ALS FUNCTIONING ia Contains: Linear Playing « Jazz & Rock Styles Melodic & Harmonic Coordination THE PATTERNS SERIES The four books contained in the Patterns series have been designed to help students in developing an awareness of the types of materials currently being used in contemporary drum performance. Throughout. the books, many suggestions will be made concerning how these materials can be applied to the drum set. Students should feel free to experiment with these possibilities, as well as any other ideas that they May come up with. It is important to understand that the books are not sequential and can be worked on in any order. Also, it is not necessary to complete one book before moving on to the next. The various topics that are presented can be worked on in whatever order is the most appropriate for the individual student. RHYTHM AND METER PATTERWS - Deals with a comprehensive examimation of rhythmic and metric materials, including such things as odd-rhythms. polyrhythms, mixed meters, metric modulation and the like. STICKING PATTERNS - Presents a new approach to stickings with specific emphasis on their application to drum set performance. Aisc includes materials for accented single strokes, as well as exercises dealing with the use of doubles on the set. TIME FUNCTIONING PATTERNS - Focuses on time functioning skis in both the jazz and rock areas. Topics include cymbal cstinatos and linear phrasing as well aymelodic and harmonicjazz coordination. TECHNIQUE PATTERNS - Contains materials that are designed to help students in developing basic technical skills. Includes: a wide variety of exercises for the hands, as well as materials for the feet. Copyright © 1980 by UC Music ‘Al Rugs: Raservee Exclusive Worldwide Distribution hy SPP Belvin, ine, Mianc, PLASCIS Production Coord. .tor: Sonya PoormanABOUT GARY CHAFFEE i Originally from upstate New York, Gary was educated at the State University of New York at Potsdam, (Bachelor of Science, 1966), and DePaul University in Chicago, (Master of Music, 1968). From 1968 to 1972 Gary was the percussion instructor at Western Tinois University. In 1972 he joined the faculty of the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, and was appointed head of the Percussion Department in 1973. During his stay at Berklee, Gary was instrumental in developing many new and creative programs for the department, as well as a number of highly successful performance ensembies. Since leaving Berklee in 1977, Gary has established himself as one of the finest player/teachers in the Boston area. He has performed with many top artists, including Dave Samuels, Pat Metheny, Mick Goodrick, Steve Swallow, Abe Laboriel, Jaco Pastorius, Mike Stern, Bil Frisss!l, John Abercrombie, Harvey Schwartz and Gary Burton. From the teaching side, alist of Gary's students reads like a who’s who of the contemporary Grum scene and includes such people as Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Srnith, Casey Scheurell, Jonathan Mover, Dawid Beal, dJcey Kramer and many others. Gary is also in great demand as a chnician and has perfory throughout the United States and Ew spe. His articles and interview can be ssen in Modern Drummer, Percussioner International, Drum Crow! Rimshot (Germ: ny), and Rhyttnn Magazine (England) Thos: interested in contacting Gary can write to hzm in care of GC Music, 16 Whit: Oak Road, West Roxbury, MA 02132, telephone: (417) 325-1154.TABLE OF CONTENTS ENTRODUCTION |... 2... 4 SECTION I ~ CYMBAL OSTINATO TIME FEELS . 5 Cymbal Ostinato Possibilities .. 6 Practice Procedures . . 9 Fat-Back Exercises IL Snare Drum/Bass Drum Combinations z wee i6 Improvising With Snare Drum,"Bass Drum Combinations . -17 Alternate Accent Possibilites ....... 18 Hi-Hat Exercises ........ 19 SECTION II — JAZZ INDEPENDENCE Snare Drum/Bass Drum Exercises Hi-Hat Exercises . Other Types Of Jazz Time... How To Work On Broken Time . Two-Voice Harmonic Independence . Three-Voice Harmonic Independence (various unisons) Three-Voice Harmonic Independence (no unisons) . SECTION TI — LINEAR PHRASING ....................000005 40 Using Linear Phrases To Play Time Basic Linear Phrases . Using Linear Phrases To Play Solos Extensions of Basic Linear Phrasing Triplet Linear Phrases ceeeee cece Linear Time Feels With Single And Double Strokes ............ 51es eece ecw: . 