Ostinatos

WaitForItDrummer

Senior Member
Just starting out with foot ostinatos (built on rudiments in Stick Control), and I definitely get that these will improve independence a great deal.

Is there anything else to them?
Any other reason we have to master these?

I guess might be able to build them into improvisation, but curious if anyone has other thoughts on why ostinatos are important?

How do you use ostinatos in your playing?
 
I can hardly even call it an ostinato but when I'm doing all my limb independence stuff (I do benny grebs alphabet thing) I just keep the boom chick (bass drum - hi hat) going.

Just recently I tried to play the bass drum freely while I did my right hand and left foot independence stuff and I got a rude shock - practicing ostinato's makes you better at playing that particular ostinato, if it coincides with some of the music you play then it's useful.

Did you see the Thomas Pridgen video I posted? I tried that, was way harder than I expected, but I don't even like the ''baboom chick'' ostinato enough to bother practicing, got plenty of other stuff to work on.
 
Did you see the Thomas Pridgen video I posted? I tried that, was way harder than I expected, but I don't even like the ''baboom chick'' ostinato enough to bother practicing, got plenty of other stuff to work on.

No didn't see it - whereabouts did you post it?

For clarification, my drum instructor gave me dozens of these ostinatos to practice/learn... They look easy but make me feel very uncoordinated...
 
Big fan of ostinatos here. I think they perform an essential, necessary and critical function in a song. In music, if there is no reference point.....you have to have a reference point to build around. The more out front that reference point is, the easier it is for the civilian to latch onto the music. That's why a QNP played on a cowbell is so effective. With jazz, sometimes that reference point, which doesn't necessarily even have to be physically played, is sometimes cloaked or obscured, but it's still there, otherwise, the music falls apart. So an ostinato, or to put a finer point on it, a reference point, whether played or not, is critical in binding a song together. I love hearing a steady ostinato because the other players, including myself, can weave in, out, and around it. Take that reference point away and the music loses it's common thread, a big no no. These are some very general statements and there are plenty of exceptions, but in my world, an ostinato is a go to thing for me. It's also one of the reasons I get the work I do. Taking a cue from Gadd, I strive to provide the audience, and the other players, a "can't miss" way to latch onto the rhythm of a song.
 
Thomas Pridgen - Applying Rudiments To The Drumset (Drumeo video)
http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115805

Thanks Arky and Dre - this is great.

What my instructor has me do is somewhat similar: Right foot, Left hand going through the rudiments, while Left foot, Right hand doing a totally different pattern...

Learneing a dozen of the basic rudiments (right hand lead, left hand lead) went well, but transferring that to Right Foot, Left hand is surprisingly difficult while your LF and RH is doing something else...

Then the feet doing, basic style patterns while the hands doing the rudiments (which seems somewhat easier...)
 
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Big fan of ostinatos here. I think they perform an essential, necessary and critical function in a song. In music, if there is no reference point.....you have to have a reference point to build around. The more out front that reference point is, the easier it is for the civilian to latch onto the music. That's why a QNP played on a cowbell is so effective. With jazz, sometimes that reference point, which doesn't necessarily even have to be physically played, is sometimes cloaked or obscured, but it's still there, otherwise, the music falls apart. So an ostinato, or to put a finer point on it, a reference point, whether played or not, is critical in binding a song together. I love hearing a steady ostinato because the other players, including myself, can weave in, out, and around it. Take that reference point away and the music loses it's common thread, a big no no. These are some very general statements and there are plenty of exceptions, but in my world, an ostinato is a go to thing for me. It's also one of the reasons I get the work I do. Taking a cue from Gadd, I strive to provide the audience, and the other players, a "can't miss" way to latch onto the rhythm of a song.

Thanks Larry. What an eloquent way if explaining!
I figured they were definitely worth learning - but it's great to know more about why...
 
Hey you're welcome WFID...Most of the time, ostinatos happen organically, automatically. But understanding exactly what their function is and how it relates to the rest of the music and players gives the drummer a more complete understanding of this basic and irreplaceable tool. The hypnotic quality of some music is directly linked to the ostinato,
 
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