Adapting Indian Carnatic Rhythms to Drum Set

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythmic Structures and
Improvisation Methods into Drum Set Language and Performance
Practice
Darren Moore
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctorate of
Musical Arts
March 2013
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms i
Abstract
This research project is a documentation of a developmental journey centered on
the incorporation of rhythmic elements from South Indian Carnatic music into an existing
musical practice. The research provides an insight into the creative process of learning,
adaptation and recontextualization of new musical elements into an existing musical
practice that may provide a model and transferable methodology for musicians
endeavouring to undertake similar research journeys of musical development.
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythmic Structures and Improvisation
Methods into Drum Set Language and Performance explores the transformation process
that occurs as a result of incorporating Carnatic rhythmic elements into the author’s drum
set playing style. Through learning Carnatic rhythms, adapting the rhythms to the drum
set and then applying the rhythms to musical situations, the research aims to observe the
influence of this process on the author’s drum set playing within a performance context.
The research focuses on examining the drum set playing on two different
recordings. The recordings are presented as the creative works of the research,
emphasizing audio-as-research which places listening as the central method of
transmission. The creative works can be considered the primary vehicles through which
the investigation of the performance practice occurs, with the exegesis serving to place
the recordings within a written research context. The exegesis also provides the necessary
background and contextual framework for the creative works.

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms ii
The first creative work titled Isolation has its Advantages (2009) is recorded by
the Singapore-based Darren Moore Quintet and frames the performance practice within a
jazz quintet context. The second creative work titled Territorium (2011) features drum set
improvisations by Darren Moore and Carnatic percussionist Suresh Vaidyanathan,
framing the performance practice within a percussion duo context. Through the
codification of Carnatic rhythmic elements into thematically related material, selections
of the drum set playing from both recordings are transcribed and analyzed to examine the
manifestation of Carnatic rhythmic elements.
Further implications of this research may include the development of an
improvisational vocabulary that synthesizes Carnatic rhythmic concepts with Western
drum set playing, in order to address the challenges that arise as a contemporary music
practitioner. A Carnatic-derived improvisational vocabulary for Western drum set may
include the development of a systematic approach to the application of various Carnatic-
derived sticking patterns, orchestration and methods for the organization of rhythmic
structures to the drum set. This direction would require further investigation into the
transferability of Carnatic rhythmic elements into contemporary music practices and the
addressing of issues concerning musical language and identity.

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms iii
Statement of Originality
This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university.
To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously
published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis
itself.
_____________________________
Darren Moore
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms iv
Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i
Statement of Originality..................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………………iv
List of Figures..…………………………………….……………………………………………………viii
List of Tables………………………………………………..........................................................xx
Foreword ........................................................................................................................... 21
Chapter One: Introduction to the Research Project .......................................................... 23
1.1 Research Background ............................................................................................. 28
1.2 The Creative Works ................................................................................................ 29
1.2.1 Isolation has its Advantages…………………………………………………………….30
1.2.2 Territorium………………………………………………………………………………….31
1.3 Lessons .................................................................................................................... 33
1.4 Learning Theory...................................................................................................... 36
1.5 Improvisation .......................................................................................................... 39
1.6 Jazz and Carnatic Forms ......................................................................................... 41
1.7 Ethnomusicological Perspective ............................................................................. 42
1.8 Indian Rhythms in Western Music ......................................................................... 46
1.9 The Study of Indian Rhythms ................................................................................. 48
1.10 Research Design.................................................................................................... 52
1.11 Summary ............................................................................................................... 56
Chapter Two: Carnatic Rhythmic Designs and Concepts................................................. 57