2 e eee ee ees eaee. soe INTRODUCTION The materials contained in this text are designed to help students in developing a high degree of independence and coordination for both - rock and jazz time. The materials are organized as follows: Section One — Cymbal Ostinato Time Feels ‘This first section deals with the most cormmon type of rock time feel, (i.e. cymbal ostinato). The term ‘cymbal ostinato’ refers to a repeated rhythm that is played on the hi-hat or ride cymbal, Many different cymbal rhythms are available and the student needs to develop a relatively equal amount of facility and control with each. The exercises contained in this section will help in this process. Section Two — Jazz Time Functioning In this section, the various independence and coordination figures that are available in jazz time are explored in detail. Section Three — Linear Ideas In Section Three, the concept of linear phrasing is introduced, both as a soloing and time functioning device. The use of linear (single line) ideas to play time, as well as solos, is a relatively new concept and offers a great deal of potential. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK It is important co understand that the various sections of t!.is book can and should be worked on simultaneously. The reason for this is the total content in each area is very long. Therefore, rather than trying to complete one section before moving to the next, I suggest working on all of them at the same time. (Note — You may want to spend é week or two on each section individually at first, in order to become familiar with the basic materials that are presented. However, once this has been done, incorporate all three sections into your daily practice routine.) Finally, it is extremely important that all of the introductions and explanations te carefully read and thoroughly unders: This is aosohutely necessary if you are t> gain full benefit of the metoria’s that are presented od od.. ° © ° eoce eooe eoee eoce cece SECTION I — CYMBAL OSTINATO TIME FEELS The exercises contained in this section have been divided into three groups which are as follows: . Group 1 — Fat-Back- Exercises The Fat-Back exercises deal with situations in which the snare drum is always playing an accent on two and four. All of the independence figures are in the bass drum. The first set of examples outlines the possible figures that the bass drum could play on one and three. The second set deals with the bass drum on two and four. “Combinations between figures are then examined in the final exercises. Group 2 — Snare Drum/Bass Drum Linéar Exercises The Snare Drum/Bass Drum Linear exercises examine the types of figures that are available when the snare drum is not playing a constant accent on two and four. Each exercise deals with a different rhythm and demonstrates the possible ways in which that rhythm could be played on the snare drum and/or bass drum. Group 3 — Hi-Hat Exercises The Hi-Hat exercises continue the same process as above with the addition of a third voice. First the hi-hat is dealt with separately, then combinations between it and the snere drum and bass drum are explored.eeeese eeoeee seeaes eeveve eeeees Cymbal Ostinato Possibilities All of the exercises in this section are to be worked on using a variety of cymbal ostinatos. The most common cymbal ostinato rhythms are as follows: oe J oa alee ere) However, in recent years, a number of other rhythms have gained popularity. Among these are: Fa TT FTG >A + 4 Ais Fy It is important to understand that the cymbal rhythm, in and of iteelf, does net totally define the time. This is more a result of the figures that are played in the other voices (snare drum, bass drum and hi-hat). The more flexibility you have with these voices, the greater your chances will be for performing interesting sounding time feels. If, on the other hand, you only have a few independence/coordination figures that you can play against a given cymbal ostinato, your choices are obviously going to be very limited and what you are going to wind up with is a fairly static ‘beat’, rather than a time feel. The exercises contained in this section will help in dealing with this problem and should be carefully studied and practiced.Ways Of Playing Cymbal Ostinatos Each of the cymbal ostinatos in the list on the previous page can be played in a number of different ways. For example, using 6th note time: Playing the ostinato on the ride |: | cymbal while playing the hi-hat on 2 t : and 4, Playing the ostinato on the ride cymbal while playing quarter notes on the hi-hat. Lee 5 Playing the ostinato on the hi-hat. 4 (The dots indicate that