help you ‘get’ the pattern. Play it until you are comfortable with the pattern.
Now we add the bass drum. It’s still the same beat as at the start but now the original hihat part is being orchestrated all over the kit and in a regular pattern. This is also a good exercise for developing your right arm technique.
The result…
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|R . . . . . . R
SN|. . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . .
Once this is locked in it’s quite fun to play but we are only beginning. Let’s try other orchestrations. The toms can make lovely melodies in this pattern. Try these below and then come up with your own. Remember to keep the right foot and left hand exactly the same.
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . R . .
T2|. . . . . . . R
T3|R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . .
HH|. R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . . . .
T2|. . . . . R . .
T3|R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X R
BD|X . . . X . . .
My advice at this stage is to get the beat started and then play random orchestrations over the kit BUT each new one must be repeated for four cycles. Pay attention to what sounds good.
As a further challenge now try to add a bit of the left foot as well. Open it once every two bars. Where? Well you can figure out a place for yourself.
Now try combine two of your different two bar patterns to make a four bar repeating pattern. For example
HH|. R . R R . R . | . R . R R . R .
T1|. . R . . . . . | . . R . . R . .
T2|. . . . . R . . | . . . . . . . R
T3|R . . . . . . . | R . . . . . . .
SN|. . x . . . X R | . . x . . . X .
BD|X . . . X . . . | X . . . X . . .
Hmm… a four bar pattern using this accent pattern. Why don’t we tweak the original accent pattern so that it is not so repetitive. How about
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ?
Let’s use only toms and hihat again so it is…
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|R . R . . R . R R . R . R . . R
Now mess around with the orchestration…
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|R . . . . R . . . . R . R . . R
T2|. . R . . . . R R . . . . . . .
HH|. R . R R . R . . R . R . R R .
T1|. . . . . R . . . . R . R . . .
T2|. . R . . . . R R . . . . . . .
T3|R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R
Try the pattern on the ride now; with the accents on the bell. If you have a cowbell why not put the accents on the cowbell and the ‘soft’ notes as ghost strokes on the snare. It’s not too far from a Mozambique this one.
If you are a more advance drummer try to play these with a samba foot ostinato beneath it or even something funky.
Finally…
So you’ve learned a new set of grooves here but more importantly you have seen how a groove can develop from (in this case) a practice need, into an accent pattern, then into simple orchestrations with all the limbs doing something and then into a longer cycle (2 bars becoming 4 bars).
All the time you need to keep a rubbish detector switched on in your mind. Really listen to the patterns you make and decide if they are too busy or noisy (less snare perhaps) too regular (try alternate two patterns) or perhaps just ugly so try something else.
Have fun
NUTHA JASON
04/2007