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms v
2.1 Methods for Creating Variations on a Single Grouping ......................................... 59
2.1.1 Basic building blocks…………………………………………..…………………………59
2.1.2 Expansion and reduction…………………………………………………………………61
2.1.3 Rhythmic substitution……………………………………………………………….…....66
2.1.4 Karvai…………………………….………………………………………………………….68
2.2 Methods of Creating Rhythmic Variation with Multiple Groupings ...................... 71
2.2.1 Arudie……………………………………………………………………….………….…...71
2.2.2 Yati……………………………………………………………………………….…..……..74
2.2.3 Trikalam………………………………………………………………………………………77
2.3 Summary ................................................................................................................. 80
Chapter Three: Drum Set Techniques and Styles ............................................................. 81
3.1 Rudiments and Sticking Patterns ............................................................................ 82
3.1.1 Single stroke rudiments………………………………………………………………..…83
3.1.2 Double stroke rudiments……………………………………………………………..….84
3.1.3 Drag rudiments……………………………………………………………………………..89
3.1.4 Paradiddle rudiments………………………………………………………………………90
3.1.5 Multiple bounce rudiments………………………………………………………………92
3.1.6 Flam rudiments……………………………………………………………………..……..96
3.1.7 Hybrid rudiments………………………………………………………………………….99
3.2 Orchestration Methods .......................................................................................... 104
3.2.1 Addition of bass drum or hi hat to rudiments……………………………………..105
3.2.2 Linear drumming……………………………………………………………………..….109
3.3 Stylistic Considerations ........................................................................................ 114

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms vi
3.3.1 Jazz drumming……………………………………………………………………….…..115
3.3.2 Fundamental popular music styles…………………………………………………..120
3.3.3 Odd time grooves……..…………………………………………………………………123
3.3.4 Beat displacement………………………………………………………………………..127
3.4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 128
Chapter Four: Methodology............................................................................................ 130
4.1 Stage One: The Study of Solkattu ......................................................................... 130
4.2 Stage Two: Application of Carnatic Rhythms to the Drum Set............................ 137
4.3 Stage Three: Application of Carnatic Rhythms in Performance .......................... 143
4.3.1 Isolation has its Advantages……………………………………………………….….144
4.3.2 Territorium………………………………………………………………………………..150
4.4 Stage Four: Comparative Performance Analysis .................................................. 152
4.5 Summary ............................................................................................................... 156
Chapter 5: Comparative Performance Analysis .............................................................. 157
5.1 Basic Building Blocks........................................................................................... 157
5.1.1 Groupings of five………………………………………………………………………..158
5.1.2 Groupings of seven………………………………………………………………….….162
5.1.3 Additional groupings……………………………………………………………….……169
5.2 Rhythmic Devices ................................................................................................. 177
5.2.1 Rhythmic substitution……………………………………………………………………177
5.2.2 Beat displacement…………………………………………………………………..……180
5.2.3 Superimposed metric modulation…………………………………………………...188
5.3 Carnatic Rhythmic Designs .................................................................................. 198

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms vii
5.3.1 Yati……………………………………………………………………………………….…198
5.3.2 Arudie…………………………………………………………………………………….…206
5.4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 211
Chapter 6: Conclusion..................................................................................................... 212
6.1 Performance Analysis ........................................................................................... 212
6.2 Emergent Practice Methods .................................................................................. 215
6.3 Further Implications of the Research .................................................................... 216
6.4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 221
Appendix A: Drum Set Notation Key............................................................................. 223
Appendix B: Performance Transcriptions ...................................................................... 224
Appendix C: Performance Analysis................................................................................ 250
Appendix D: Transcription Analysis Table .................................................................... 297
Appendix E: Drum Set Configuration on the Recording Sessions..................................307
References ....................................................................................................................... 309

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms viii
List of Figures
Figure 1.1. Four stages of the methodology......................................................................26
Figure 2.1. The building blocks of the Carnatic rhythmic system....................................59
Figure 2.2. Five-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.....................................61
Figure 2.3. Six-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping ......................................62
Figure 2.4. Seven-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping..................................62
Figure 2.5. Eight-note variation ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping .............................................62
Figure 2.6. Nine-note variation ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping..............................................63
Figure 2.7. Eight-beat single paradiddle groove...............................................................64
Figure 2.8. The reduction of the single paradiddle groove to create a seven-note
grouping.............................................................................................................................64
Figure 2.9. The expansion of the single paradiddle groove to create a nine-note
grouping.............................................................................................................................65
Figure 2.10. A further seven-note grouping based on the single paradiddle.....................66
Figure 2.11. Grouping of five............................................................................................66
Figure 2.12. Grouping of ten derived through rhythmic substitution................................66
Figure 2.13. Orchestration of a five-note grouping to the drum set..................................67
Figure 2.14. Grouping of ten derived through rhythmic substitution orchestrated on the
drum set..............................................................................................................................68
Figure 2.15. A five-note grouping consisting of a grouping of two and three..................69
Figure 2.16. A five-note grouping with the two grouping as a karvai..............................70
Figure 2.17. A five-note grouping with the three grouping as a karvai............................70