the notes are short.) fete ee Playing the ostinato on the hi-hat, 4 opening it on the ‘and’ of 2 and 4. In other words, the idea is not only to develop a high degree of independence and coordination against each cymbal ostinato rhythm, but also to have many different ways of playing the ostinato itself. As a general rule, I would suggest working on at least four different. versions of each cymbal ostinato. Since there are about twelve basic rhythms, this is going to give you a lot of possibilities. Therefore, I suggest you keep some type of list in a separate music notebook of the various versions you have worked through. Use one page for each cymbal rhythm. On the front, organize your practice routine using an outline similar to the example on the next page.Cymbal Rhythm — J) VERSION| FAT-BACK |SNARE DRUM/BASS DRUM] HI-HAT 12UD - Oh deny IAIIG - Neede work 2121 - Ok 1214 - Review or tala? -Jepog \alao - OK ete. On the back of the page, keep a written record of any specific ideas you come up with. (For example, a certain sequence of figures that sounds good against a particular version of the cymbal rhythm.) After ail of the individual cymbal rhythms have been worked through, I would suggest experimenting with various combinations. For example: PUL Ty pba by There are many possible combinations. Feel free to experiment with any that are of interest to you. NOTATION — The exercises in this section are notated as follows: , Snare and Bass Drum Hi-Hat Only Snare — Bass — Hi-Hat peed piety, pt Pa id The cymbal ostinatos are not written with the exercises. Therefore, you have to listen carefully to what you are playing in order to make sure all of the notes are being performed correctly.eeooee eesere eeeens eesoes eeuoee Practice Procedures There is a definite practice procedure that you should follow when. working on the materials contained in this section. The reason for this is the nature of the materials themselves. In each group of exercises, all of the possible figures are dealt with. In the context being used, there are no other figures available. However, no matter how well you can play these exercises, you still may not be able to play interesting sounding time feels because what these exercises do not cover is the virtually limitless number of ways in which these individual figures can be combined and mixed and this is really how you are going to be using them. The practice routine that follows is designed to help the student in dealing with this problem and should be carefully studied. Step 1 — Pick the cymbal rhythm you wish to work on. (For example, straight eighth notes.) Step 2 — Decide how and where you want to play the cymbal rhythm. (For example, playing the straight eighth notes on a closed hi-hat.) Step 3 — At a moderate tempo, set up the cymbal rhythm and then begin working through the exercises. (Note — All of the exercises are two beats long. The same figure is to be repeated on the third and fourth beats.) Each exercise is to be repeated many times until it feels comfortable. Once this happens, move directly to the next exercise with no pause. Step 4 — Once all of the exercises are done, move directly into an improvisation using the same materials. However, in this case, you will be deciding which figures are played and in what order they are played. As much as possible, try not to look at the exercises. Rather, think about the line you want to play.Basically speaking, the exercises serve as a kind of warm-up routine for the improvisation. They take your body physically through all of the types of figures that are available in a particular area and they give your ears a chance to hear each of these figures. Once this is done, their job is complete. It is now up to you to come up with interesting ideas to play. There are three final points I would like to make. First of all, when. initially working with a given cymbal ostinato, I would suggest playing it in the easiest possible fashion. In other words, choose the version you can play the best. Then, after working through the materials a few times with this version, begin to experiment with other possibilities. Secondly, when working on a given group of materials, all of the exercises in that group must be done as a unit. Initially, it may take you 20 or 30 minutes just to get through the exercises. However, once you begin to learn them, it should only take 5 or 10 minutes to doa quick run-through. Finally, you should be spending at least as much time on the . improvisations as you are on the exercises. A balance between these two routines is essential for maximum development.Fat-Back Exercises Bass DrumOn1And3 thet typ th pt abet kg tok i ebay +44 tobe 4 15, beg ite Deumoninee 16 —T)4 »p—Ty sap 15. coy 18, hey 21. eACombinations Of Bass Drum Figures 23] 4 ry FL om, I 4,7 r shy TT, AT 2a}. J oy F. Lg Ty TD a tery de) yy T pt te | TL TA a allt 5 aa if ‘I ‘lh oe QQ fee orb tbe As a pep eg A“Te bey tel topo ep A A aoe! hin ieee Het de it ele Eee [Paty leg tee ae sf spa? spay lth ey a Fyre Dl th cre Thy oe Td se ab gp te pg TA aCombinations Of Bass Drum Figures (continued) 3s. hl tery A. ters Ss, se [er P ey + ty ty peer ee ty a eae oe, 36. py teper fetSnare Drum/Bass Drum Combinations | ape sd toe sel 5 pe ape Arr 8. poe ep Ey op st reser yt tle : rll +] opitieiy = pla ley trot Ag Ay eBags pA) 4 Ay PL Ay A aSnare Drum/Bass Drum Combinations (continued) 12. FT erry 4 I Fay [om Ty ATT, 1s pT he ty Oo, Fa, Oy, DAA, 14. |: TT rere eet TT pete Fag Tie g My 18. Leon ee creieen’ ATA, FET y To 4 Ee, ity Tan ny 16.outore , eoeees sootes eoeuse oosoce Improvising With Snare Drum/ Bass Drum Combinations When initially improvising with the linear materials, there is one particular routine I suggest you experiment with. Basically speaking, the idea is to pass various phrases back and forth between the two voices. You can either repeat the same phrase or use two different, phrases. dL Tes f { ff er AAR Ly ‘The purpose of this routine is to make sure you have good control in each of the separate voices. After working through this routine, you can spend some time improvising in a more traditional time functioning fashion. Normally, when cymbal ostinato time feels are played, a combination of Fat-Back and Snare Drum/Bass Drum Linear materials are used. In other words, there is a basic two and four accent happening, ‘but there is also other activity (unaccented notes) in the snare drum part. >, > > > JOA, 4, FG oe Oa, The main technical problem here is getting good balance between the accented and. unaccented notes. Basically speaking, the unaccented notes in the snare drum should be at the same level as the cymbal notes. Having the correct balance between these two voices is essential if the time is to have the right feel.ceee ccooce eooee coecoe cecece ° ° ° . e ° ti Alternate Accent Possibilities ‘There are many accent patterns other than two and four which are used in rock-time feels. One of the more common types of situations involves substituting either the ‘ah’ before the ‘e’ efter a normal accent point. Wn A A Another common substitution is the ‘and’ of two or four. > > > > | mph AG tee Ae There are many different linear figures that can be used to develop such accent lines. Some of these (as in the examples above) have the accents on single strokes. However, other figures may have an accent on a double or triple stroke. * PAGS, 1 Tl Re Srarkrrsbrarl Accenting the first note of a double or triple stroke is no problem, but putting accents on the second or third note is technically more difficult and will have to be carefully practiced.Hi-Hat Exercises Hi-Hat Only uf) 4 afd hq sp b+ 4 afe—be hy sf F4 ofS 4 2p ob A Aly op Sl ay top Ay pA Ay ep 6} SAY by Fy SY 1 SY Combinations og Sl Ag Bg A Ag ao, Fy bat pe tH a ah a ie eiHi-Hat Exercises (continued) @ prllee lg ey Ae Ree Re ee Alay o pedplelr ge ly ly a ys le ly op A Ags Ai figs Be Ry Bs Ay Ta. fT) FT aw mie gta Fil 4 » peo Fg Fg Fg . LED g Ag Ay 4. a Pg Sea + Lop, ya,Lg. [ie fa oft I |} ‘ : ul $3 SSS ay SS EyHi-Hat Exercises (continued) 9d. AF» Se pAlia. ATT y FRAG y ATT y 2 a all wre ry yp oy ATA 4 Fy FR yg | sy OF yy “mp DEI, SDT y AEG y PE,Hi-Hat Exercises (continued) op TED y ATE sal: Fir) | TATE y TTT g Fy aT yp LODE pny TT» ST, Fry veep FLT g Te Sg ST Ty Ey oT y Tp SOT y ey Thy Feyeeoves , eeeove eeeeee seervos soe ene SECTION II — JAZZ INDEPENDENCE The materials in this section deal with various types of independence and coordination in relationship to the basic jazz ride cymbal rhythm. 2 3 } +14 The materials are organized into four parts: Part 1 — Linear Independence Part 2 — Two-Voice Harmonic Independence Part 3 — Three-Voice Harmonic Independence (with unisons) Part 4 — Three-Voice Harmonic Independence (without unisons) The exercises contained in these parts are divided into various groups, each of which deals with a certain type of independence- coordination situation. When working on a given group of exercises, follow the same general practice procedure as described for the cymbal ostinato time feels (i.e. practice each exercise separately at first, then move directly into an improvisation using the same materials). In playing exercises that do not involve the hi-hat, I suggest using it in the traditional manner (on 2 and 4). Therefore, you will be playing ostinatos in two limbs: Hay In exercises involving the hi-hat, only the ride cymbal will be performing an ostinato. 