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Let's explore some of the ways we can use advanced combinations to make our basic Syncopation Sets come to life.

Some overview stuff:

We are playing a pattern exercise based off of the first pages in Ted Reed's book "Progressive Steps to Syncopation..."

We're using smaller and more common modern subdivisions for this exercises (1/8th note triplets and 16th notes) - these advanced sets can be found in the book "Patterns, Melodies and Rudiments" at thedrummerbrain.com/store

If you're completely unfamiliar with playing Syncopation Pattern sets, see this youtube playlist covering Lesson 14

https://bit.ly/2zJiP2Y

The beauty of these exercises is their repeat-ability. Let's make an advanced combination using inverted doubles and flams. We also split our voicing between the snare drum and floor tom.

When creating advanced sets, the goal is to make something musically applicable, but also to build chops, endurance and coordination - things that can only come from repetition.

As always, go slow and focus on flow - Don't feel obligated to start with this voicing, create your own combo and develop your individual style on the kit!

Happy Drums to You!

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Once you've played through all of the Lessons from "Groove Exercises for the Drumset" you can go back and replay any or all lessons with alternate hi-hat patterns.

This is where the possibilities really open up, each variation and groove have their own unique feel and weight - experimentation and listening will help you discover which hi-hat patterns and snare/bass grooves work well together.

Certain variations are trickier than others, especially continual 16th's with the RH and the 'hanging' sixteenth note patterns (1andAhs and 1Eands) but, the trickier variations often lead to the funkiest results once mastered.

This is where beginner students begin to add layers and depth to their playing - it is also where students have to start critically listening to other drummers to hear these types of variations in action. Investing time to explore the infinite subtleties on the kit needs to be coupled with regular listening and watching live music.

These are only the basics! Find out which variations you like the most and incorporate them into your vocabulary. Happy drums to you!

This lesson as well as all previous lessons are from the book "Groove Exercises for the Drumset" available for purchase or download at www.thedrummerbrain.com/store

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This powerfill is simple, but fast - we start with our primary sticking: RLR KK LRL - then we run it through four voicings. Once you're comfortable with this little chop, add another one before (or after) for a bigger fill. Paradiddles sound great and are easy to execute at high speeds.

Experiment with voicings and placement to create your own unique fills. Speed and power are nice, but having your own personal musical vocabulary is the ultimate goal.

Have fun - Happy Drums to you!

TRANSCRIPTION HERE

MICROFILLS:

Moving a small fill (RLKK) through a groove - in this exercise our groove is built from 32nd notes, but you can use any subdivision you like. We're permutating our microfill by 32nd notes, obviously we've got to skip over the snare on beat 2, otherwise our groove feel would be lost.

As always: Go Slow. Strive for Flow - not speed.

Once you're comfortable, start making combos - we will cycle through all 4 inversions of this fill in the next 3 videos.

Happy Drums to you

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An introduction to the rudiment voicing system.

We use a slightly modified voicing system for rudiments, for this video our example rudiment will be double stroke rolls.

We begin with our hands on the snare, then we had a voice and run a permutation set. Permutation just means moving notes through the measure, after you’ve permutated one note through the set, add another and move both notes together. You can change the distance between the notes, or move one note at a time also.

For permutation sets with three voices, we set a base voicing and move a third voice through the set. For four voices we use what are called “pair reversals”. Three and four voice sets tend to be more of a mental workout and coordination exercise - very good for breaking default-fill-route habits. Some students do struggle with splitting doubles between drums - as always, go slow and strive for flow not speed.

Once you are comfortable running the permutations sets, we can apply the rudiments in a ton of musical ways. We can create fills, add kick substitutions, play grooves, or play melodies and fill-ins.  

The “Ways to Play” is where the creative rubber meets the road - take your time to see how much mileage you can get from just doubles with two voices. The goal is developing YOUR voice on the instrument, use your creativity!

Happy drums to you all

Groove Lesson # 1: Eighth Note Bass Drum Grooves"

A beginner groove exercise - the goal is to play each exercise 4 times and move to the next without stopping. The bass drum is moving by an eighth note ever measure, we call this sort of exercise PERMUTATION.

