Understanding Ted Reeds Progressive steps to Syncopation

paul rusack

Junior Member
Can anyone help?

First question:
Ok I recently brought a copy of Ted Reeds Progressive steps to Syncopation. However being quite new to drumming I cant work out exactly what the RIGHT hand is supposed to be doing during the exercises as all the sheet music only has the LEFT hand parts and the BASS drum parts?

Second question:
I have heard that the RIGHT hand is supposed to be playing the RIDE with the standard Jazz pattern which I have been counting as sort of 1 and ah - 2 and ah - 3 and ah - 4 and ah which works fine counting quarter notes however when I have to count in eighth notes the counting doesn't work as I cant count in the 1 and 2 and 3 etc. Am I missing something other than experience to understand why I cant count beyond quarter notes.

Third question:
I have also heard that I am supposed to be playing, and therefore counting, in triplets when trying to play jazz. Is that true because I also hear that Jazz in counted in straight 8ths 16ths 32nds etc but with a SWING feel. Everyone on YouTube has a different idea but often the pure basics are overlooked? How do you count in jazz?

I would really appreciate any help I can get.... thanks
 
1) Actually, it's not one hand and bass drum.

It's showing different rhythms and how they relate to the quarter note. The great thing about the book is you can then use those rhythms to do a wide variety of exercises.

You can play with alternate sticking, with just one hand, then switch and re-do them with the other hand, or reverse and play with your feet.

The most popular is to have three limps doing a repeating pattern, and then have the 4th limb play the exercises, which is the concept behind question #2, play the jazz ride pattern with one hand and play the exercises with the other hand against the ride pattern, then repeat by playing the exercises with the bass drum against the ride pattern.

And from there, you can substitute any kind pattern and do the same thing.
See this thread:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36252
and here:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32624

2) The book is written in straight 8ths. The jazz ride is in triplets (or swung 8ths), so in order to do the exercises, you have to interrupt the written rhythms as swung 8ths, i.e. pretend it is triplets with the middle note of the triplet always a rest, and what is written is the 1st and 3rd note of the triplet. Which is a bit odd at first, but once you get used to it, it's not a problem. Many, many jazz charts are all written in a similar fashion, with straight 8ths notated, even though they mean swung (triplet) 8ths. Which I think just answered question #3. At really fast tempos, those swung 8th notes start to sound straight.

More info is here:
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71888
 
Remember that Syncopation was not written for drum set players. It was written to teach snare drummers how to read music. It starts simple and has "progressive steps" to learn how to read harder syncopated rythms. All of the ideas you get from drummers and teachers are just creative ways to apply these reading excercises to the drumset.
 
The thing with this book is that it can be interpreted in many different ways. It is mostly used (at least in my case) as coordination exercises, where you develop coordination and independence in a given style by using the book to read the exercises while playing ostinatos.

I would recommend to simply start out reading the exercises as they're written, using your two hands and keeping a quarter note pulse with a feet if you like. This will develop your reading skills, a great skill for any musician to have.

Next you can try to play a simple rock groove and read the exercises with your left hand on the snare, then with the bass drum, then with both of them. To do that, you can use a popular Alan Dawson concept, short and longs, basically any 8th notes are played on the snare, anything other than an 8th note is played with the bass.
 
I grew up on this book. It is cool. Just relax in the groove and count. Your cymbal or HH hand can do many different things. Use a metronome. Great book!!
 
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