3 All of the exercises are one beat long. However, when practicing them, they should be played on all four beats. 2 toi, Written asf) — prayed as: 4 4 ey rs iy As in the previous exercises, the ostinato parts are not written with. the exercises.Snare Drum/Bass Drum Exercises Snare Drum Only pb yg ape Df ope Dy apf. y splay opel y ~plody Bass Drum Only apy +4 fw bed 10.4. ny rife) wy 1p Combinations pl) play pL gp led preps Dg lI yHi-Hat Exercises Hi-Hat Only Ltd thd Shep AR FS eS SSH op ag Le gop gd propel atl y uw ply My i My 12. py Oy D4 Bass Drum And Hi-Hat 15 JF) yp Shng Gog Po gisp gp Sy re py ag Three-Voice Mixtures opp tT) yop gS yep Tg Sycece eeoe 6 a s ceee coos ecce eee Other Types Of Jazz Time There are basically four different ways jazz time can be performed. They are as follows: Straight Time - Ride cymbal playing the traditional cymbal pattern with hi-hat on 2 and 4. (This was the form used in the preceding snare drum-bass drum exercises.) Semi-Straight Time - Ride cymbal playing the traditional cymbal pattern. Snare drum, bass drum and hi-hat all have free parts. (This was the form used in the hichat exercises.) Semi-Broken Time - In semi-broken time, the hi-hat is again playing the 2 and 4 pattern, but the ride cymbal is varied. Broken Time - In broken time, there are no ostinatos. The ride cymbal is varied and the other three voices all have free parts. Ina general sense, these four versions outline the basic historical progression that has taken place in jazz time functioning. Traditionally, the ride cymbal and hi-hat were always kept constant. The snare drum and bass drum were the only voices available to perform other figures. However, by the beginning of the sixties, a Jot of people were starting to experiment with using the hi-hat as an additional voice, rather than a time keeper. During this same period, the concept of breaking up the ride cymbal rhythm began to gain popularity and these same trends are continuing today. Basically speaking, the direction has been toward a looser, more flexible type of time playing. In other words, rather than developing the time through the use of repeated ostinatos in certain voices, it is the result of a mixture of ideas which are constantly changing. I want to make it clear that this in no way implies any quality judgment on a certain type of time. Broken time is not better than straight time or vice versa. They are simply different. Besides that, you will undoubtedly play in situations where different types of time are called for, so the more flexibility you have in this regard, the better off you are going to be. Finally, it should be understood that there are many gradations between completely straight and completely broken time. Most drummers these days actually use a mix of materials from both areas and this is probably what you will find yourself doing.ooee eeeee eoVece eooe eooee eocece How To Work On Broken Time All of the preceding exercises (as well as those that follow) deal with the two types of straight time. Broken time must be worked on. from a different standpoint. I would suggest using the following approach: 1. Experiment with semi-broken time at first. The hi-hat will be playing a 2 — 4 ostinato, but the cymbal rhythm will be broken. Four different figures can be derived from the basic ride cymbal pattern: 2 2 aE ed. 2 LA, po | 2 J | FRerar ‘The idea is to keep changing the order of these patterns to Ee Con ee 3 3 2 4 pif al Feil Ja Sa ete 1 leet Once this begins to feel comfortable, start adding the bass drum* and snare drum, using the same types of figures you would in straight time. However, in this case, since the cymbal rhythm is changing, the relationships between the various limbs will also change. 