Start slow, use Youtube's playback speed if this video is too fast for you. Happy drums!

This exercise is from the book "Groove Exercises for the Drumset.

Available for purchase as a physical copy or digital download with playalong tracks in the store

Transcription here

Part 2 in a series of videos exploring Melodic based fills and Fill-ins

Fill Melody Exercise #1: https://youtu.be/o53IH8dZipg

Introduction to Melodies and Fill-ins: https://youtu.be/LHYa1qF-9ZM

We continue to explore melodies with 8th note rests - this time in a more traditional descending fill voicing. Remember that you can voice your melody and fill-ins on any drum or cymbal - unique voicings can make the same melody sound completely different. Explore and expand your creativity!

Go slow. Strive for flow, not speed. Keep your focus on the melody.

This is an excerpt from the second section of "Patterns, Melodies and Rudiments," a book exploring drumset fills. To purchase the book (digital or physical copy) visit the store

Transcription here

This is a full length Melodic Fill playthrough with an intermediate level voicing, 

Once you've settled on a voicing for your melody and fill-ins, we run through a series of melodic exercises.  Beginning with 8th note rests.  

If these exercises are too advanced for you, start with the exercises in Ted Reeds book "Progressive Steps to Syncopation." Specifically Lesson 4 from the book.  Ted Reed's book is invaluable for drummers of all skills levels, you should purchase a copy for yourself and a friend immediately.

No matter how you voice this fill, your focus should be on the Melody not the Fill-ins.  You'll notice that this style of playing is 'catchier' and 'more melodic' than simply running patterns - because music is more than just patterns.  

Go slow, strive for flow, not speed.  Happy shedding!

Part 1 transcription here

Part 2 transcription here

An introduction to the second method of fills: MELODIES

More specifically Melodies and Fill Ins. Also commonly known as the ALAN DAWSON method - his material is highly valuable for any student of the drumset; This style of filling is pretty common in the jazz school of playing (because it allows drummers to read, play and solo to melodies from jazz charts) - but just a little modification can make it useful for any style of music.

The basic idea is this: read a melody with one voice and fill in between that melody with another. Most students start with the melody on a cymbal (with a kick) and fill in with their snare. Start super simple and keep your focus on the melody. Some students pick this concept up right away, some students take a while to wrap their heads around it - as always, strive for flow not speed.

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, we can use smaller subdivisions and double stroke rolls as our fill ins.

PART II

Once you’re comfortable with basics of Melody and Fill-in playing, you can and should modify: You can change voices for both the Melody and the Fill-ins, you can mix the subdivisions of your fill ins, you can also add ‘Ornaments’ like flams and diddles and doubles.

The voicing and phrasing you chose will greatly affect how the Melody sounds and feels, you can create two entirely different parts from one melody voiced in two radically different ways. Here again is where the rubber meets the road for your creativity - start simple and work your way up to something inventive and musical. Happy shedding!

This is an excerpt from a larger book on fills titled "Drumset Patterns, Melodies and Rudiments" available for purchase (as physical or digital copy) in the store

Part 7 in a series exploring Syncopation Lesson 14

Full transcription here

Part 1:https://youtu.be/bKIN6bQgMU4

Part 2: https://youtu.be/eKWSYUV-AkI

Part 3: https://youtu.be/6lcMQYlqKPo

Part 4:https://youtu.be/6D-G3Ek0QXw

Part 5: https://youtu.be/cRgfHa3XgsI

Part 6: https://youtu.be/BNI2HCD_-dQ

Groove + Fill = Groofill

A fill that feels like a groove, a groove that sounds like a fill.  

Building Groofills is similar to building Microfills, the difference being the Base is a FILL pattern instead of a groove pattern.  Voicing should mostly be on the toms with a snare on 2 and 4 to maintain the groove.  

You can be as complicated or simple as you like, this particular voicing uses both single and double kick substitutions.