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms ix
Figure 2.18. A five-note grouping with both the two and three grouping as a
karvai..................................................................................................................................70
Figure 2.19. A five-note karvai .........................................................................................71
Figure 2.20. The arudie formula........................................................................................72
Figure 2.21. The arudie formula with resolution point .....................................................72
Figure 2.22. Simple arudie in 4/4 time………………………………………..…………73
Figure 2.23. Arudie with separations equal to zero………………………………...……74
Figure 2.24. Visual representations of gopuccha, srotovaha, mridanga and damaru
yati……………………………………………………………………………..…………75
Figure 2.25. Gopuccha yati …………………………………………...…………………76
Figure 2.26. Srotovaha yati ………………………………………………...……………76
Figure 2.27. Mridanga yati………………………………………………………………76
Figure 2.28. Damaru yati……………………………………………………...…………77
Figure 2.29. Trikalam with four-note grouping ‘ta ka di mi.’ ………………..…………78
Figure 2.30. Trikalam in triplets…………………………………………………………79
Figure 3.1. The single stroke roll ……………..…………………………………………83
Figure 3.2. The single stroke four ………………………………………………….……84
Figure 3.3. A triple-pulse variation of the single stroke four or herta ……………….…84
Figure 3.4. The double stroke roll………………………………………………….……85
Figure 3.5. The five stroke roll……………………………………………………..……85
Figure 3.6. The six stroke roll .……………………………………………………..……86
Figure 3.7. The six stroke roll (triplet version) …………………………………….……86
Figure 3.8. The seven stroke roll…………………………………………………...……86

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms x
Figure 3.9. The nine stroke roll …………………………………………………….……87
Figure 3.10. The eleven stroke roll………………………………………………………87
Figure 3.11. A single stroke to double stroke progression………………………………88
Figure 3.12. Groupings of three accented single strokes with double stroke
variations…………………………………………………………………...…………….88
Figure 3.13. Groupings of four accented single strokes with double stroke variations…88
Figure 3.14. Groupings of five accented single stroke with double stroke variations..…89
Figure 3.15. A three-note figure derived by combining a single and double stroke….…90
Figure 3.16. The three stroke ruff or drag……………………….………………………90
Figure 3.17. The single paradiddle………………………………………………………90
Figure 3.18. The paradiddle-diddle………………………………………………...……91
Figure 3.19. The double paradiddle…………………………………………………...…91
Figure 3.20. The triple paradiddle…………………………………………………….…91
Figure 3.21. A hybrid rudiment combining the single and double paradiddle………..…92
Figure 3.22. The triple stroke roll………………………………………………..………93
Figure 3.23. The jazz ride cymbal pattern at slow to medium tempos………………..…93
Figure 3.24. The jazz ride cymbal pattern at fast tempos…………………………..……93
Figure 3.25. Triple strokes orchestrated with both hands playing together………..……94
Figure 3.26. Overlapping triple strokes in right and left hands……….…………………94
Figure 3.27. The multiple bounce stroke……………………………………...…………95
Figure 3.28. The sticking pattern for the multiple bounce stroke …………………….…95
Figure 3.29. An example of a single multiple bounce stroke……………………………96
Figure 3.30. The flam……………………………………………………………………97