2. Gradually, you can move into broken time, eliminating the hi-hat ostinato and using it instead as another free part. More than likely, there will be a lot of connections between which. cymbal rhythm you are playing and which figures you play against it. In other words, rather than being independent, the various voices are working in coordination with one another. (Hypothetically, you could have independence with constantly changing figures in all of the voices, but this is extremely difficult to do and is a very long range goal.) These methods should be incorporated into your daily practice routine. The idea is to be working regularly with both straight and broken types of time. Eventually, they will begin to blend together and this is probably how you are going to be using them.Two-Voice Harmonic Independence Snare Drum And Bass Drum Unisons Combinations Piel nas pen pe rT ee Di asepied gag: DP HAHA RT SPP “paper eae melee Pah sveteSnare Drum And Hi-Hat Unisons yt tp tay Spey Hy eH py HY Combinations epg ty pl yy ee, ap dry gy dy yap bd ptt 13, tg tb EPPS AREY PTE eet (ale “Et wt ‘heal Fl etit 16. at = dadeBass Drum And Hi-Hat Unisons li jee p ee ee a 4 ASS Combinations a Reali aeeRon pp bets appar wpe Es ape B oni tb df “pe Hp sripeten di By iThree-Voice Harmonic Independence (various unisons) Three-Voice Unisons Snare Drum— Bass Drum Unisons Petts ee pled 1, Pi z. tj 3. = Pid Bd i a = Dp i hee Saas eet HHH ep H xSnare Drum — Hi-Hat Unisons ge wiuedseieeezeia i aH op G a csBass Drum — Hi-Hat Unisons ptt PL i CL BE pede gy ded pp thy pp pap ag ey OR ppp aEThree-Voice Harmonic Independence (no unisons) Two —One-One Ratios TwoIn Snare WG edvefpa feed te ae fi Ralian Ge Bath Ztwotln Bass Drum ssdicyfeedepaapd angie! SP pdt Radha ptf tl Pe Two In Hi-Hat “Aisa pea sfia tp ge gel eT aed aes psTwo-—Two-One Ratios One In Hi-Hat afeipni einer “He ee Lae +f A wf One In Bass Drum . © SEEM oe See fat eb ds 1 Pit pata ae pay EPThree — Two — One Ratios Three In Snare tf tat Pd aI ad ee “beef ed ed oe eet "heed bei Three In Bass Drum ETE Three In Hi-Hat 4. peed i: % es m - ee Wy bet g:OTHER RATIOS Two =Two-Two Ratios stp tpt fd pd Dales Waitiasasesaie aed ef ee ed ef etaos Sols 5 oeoaud wee o se Besrvee sevews SECTION IIt — LINEAR PHRASING The term ‘linear phrasing’ refers to the idea of developing musical phrases through the use of single line figures. In other words, all of the notes are played individually. The phrasing is the result of which voice is playing which notes as well as where these notes are being played The first sec of linea: ugs we will be examining consists of single strokes in the hands, with either one or two notes in the foot. RLABRBLBAL on. — ees. RL RLRBL RLALRL In the figures above, it can be seen that the odd groupings contain one note in the bass drum, while the even groupings have two. It is important to understand that these groupings are not rhythms, but simply groups of notes. What we will be doing is taking these groupings and finding ways they can be used in various rhythmic schemes. . For example, a group of eight sixteenth notes could be played with a matching linear grown, cither two fours or one eight: epee, However, the same eight notes could also be played using a combination of the three and five note linear figures: Sa, Se, This is the basic premise behind linear phrasing. By expanding on this concept, you will be developing a wide variety of ways of phrasing the 16th notes and this same technique can be used with other rhythms as wellooce ecce ece ecoee ceo ceecee ee eee Using Linear Phrases To Play Time ‘Using the method that we have been describing, there are about forty phrases that can be made from these basic linear figures. In this section, we will be examining how these phrases can be made into time feels. The process that is used to co this consists of.a mumber of steps. For purposes of demonstration, I will use the linear 8-note figure. Step “1. Play the pattern as it lays, using the right hand on the hi- hat, left hand on the snare. EERE SoSH RLRLRL RLRLRAL Step 2. Accents. Since most rock time feels have accents, we need to get some into these phrases. You should try to have a few different ones for each phrase. For example: a. Accenting on the ‘ah’ of one. RLRLRL RLRLRL b. Accenting on two. (Right hand comes over from ht-hat} RLRERL RLRLRL Step #3. Embellishments. Once the basic accents are in place, there are @ number of different things you can do to embellish the phrases to make thern more interesting. One of these is to double up on some of the notes and play them as 32nds. (When doing this, the sticking does not change. You simply replace the 16th note single stroke with a, 32nd note double stroke.)a. Doubling the first note. RRLRLRL RRLRLRL b. Doubling the second and third notes. > aS RLLRERLRL RLLRRLRL