This series deals with the ability to move the accents around in a 1/16 note hi-hat groove. Being able to move accents can be a great way to alter feels or imply modulation. These four examples are the primary accents you should be comfortable with. Use a metronome and make sure you always feel a…
WARMING UP AND THE 90 DEGREE BOUNCE
The importance of warming up cannot be overstressed. I always warm up at the start of my practice ritual. Without dedicating several minutes to warming up, your hands and arms will be tightening up in no time. A warm-up routine helps to increase elasticity of the muscles in your arms and hands. It warms muscles,…
MOZAMBIQUE
The Mozambique drum set groove is perfect for drummers of all skill levels. Entry-level drummers should take this opportunity to work on independence and feel, while more advanced players can start to add variations to the bass drum pattern, along with numerous other embellishments. Be sure to take this groove slow, learn each part individually, and make…
BACK TO BASICS – PART 3
In this visit back to basics, I took the grooves from Part 1 and now play them as a shuffle. Personally I feel shuffles aren’t understood enough by younger generations and are very important in developing one’s feel. The most important thing is to pulsate triplets when you’re playing these grooves. Try not to straighten…
ADVERSITY IN DRUMMING
As drummers we need to be diverse, in our knowledge of music, our technique, and our practice habits. This is a given if we want to have a long and rewarding career as a musician, but our need to be adverse is almost more imperative at times. I will write another article dealing with diversity,…
THE HUNT FOR THE PERFECT SOUND
Something all working drummers struggle with everyday is the hunt for the perfect snare drum and cymbals. My personal hunt has spanned quite a few years (and pieces of gear) and still continues to this day. With doing a very diverse amount of work stylistically, live and studio, these tools become very important in serving…
EATING THE ELEPHANT
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. – Dom Famularo I am notorious for being many things, but patient, I am not. As I entered my 30’s I began the self improvement process– through which I intend to reach the upper echelon of music history as a drummer, songwriter and artist. And…
DRUM KIT MAINTENANCE
Every so often, as I peruse the drum forums for ideas and gems of drumming wisdom, I come across a thread that is about the upkeep and maintenance of drum kits. And while there is a lot of wisdom and theory out there surrounding the topic of drum set maintenance this topic does beg the…
DCI – THE BASICS
As a percussionist, you may have heard about drum corps, but what exactly is DCI? And how can it help you as a drummer? For those of you between the ages of 13-22, marching with a corps is a chance for you to greatly increase the number of talented musicians you know, learn a completely…
GOOD TIMES ON THE BASS DRUM
This lesson is inspired by Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.” John Bonham’s right foot on this song always blows me away every time. He plays a 1/16 note triplet lick as in example A. John Bonham had such a smooth touch and great power in his foot. You hear every note he plays clean…
BOSSA NOVA
The Bossa Nova—or “new beat”—originated in Rio de Janeiro, primarily in upscale beachfront neighborhoods. The Bossa Nova was established in Brazil in the 1850s, about 100 years before it was introduced to the jazz culture in California. While the Bossa Nova was considered to be “harmless music” by the Brazilian government at the time, it…
ALICIA WARRINGTON
I know that things happen for a reason and that I have to make the most out of every situation. I try to step back and find the positive. Originally published in The Black Page – August 2009 As a drummer it is often a prerequisite to wear two, three, even four different hats, metaphorically…
AARON COMESS
“To me, music is music and as long as you play honestly you can really do anything you like.“ Originally published in The Black Page – May 2013. His famed drum intro on “Two Princes” is one of the most recognized on radio over the last 25 years. His band Spin Doctors has sold millions…
DOUBLE BASS KILLERS
Here is a page from my double bass book, Ultimate Double Bass. This example is from the workout portion of the book. Here you will be going from 1/16 notes to 1/16 note triplets using various foot patterns. It is very important to start slow and play each exercise for as long as you can. These…
DOUBLE BASS FILL IDEAS – PART 2
This is the second installment of Double Bass Fill Ideas. If you haven’t gone through Part 1 of this series, visit this link > Double Bass Fill Ideas Part 1. Remember to take one basic pattern and play it as many ways as possible. We will start with a basic pattern, keep all the notes…
DOUBLE BASS FILL IDEAS – PART 1
This is a “simple” exercise to expand your double bass vocabulary. I like to take one basic pattern and play it as many ways as possible. We will start with a basic pattern, then I wrote a bunch of different fill ideas to practice it. Keep all the notes clear and even in volume. Start…
DOUBLE BASS DRUM HAND/FOOT PATTERN
This is a nice, simple, basic double-bass pattern. This pattern can lead to many things in the future (fills, grooves, etc.) and there are numerous ways to apply this pattern around the drum set. It is a very popular pattern; every body has heard it and seen it—two strokes with the hands and two strokes…
ACCENTED QUINTUPLET OR FIVELET ROLLS
In a past lesson I showed you quintuplet or fivelet rolls. If you haven’t seen that lesson yet, follow this link > Chicken In a Fivlet Roll. We will continue with a quintuplet roll drum lesson by adding accents. Will Taylor is an author, educator and session musician based in London, UK. Find him online…
CHICKEN IN A FIVELET ROLL
This is a great way to learn how to play fivelet rolls based on the classic Chicken in a Roll exercise. If you haven’t seen that lesson yet, follow this link > Chicken in a Roll. Will Taylor is an author, educator and session musician based in London, UK. Find him online at willtaylordrums.co.uk. SUBSCRIBE TO…
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