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xi
Figure 3.31. The Swiss army triplet…………………………………………………..…97
Figure 3.32. The Swiss army triplet orchestrated on the snare drum and floor tom….…98
Figure 3.33. The Swiss army triplet four beat variation…………………………………98
Figure 3.34. The Swiss army triplet four beat variation orchestrated on the snare drum
and floor tom………………………………………………………………………..……99
Figure 3.35. A grouping of five comprised of a grouping of two and a grouping of
three…………………………………………………………………………………….100
Figure 3.36. A grouping of five that does not emphasize sub-groupings of two and
three.................................................................................................................................100
Figure 3.37. A grouping of seven derived from 2 groupings of two and 1 grouping of
three (2+2+3)……...……………………………………………………………………101
Figure 3.38. A grouping of nine derived from 3 groupings of two and 1 grouping of three
(2+2+2+3)………………………………………………………………………………101
Figure 3.39. A grouping of eleven derived from 4 groupings of two and 1 grouping of
three (2+2+2+2+3)………………………………………………………………...……101
Figure 3.40. A seven grouping derived from adding together a five stroke roll and seven
stroke roll……………………………………………………………………….………102
Figure 3.41. A five-note grouping derived by combining three single strokes and a flam
tap………………………………………………………………………………….……102
Figure 3.42. The flam tap ………………………………………………………………103
Figure 3.43. A seven-note grouping derived by subtracting the last note of a
paradiddle…………………………………………………………………………….…103
Figure 3.44. A thirteen-note grouping derived from adding an extra note to the double
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xii
paradiddle……………………………………………………………………………….104
Figure 3.45. The orchestration of a single stroke roll with the bass drum played together
with the right hand………………………………………………………………...……106
Figure 3.46. The orchestration of three-note ruff with the bass drum played together with
the right hand…………………………………………………………………...………106
Figure 3.47. The orchestration of double stroke roll with the bass drum played together
with the right hand………………………………………………………………...……106
Figure 3.48. A paradiddle with the bass drum added to the accented notes……………107
Figure 3.49. A paradiddle with the bass drum added to the accented notes and played on
the cymbals………………………………………………………………………..……108
Figure 3.50. A Swiss army triplet with the second note accented…………………...…109
Figure 3.51. Swiss army triplet with second note orchestrated on the ride cymbal……109
Figure 3.52. A single stroke roll with hi hat added in between each stroke……………110
Figure 3.53. A single stroke roll with every second left hand stroke substituted with the
bass drum. …………………………………………………………………...…………110
Figure 3.54. A two-note linear grouping……………………………………...………..111
Figure 3.55. A three-note linear grouping………………………………...…...……….111
Figure 3.56. A four-note linear grouping………………………………….……...……112
Figure 3.57. A five-note linear grouping...………………………………….…………112
Figure 3.58. A six-note linear grouping...……………………………………...………112
Figure 3.59. A seven-note linear grouping …………………………...……………..…112
Figure 3.60. A two-note grouping orchestrated flat flam ...……………………………113
Figure 3.61. A three-note grouping orchestrated flat flam …...……………………..…113

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xiii
Figure 3.62. A four-note grouping orchestrated flat flam (variation 1)………...…...…113
Figure 3.63. A four-note grouping orchestrated flat flam (variation 2)……………..…114
Figure 3.64. A five-note grouping orchestrated flat flam……………………...………114
Figure 3.65. The jazz ride cymbal pattern with two and four played with the hi hat.....117
Figure 3.66. An example of bebop drumming approach…………………………….…118
Figure 3.67. A 3/4 ride cymbal pattern.……………………………...…...………….…119
Figure 3.68. A superimposed 3/4 ride cymbal pattern played in a 4/4 meter…………..119
Figure 3.69. 4/4 ride cymbal pattern with the hi hat played on every quarter-note........120
Figure 3.70. A basic 4/4 rock groove……………………..……………………………121
Figure 3.71. A basic 12/8 blues groove………...………………………………………122
Figure 3.72. A basic sixteenth-note funk groove …………………………….…...……122
Figure 3.73. A generic rock feel for bass and drums…………………...………………123
Figure 3.74. A common 5/4 rhythmic subdivision orchestrated with bass and
drums……………………………………………………………………………………124
Figure 3.75. A groove created from the orchestration of a single paradiddle……….…125
Figure 3.76. A 5/4 groove created by combining single and double paradiddles……...126
Figure 3.77. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the second sixteenth-note of the
bar………………………………………………………………………………………128
Figure 3.78. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the third sixteenth-note of the
bar………………………………………………………………………………………128
Figure 3.79. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the fourth sixteenth-note of the
bar……………………………………………………………………………………....128
Figure 4.1. Transcription method using Western notation……………………..………133