Another type of embellishment is to open the hi-hat for a longer sound. AES LESS SSELESSy RLRLBRL RLRLRL These embellishments can then be combined and mixed to makea « longer phrase. > > > o & = PEP SSS a A oS RLRLERL RLALRL RLLRELRL RLRLRL This is the basic process that should be used on all of the linear phrases. Simply put, you figure out a few basic accents for each phrase and then add some embellishments to make it more interesting. What this means is that you will have a number of different ways of playing any given linear phrase, so that when you use it in performance, you will be able to adjust it to specifically meet that particular situation. It is important to remember that when initially working on these linear phrases, the sticking should always remain the same (ie. all figures start with the right and use singles). This will make it easier to work with the phrases.a 2° 2 eovce ecce evve ° eee eeu Other Possibilities As you work your way through these phrases, there are some additional possibilities that you may want to experiment with. One of these involves stepping the hi-hat in place of the bass drum notes, which can result in some interesting lines. Another option to move some of the hand notes to other drums and cymba. opposed to always keeping ther o> the snare and hi-hat. Fes experiment with these as well as other possibilities.Basic Linear Phrases A. Two-beat Figures (repeated to make one measure phrase) es SRS, a. a ASA Say . 8) JS, » i 8s ey B.One Measure Mixtures Of Above 4a. ___ 8/4/4 b 4/8/% _ 4fasa s ses pi FRao,y b. 8/8/3/5 poor ECCLES AE6a. b. a. Ta. b, c. e. 8/8/3 8/3//8 ____ 8/a/s 8/3/8 3/8/8 ____3/8/8 4/4/3/8 asais/s__ —4/3/4/8 4/8/4/3 ___4/8/8/4 poo TE ATT , Ao FECL Ay poo TT | ooo SRL aL oy SRA o A, I: aa iF DLA tal a PRS A, por) AE SEIT 2 wea | STL FEEL FET78. i C. Other Measure Phrases Ba. 3/4/4/8__ 5/4/4/3 ___8/4/8/4 8/4/3/4 Bele 6/4/6 4/6/6 8/5/6_ 8/6/8 6/8/5 pay ane So EL poe Soy poo Eo Ey pra on, Wr Fo A oy ao Fr ey10a. - a £. ___7/8/4 ___7/a/s___ 5/7/4 8/4/7 AS ___4/8/7% U6/8 ___ Ss 6/7/3 o/sft 3/7/6 3/6/7 PR TTT pT Ty Moony Mm Pano _ EL Ey poe LS Fe foo oa aay pT Th RTA oy a a,Using Linear Phrases To Play Solos The linear phrases that we have been working on for trme functioning can also be used to develop solo ideas. What follows are some basic suggestions as to how this can be done. Each of the linear phrases should be worked on separately at first. This should be done in the context of some time scheme. For openers, T would suggest using one of the following: w 3 measures of time — followed by — one measure fill Play 2 measures of time — followed by ~ two measure fill Play 4 measures of time — followed by — four measure fill In the fill messure(s), you are going to be working on various ways in which the figure can be played on the set. The goal is to develop as much flexibility as possible with the figure. It is very much like a horn player learning a chord scale. The point is not simply to learn the notes of the scale in a specific order, but rather to develop enough. flexibility with those notes so that. they can be played in any way. In our case, we are not rearranging the order of the notes, but where those notes are played. This in turn has a lot to do with what the musical idea actually sounds like. In working with a given pattern, there are a few general ideas I would bear in mind. First of all, most drummers tend to begin all their ideas from the snare drum. When working with these phrases, you should definitely make it a point to start some of the ideas in other places. Another probiem has to do with motion. The type of circular, parallel motion that most drummers use in moving around t! can definitely be inhibiting in many respects. Therefore, I suggest spending some time specifically on playing ideas that involve other types of motions; either contrary (where the hands are moving in opposite directions) or oblique (one hand stationary, one hand moving). The use of such motions can definitely aid in the development of a more musical style of soloing. In initial stages of practice, I would suggest working at a moderate tempo and using a medium level dynamic (around my. Concentrate primarily on getting good balance between the instruments that are being played. (Additional musical considerations will be dealt with at a later time.)ecece cocee weoeoee eeuece Bxtensions Of Basic Linear Phrases The basic linear phrases that have been presented can be modified and expanded in a variety of ways. The following are some suggestions concerning these possibilities. 