You hear these a ton in R&B and fusion drumming, Groofills add a lot of depth and flow to your sound once you can integrate them into your playing.  Strive for flow, not speed. Good FEEL is the most important part.  Happy shedding!

Part 6 of a Fill Pattern series exploring Syncopation Lesson 14

Part 1: https://youtu.be/bKIN6bQgMU4

Part 2: https://youtu.be/eKWSYUV-AkI

Part 3: https://youtu.be/6lcMQYlqKPo

Part 4: https://youtu.be/6D-G3Ek0QXw

Part 5: https://youtu.be/cRgfHa3XgsI

Everyone's favorite: Microfills. First you need to set a base, in Syncopation Lesson 14 our base is 16th notes, which we play as an alternate sticking groove.

The permutating figure (the notes in red) is our Microfill - you may need to start with just one voicing for your microfill, but eventually you should modify your voicing for beats 1&3 and 2&4 - keeping a snare on the 2s and 4s will keep the groove going.

Once you're comfortable with the basics, modify and experiment - this is where the rubber meets the road for a lot of modern drumming, so dig in to this voicing.

Full transcription here

www.thedrummerbrain.com/free-lessons

Part 5 of a pattern exercise series covering Syncopation Lesson 14

Part 1 :https://youtu.be/bKIN6bQgMU4

Part 2: https://youtu.be/eKWSYUV-AkI

Part 3: https://youtu.be/6lcMQYlqKPo

Part 4: https://youtu.be/6D-G3Ek0QXw

This time we voicing Lesson 14 as a groove - this can be very simple as shown: We read everything on the hi-hat and use alternate strokes.

As usual, once you're comfortable with the basics, MODIFY! You can change sticking (doubles, diddles, flams) or change voices (ride, stack, bell) you can change placement for kick or snare etc. The goal is creativity, so use your imagination!

Full transcription here

This is Video 4 of a Fill Pattern series covering Syncopation Lesson 14.

Previous videos:

Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKIN6bQgMU4

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKWSYUV-AkI

Video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lcMQYlqKPo

Now we add two kick substitutions - remember that kick placement cary be any part of the phrase: RLKKRL or KKRLRL etc...

Using your creativity is key to making musical and fun exercises - start with simple rules, like quarter note voicings and slowly add on more variations. You can get to some really nasty ideas in no time.

Download full transcription here

Video # 3 of a Fill Pattern Exercise

For part 1 and 2 click here

Once you’re comfortable moving your hands around the kit in basic voicings, you can substitute one (or more) hands for a kick.  This is the most basic of placements, cycling through the last two voicings and an even smaller voicing.  You will need to become more creative with smaller subdivisions like 16th note triplets, you’ve got to move quick and be careful not to get tangled up.  

Slow and smooth is the way to go - happy shedding!

This is video 2 of an excerpt from Pattern Exercises.

Watch video 1 here

After we’ve comfortably moved Lesson 14 around the kit in quarter note subdivisions, it’s time to go smaller, 8th note subdivisions make for a great movement exercise as well as some killer sounding fills. Moving sets of 3 notes quickly between drums is huge for odd grouping patterns and flashy fills.

Start slowly and go for accuracy over speed.

Download a free PDF of this complete lesson here

Video 1 of Pattern Excercises: Syncopation Lesson 14

This is a pattern exercise based off of the exercises found in Ted Reed's book: "Progressive Steps to Syncopation." I'd highly recommend purchasing Ted's book and working through it as well!

The first part of Reed's book starts with a series of 'Grids' with varying rhythmic subdivisions - the smallest subdivision Reed's book reaches is 16th note, which are actually about the second or third LARGEST subdivision in most modern drumming.

The Drummer Brain Pattern Exercises BEGIN with sixteenth notes and eighth note triplets (Lesson 13) and up to 32nd notes and 32nd note triplets. Lesson 14 tends to be the place most students start, 16th notes vs. 16th note triplets.

We begin by moving our hands around the kit in a quarter note motion - that just means your hands change drums every quarter note. Mastering this motion will be essential before you can start to add more voicing variations to this pattern.

Happy practicing!