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xiv
Figure 4.2. Transcription method using Western notation and spatialization……….…134
Figure 4.3. Numeric transcription method…………………………………………..…134
Figure 4.4. Numeric transcription method from lesson with Vaidyanathan…………...135
Figure 4.5. Transcription method using solkattu syllables and subtext numbers…...…136
Figure 4.6. Example of sticking pattern devised to adapt Carnatic rhythmic ideas...…138
Figure 4.7. Various length orchestrations between the hi hat, snare drum and bass
drum………………………………………………………………………………….…140
Figure 4.8. Rhythmic variations of Max Roach phrase…………………………...……142
Figure 4.9. Bridge of “Cepheus” showing guitar, bass and drum parts…………..……146
Figure 4.10. Guitar, bass and drum ostinatos taken from “Sirius”.……………….……147
Figure 4.11. Bass ostinato of “Coma Berencies” showing the rhythmic subdivisions in
the drum part..………………………………………………………………………..…149
Figure 4.12. Bass ostinato taken from “Perseus” showing the harmony and main melodic
motif in the guitar part……………………………………………………………….…150
Figure 5.1. The rhythmic template for the groupings of five found throughout the
“Sirius” transcriptions..…………………………………………………………………158
Figure 5.2. Groupings of five in bar 4 of the “Sirius” transcription.………………...…159
Figure 5.3. Groupings of five in bar 17 of the “Sirius” transcription.……………….…159
Figure 5.4. Groupings of five in bar 25 of the “Sirius” transcription.…………….……160
Figure 5.5. A five-note grouping derived from a grouping of two (RL) and three
(RLL)…………………………………………………………………...………………161
Figure 5.6. A 4/4 bar divided into a 3-5-5-3 sequence of sixteenth-notes taken from bar
58 of the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription……………….………………………161

