Help me understand what I play

[frank0072]

Hi everybody, I have a question for you and I hope it is in the right subforum.
I was just drumming yesterday when I played a 16th note beat but it was dragging more then usual, it has a different feel to it. I don't know how to define it, but I thought I could post it so you can all see it and help me figure out what I play.
Then there is a second beat that I do from the start that is a bit 'swingy', and I can't seem to figure out how it's counted and it's hard for me to sustain it, when I 'lose the swing' it sounds like a straight 8th note beat instantly, but it shouldn't be one.

I hope you understand what I am saying, and I hope you can help me figure out what I am playing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv0Qfysf5jc

[pasta]

#1. You're playing 16th notes (1 e & a, 2 e & a etc.) and putting the Snare on & of the 2nd beat and then on beat 4) with a variation here and there. For the fill you are playing 3 e & a, 4 e & a but double stroking each (again with variations) 16th note. It feels slightly uneven because your hands are not striking at the same volume. That gives it a hint of a swingy feeling.
#2. You're doing what's called a shuffle. If you lose the swinging feeling it's just a basic straight eighth note rock beat.

[a1DrummerT]

#1. You're playing 16th notes (1 e & a, 2 e & a etc.) and putting the Snare on & of the 2nd beat and then on beat 4) with a variation here and there. For the fill you are playing 3 e & a, 4 e & a but double stroking each (again with variations) 16th note. It feels slightly uneven because your hands are not striking at the same volume. That gives it a hint of a swingy feeling.
#2. You're doing what's called a shuffle. If you lose the swinging feeling it's just a basic straight eighth note rock beat.


yep yep..have to make this 20 charactors...

[IDDrummer]

Yeah, what pasta said. Back in the dark ages when I read jazz charts, some of them would actually show an eighth note ride pattern but would note "Shuffle Feel." While technically a shuffle is usually a triplet with the middle note left out (or even a dotted eighth/sixteenth note combination) I guess it was easier to write a bunch of eighth notes. When you are playing the shuffle in the second part of the video, you correctly noted that when you lose the shuffle feel it starts to sound like regular eighth notes. Playing a shuffle with unwavering feel can be very difficult, so keep practicing it!

One constructive criticism - if you are going to play double-stroke fills, make sure the notes are even in volume and articulated cleanly. Your left in particular is leaning the "lazy habit" and you'll want to correct that before it gets too ingrained. One good exercise is to play a double stroke roll for an extended period of time (say 20 minutes) while trying to accent the second note on each hand. It causes you to focus on cleaning up and separating those notes. This will really develop the muscles that are used in playing delicate or intricate stickings.