27th October 2016 Wil Wainwright

EXPLORING ODD GROUPINGS PART 3

Welcome to part 3 of the series.  In this lesson we are going to look at one way to play a three note grouping.  Not only is this really going to help you strengthen your bass drum speed and independence, but it also sounds cool!  It’s a short but focused lesson that should hopefully prepare you for some of the more intricate patterns to come.

  1. This is the basic snare/bass pattern that we are going to work with.  As always, take your time and really try to internalise this pattern until it flows smoothly.
  2. In this exercise we are “simply” going to add an 8th note hi-hat pulse over the top.  Please be aware that the phrase now flows in and out of sync with your right hand.  Also, when you loop the bar, it really helps to work on strengthening your left hand for ghost notes.  Once you can comfortably play this try accenting the 1/4 note downbeat.
  3. Now we just put it into context.  As you go between the simple groove and the pattern, really focus on keeping the hihat as smooth and consistent as you can.  As in the previous example, once you have the loop down, try to accent the downbeat as you play.
  4. So, if you were able to play the previous exercises with the downbeat accent then you should find this a little bit easier.  If, you skipped that step, I recommend, going back and doing that first.  What we have is the same three note grouping as before but we are now playing it over a 1/4 note pulse in 3/4 so that it resolves each bar.  As you increase the tempo, try and ensure that the hihat pulse is kept smooth and relaxed.

Check out the next lesson for an extension in this idea to help progress your snare independence.

 

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