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xv
Figure 5.7. A five-note grouping orchestrated between the bass drum and snare
drum……………………………………………….……………………………………162
Figure 5.8. A five-note grouping orchestrated between the bass drum and snare drum
taken from bar 4 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription………………………..162
Figure 5.9. A grouping of seven in bar 57 of the “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…164
Figure 5.10. Groupings of seven in bar 32 of the “Sirius” transcription.………………165
Figure 5.11. Groupings of seven in bars 2 and 3 of the “Coma Berencies” drum solo
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…166
Figure 5.12. A seven-note grouping from bar 11 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription…………………………………………………………………….………166
Figure 5.13. A seven-note grouping from bar 37 of the “Holding the Infinite”
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…167
Figure 5.14. A seven-note grouping from bar 36 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…168
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…169
Figure 5.16. A nine-note grouping taken from bar 13 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription…………………………………………………………………….………170
Figure 5.17. A nine-note grouping taken from bar 34 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription………………………………………………………………….…………170
Figure 5.18. A ten-note grouping taken from bar 8 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription……………………………………………………………………….……171
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xvi
Figure 5.19. A six-note grouping derived from the double paradiddle….…….…….…172
transcription……………………………………………………………………….……172
Figure 5.21. The four-note grouping on which bars 15 to 27 from the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription is based..………………………………………………..………173
Figure 5.22. A nine-note grouping taken from bars 26 and 27 of the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription.……………………………………………………………...….174
Figure 5.23. A thirteen-note grouping taken from bars 25 and 26 of the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription.…………………………………………………………………174
Figure 5.24. Bars 15 to 27 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription………..……175
Figure 5.25. A thirteen-note grouping from bar 45 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription……………………………………………………………………….……176
Figure 5.26. Rhythmic substitution taken from bar 13 of the “Coma Berencies”
saxophone solo transcription.………………………………………………………..…178
saxophone solo transcription.………………………………………………………..…179
Figure 5.28. Rhythmic substitution taken from bars 38 and 39 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription..………………………………………………………...………179
Figure 5.29. Displaced paradiddle groove taken from bar 21 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription………………………………………………………….………181
Degrees” transcription…………………………………………………….……………182
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xvii
Degrees” transcription………………………………………………………….………182
Figure 5.32. Displacement method one taken from bars 7 to 10 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription..…………………………………………………...……………183
Figure 5.33. Displacement method taken from bars 25 and 26 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription…………………………………………………...……………..184
Figure 5.34. Displacement examples taken from bars 31 to 36 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription..…………………………………………………...……………185
Figure 5.35. Alternate interpretation of groupings of ten.........……..…………………186
Figure 5.36. A nine and seven-note grouping in 4/4…………………………...............187
Figure 5.37. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 40 to 43 of the “Sirius”
transcription………………………………………………………………….…………190
transcription ………………………………………………………………….…………191
Figure 5.39. Paradiddle-diddle orchestrated to be a jazz ride pattern…….……………192
Figure 5.40. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 26 and 27 of the
“Perseus” transcription....……………………………………………………….………192
Figure 5.41. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bar 52 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription.………………………………………………193
Figure 5.42. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 41 and 42 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription..……………………………………...………194
Figure 5.43. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bar 15 of the “Cepheus”
transcription…………………………………………………………………….………194
Figure 5.44. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 19 to 22 of the “Holding
The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xviii
the Infinite” transcription..…………………………………………………...…………195
Figure 5.45. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 8 and 9 of the “Holding
the Infinite” transcription………………………………………….……………………196
the Infinite” transcription..…………………………………………………...…………197
Figure 5.47. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 36 and 37 of the “Nothing
More Beyond” transcription..…………………………………………..………………197
Figure 5.48. Srotovaha yati taken from bars 59 and 60 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…199
Figure 5.49. The srotovaha yati progression of phrases from three to five to seven beats
in length found in bars 44 to 52 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription….……..200
Figure 5.50. Srotovaha yati taken from bars 44 to 52 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…202
in length found in bars 69 to 72 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.…….….203
transcription…………………………………………………………………….………204
Figure 5.53. Gopuccha yati taken from bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription……………………………………………………………………….……205
Figure 5.54. The gopuccha yati progression of phrases from nine to seven to five beats in
length found in bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.………..…206
Figure 5.55. The gopuccha yati progression of phrases from five to four to three beats in
length found in bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription………...…206

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xix
Figure 5.56. An arudie taken from bars 30 and 31 of the “Perseus” transcription….…207
Figure 5.57. An arudie taken from bars 35 and 36 of the “Sirius” transcription………207
Figure 5.58. An arudie with a [4 (2) 4 (2) 4] design…………………………...………208
Figure 5.59. An arudie taken from bars 54 to 58 of the “Holding the Infinite”
transcription……………………………………………………………………….……209
Figure 5.60. An arudie taken from bars 57 and 58 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription……………………………………………………………….……………209
Figure 5.61. An arudie taken from bars 32 to 35 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription………………………………………………………………………….…210
Figure A1. Drum set notation key………………………………………………...……223
Figure B1. “Cepheus” transcription……………………………………………………224
Figure B2. “Sirius” transcription………………………………………………….……226
Figure B3. “Coma Berencies” drum solo transcription………………………...………229
Figure B4. “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo transcription……………..……………231
Figure B5. “Perseus” transcription………………………………………………..……236
Figure B6. “Holding the Infinite” transcription…………………………..……………238
Figure B7. “Ascending by Degrees” transcription………………………………..……241
Figure B8. “Nothing More Beyond” transcription………………………………..……245
Figure C1. “Cepheus” performance analysis ……………………………………..……250
Figure C2. “Sirius” performance analysis…………………………………………...…254
Figure C3. “Coma Berencies” drum solo performance analysis………….……………260
Figure C4. “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo performance analysis…………………263
Figure C5. “Perseus” performance analysis……………………………………………272

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms xx
Figure C6. “Holding the Infinite” performance analysis ………………………………276
Figure C7. “Ascending by Degrees” performance analysis……………………………281
Figure C8. “Nothing More Beyond” performance analysis……………………………289
Figure E1. Isolation has its Advantages recording session drum set configuration……307
Figure E2. Territorium recording session drum set configuration………………..……308
List of Tables
Table D. Transcription analysis table...………………………………...………………297

