This exercise is a fun one. You can use the displacements of accents to imply a modulated time. You will start out by accenting the downbeat. Then you will start to accent every third hi-hat. Eventually you will start to imply the modulation by playing the bass and snare along with accents. Make sure you always feel the downbeat pulse. Use a metronome to help you out. You can use tools like this to change moods or play tricks on listening ears. This will also help your time and your ear. You can experiment with different groupings to imply different times.

Ryan Carver is a professional musician and educator based in New Jersey, USA. Find him online here.

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