The Soca is an incredibly fun groove to play, but requires diligent practice and attention to the timing and pace of the groove, as it is primarily used for dance grooves. Pay close attention to your tempo and your feel. Make sure the groove feels good before you speed up. Watch video on soca/calypso dance….
Category: CULTURAL RHYTHM / PERCUSSION
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…
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…
MAMBO
The Mambo is a very complex rhythm of Afro Cuban decent. We will try to comp four different percussionists parts; the Bass drum is our Surdo, the Hi-hat foot is our Shaker, the bell of the ride is our Mambo Bell & the Cross Stick and Toms are our Congas. The Ostinato that is being played…
CHACARERA OVER HI-HAT
The Chacarera is a groove from northeast Argentina, especially Santiago del Estero. It was originally played with an instrument called the Bombo leguero that is made of wood and leather and is between 13 to 18 inches in diameter. In Europe and the USA this kind of rhythm was made popular by Argentinean guitar player…
BEMBE
The Bembe is an Afro-Cuban groove with a 6/8 feel that can also be interpreted in 4/4 with triplets. The style originates from the word “Bembes” which is an African term for religious gatherings that involved singing, dancing and drumming. Murray Creed is the creator of the Victoria Drum Fest as well as an educator,…
GUAGUANCO
For this lesson we take an in-depth look at the Guaguanco drum set groove. Be sure to take advantage of the transcription and instructional video, which are both included below. Both the instructional video and transcription walk you through the groove one part at a time. First you will learn the Palito rhythm on…
THE CHAAL
The chaal is one of the most widely used grooves in various types of Indian music and is generally played on instruments like the dhol or the tabla. For those who practice Indian music in the West, it is common that the term chaal be in reference to time; to play a measure of chaal is to…
TIRKIT
If you recall I showed you the Chaal a few lessons back. Like the Chaal the Tirkit is a staple groove in Indian music and is commonly played on instruments like the Dhol or Tabla. The Tirkit is generally a two bar phrase played between the hands. One hand will play the same pattern over the…
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