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythms 21
Foreword
This Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) is presented in three parts. The first part is a
jazz quintet recording by the Darren Moore Quintet, titled Isolation has its Advantages
(2009). The second part is a percussion duo recording by Darren Moore and Suresh
Vaidyanathan titled Territorium (2011), and the third part is this exegesis, which
contextualizes the two recordings within an analytical framework.
Paramount to the integrity of this research, it is imperative that the work submitted
be ingested in the order stated above: firstly, by listening to Isolation has its Advantages;
secondly, by listening to Territorium and finally by reading this exegesis. The rationale is
to highlight the two recordings as “the creative works” (Vella, 2005, p. 2) of the research.
The exegesis or what Vella defines as “the exegetical perspective” serves in “the
translation from a creative work to one within a research context”. Vella considers that
“the criteria for the exegetical perspective are derived from the creative work” in which
the comprehension of the “exegetical perspective” can only be understood by first
presenting the creative work as a point of reference (Vella, ibid.).
The emphasis on a listening based approach, focusing on audio-as-research, places
the two recordings in the foreground and the exegesis as a supportive role in this research
project. The exegesis serves to highlight the musical characteristics and context of each
recording, in order to understand the research as a whole. The exegesis examines the
development of my performance practice through a comparative analysis of my playing

on both albums.
Chapter One: Introduction to the Research Project
Placing my own practice at the centre of the investigation, this research project
aims to observe the influence of learning South Indian Carnatic rhythms on my drum set
playing within a performance context. Carnatic music, also referred as South Indian
Classical music, contains a sophisticated rhythmic system that is inherent in the
compositional and improvisational approaches used by practitioners in this field. Carnatic
music practitioner and scholar Trichy Sankaran (2010) views the rhythmic systems found
in Carnatic music to be some of the most developed in the world with an influence that
reaches beyond the borders of India:
Many music scholars consider India’s rhythmic system to be the most highly
developed in the world, particularly notable for its thorough and logical treatment
of movement in time. There is perhaps no parallel to the cohesive way in which
rhythms are organized in the Indian musical system as manifested in the art of
Karnatak (South Indian Classical) drumming. The elaborate theory and
astonishingly complex performance practice of Indian rhythms have become a
major area of study for scholars and musicians from the West. (p. xi)
The primary research question of the project asks; what is the impact of learning
Carnatic rhythms on my drum set performance practice? This question frames the
creative works into a research context by examining how the Carnatic rhythms have
manifested extemporaneously during improvisation and detailing what the developments
in my performance practice are. By codifying the various Carnatic rhythmic ideas, the
analysis seeks to observe the presence of Carnatic rhythmic elements from transcribed
excerpts taken from both Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium.
This exegesis contains six chapters with an appendix. Chapter One will introduce
the background to the research project and creative works, followed by addressing the
contextual framework of the research highlighting the areas of lessons, learning theory,
improvisation, jazz and Carnatic forms, ethnomusicological perspectives, Indian rhythms
in Western music and the study of Indian rhythms.
Chapter Two will introduce the Carnatic rhythmic concepts and designs found
throughout the transcribed material taken from Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium that will be analyzed in Chapter Five. This chapter will be divided into two
sections detailing firstly, methods of creating rhythmic variation for singular groupings of
rhythms and secondly, methods of creating variation for multiple groupings of rhythms.
Chapter Two does not aim to be a comprehensive overview of Carnatic rhythms, rather, it
serves only to provide background information for the comprehension of performance
analysis in Chapter Five.
Chapter Three will be divided into three sections, presenting an overview of the
drum set techniques and styles found throughout the transcribed excerpts. The first
section will introduce rudimental sticking patterns, the second section will detail the
various methods applied to orchestrating the sticking patterns around the drum set and the
third part will overview the various drumming styles that have informed the playing
throughout the transcribed excerpts. As in Chapter Two, Chapter Three will only present
techniques that have manifested throughout the transcribed material, aiding the
comprehension of the drumming approaches used in Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium. A comprehensive overview on drum set techniques and styles is well

beyond the scope of this research project.
Chapter Four will outline the methodology applied to the research. The
methodology is divided into four distinct stages representing different activities
throughout the project. The first stage involves the assimilation of Carnatic rhythms
through the study of the rhythm language of solkattu. The second stage of the research
involves the adaptation of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set. The third stage involves
application these adapted Carnatic rhythms on the drum set within a performance setting
with the fourth stage being a performance analysis to ascertain the extent of the influence
of Carnatic rhythms on my performance practice. The four stages of the methodology can
be summarized as: (1) assimilation, (2) adaptation, (3) application and (4) analysis as
seen in Figure 1.1 below.