1. Various phrases can be combined and mixed to develop longer ideas. This can be done by using different versions of the same phrase or by using entirely different phrases. Experiment with both types of situations. 2. Dynamics can play a very important part in helping to shape musical events. Having the control to use a wide variety of dynamics is an invaluable aid in drum set performance and should be carefully worked on. (A number of dynamic exercises are included in the first part of the book, RHYTHM & METER PATTERNS. These exercises will help develop the technical skills necessary for good dynamic control.) 3S. Space is another musical element that can be used to expand the basic linear concept. In other words, rather than having a constant stream of events, the ideas are played in a more broken fashion. AA wi ay ao When using space in this manner, the individual phrases tend to get broken up into smaller units. Although this may take sorne time to get under control, the musical potential makes it well worth the effort. 4. Finally, it should be understood that in most playing situations, the idea is not to use linear materials exclusively, but rather to mix them in with all of the other types of things you do. As you become more farniliar with these materials, you will begin to notice this happening and this is really the main goal.eoece eeesc eos Triplet Linear Phrases The following list represents the basic phrasing possibilities for triplets. The individual figures have not been written out, since they are the same as they were for 16ths. These phrases can be used for soloing in jazz time. Many of them will also work well for setting up regular or half-time shuffle feels. Experiment with these as well as other possibilities. 4A. fwo-Beat Figures D. Two Measure Mixtures 1.3/3 8a. 8/8/4/4 10a, 8/7/5/4 2.6 b. 4/4/8/8 >. 8/7/4/5 0. 4/8/8/4 0. 7/8/5/4 B. Four-Beat Mixtures Of Above 4. 8/4/4/8 4. 7/8/4/8 9a. '7/7/5/5 2. 5/4/8/7 Ba. 3/3/6 b. 5/8/7/7 £.4/5/8/7 b. 3/6/38 0. B/7/7/5 .5/4/7/8 ©. 6/3/3 a 7/5/8/7 h.4/5/7/8 1.8/8/7/4 G. Other One Measure Phrases j.7/4/8/5 k5/8/7/4 4.4/4/4 va. 8/4/83 1.4/7/8/5 5a. 8/4 v.5/3/4 m. 8/5/4/7 b. 4/8 0. 4/5/3 n. 7/4/5/8 a. 4/3/58 0. 8/8/4/7 6. 3/4/5 p.4/7/8/8 £3/5/4 E. Other Two Measure Phrases la. 7/7/7/3 12a. 8/5/5/5/4 vb. '7/7/8/7 ». 8/5/5/4/5 0. 7/3/7/% 6. 8/8/4/8/8 6.3/7/7/7 a. 5/4/5/5/5 / if e. 4/8/8/8/50 yg ly TE yp Py ly Ty op LT Toy Foy Fy Examples Of Linear Time Feels With Singles And Doubles BBE The preceding figures can be combined and mixed in many ways to develop various time feels. The examples that follow indicate some of the basic possiblilites. #1 — The actual phrasing of this line is 4-3-4-3-2, > > = > > ae . - — “i #2—The phrasing is 3-3-2-4-4. (Notice the open hi-hatonbeats3 . and 4.) #3 — The phrasing is 4-4-3-3-2. (ry | After working on these examples, begin to develop your own ideas. Asa general rule, | would suggest starting with the cymbal rhythm. In other words, decide what the cymbal rhythm is going to be for the entire phrase and then fill in the other voices. (The exercises are actually hased on varionsevmhal rhyvthme en thicLinear Time Feels With Single And Double Strokes The following exercises represent another type of linear phrasing. Tn this case, double as well as single strokes are used in all three voices. All of the cymbal notes are played with the right hand The left hand plays the snare drum notes. Each pattern should be repeated many times until it feels comfortable. Then move directly to the next, with no pause. (Additional suggestions will follow the exercises.) (mo cym) |e ay op Sil y. aly TT 4 Ty FBoy TT TT pA Ty Thy la aExamples Of Linear Time Feels With Singles And Doubles The preceding figures can be combined and mixed in many ways to develnn warious time feels. The examples that follow indicate some of the basic possibilities. #) — The actual phrasing of this line 5 4343.2. pessreuein #2 — The phrasing js 3-3-2-4-4. (Notice the open hi-hat on beats 3 and 4.) #3 — The phrasing is 4-43-3-2. aa te LER ial Ths PA ae & 4 ny After working on these examples, begin to develop your own: ideas. AS a general rule. | would suggest starting with the cymbal rhythm: In other words, decide what the cyrnbal rhythm is going to be for the entire ase and then fill in the otler voiews. (The exercises are actually based cn various cymbal rhythins, go this should be fairly easy to do.)