Figure 1.1. Four stages of the methodology.
The fourth stage of the research, which constitutes Chapter Five, involves a
comparative performance analysis of my drum set playing on Isolation has its
Advantages and Territorium to ascertain the influence Carnatic rhythms have had on my
performance practice. The two submitted recordings represent my performance practice
at two different points within the research period. Isolation has its Advantages was
recorded eight months into the research project in November 2009 with Territorium
being recorded two years and seven months into the research project in October 2011.
The two-year interval between the two recordings will be the time period over which a
comparison will be examined.

In Chapter Five, the Carnatic rhythmic elements will be codified and organized
thematically by rhythmic concepts, loosely echoing the sequence of Chapter Two. The
analysis will cross-reference all the transcriptions to highlight the presence of the
rhythmic concepts introduced in Chapters Two and Three. The objective will be to not
only examine the influence of Carnatic rhythms on the drum set playing found in the
transcriptions but also to observe the development in the playing approach from Isolation
has its Advantages to Territorium.
Chapter Six will be the conclusion that will recount the research journey, discuss
the findings and examine further implications for the project. The conclusion will
reiterate the importance of a listening based approach for this research and will reflect on
the context surrounding the two creative works that has been intentionally de-emphasized
throughout the exegesis. The further implications of the research will be discussed
referencing related research in this field in an attempt to make connections to other
research.
The Appendix contains transcriptions and a detailed analysis of each of the
transcriptions that were used for the performance analysis in Chapter Five. A guide to the
drum set notation as well as details of the drum and cymbals used for the recording of
both Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium are included in the Appendix. The
Appendix will also contain a table codifying all of the significant Carnatic rhythmic
elements and drumming approaches found throughout the transcribed material.

1.1 Research Background
The genesis of this research project can be traced back to a Carnatic rhythm
workshop I attended in March 2006 during a three-week residency at Lasalle College of
the Arts, Singapore. The workshop was conducted at the Singapore Indian Fine Arts
Society (SIFAS) and taught by Carnatic percussionist T.R. Sundaresan. The workshop
introduced me to the rhythmic systems of Carnatic music, which prompted the
exploration of applying these ideas to the drum set with the aim of enhancing my
performance practice.
What had initially attracted me to Carnatic rhythms was the inherent phrasing of the
rhythmic designs; in particular the use of rests that function to separate larger groupings.
In Carnatic music the rests or karvai are considered equally important to the rhythmic
groupings that they separate. Both the rhythmic groupings and rests constitute larger
rhythmic designs. Pesch (2009, p. 221) quoting Robert Brown from his 1965 dissertation
The Mrdanga: A Study of Drumming in South India, comments that this aspect can be
seen as “the suspense and beauty that results from the incorporation of cross-rhythmic
phrases”.
As the majority of my musical experience and training has been acquired through
playing drum set in a variety of contemporary musical settings, the skills learnt through
these experiences will form the basis for the research. The application of Carnatic
rhythms to the drum set within this research is built upon approximately twenty years of
professional experience and study of the drum set over a broad range of styles and
settings. The desire to explore various music making approaches saw my development as
a musician informed by a diverse range of musical styles including jazz, rock,
contemporary classical, world music, freely improvised music, experimental and
electronic music.
1.2 The Creative Works
The creative works of Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium lie at the heart
of this research project. The journey undertaken through the learning of Carnatic
rhythms, adapting them to the drum set and using them in my performance practice has
manifested these two albums. The creative works serve to analyze my improvisational
approach in a static environment to ascertain the influences of Carnatic music on my
performance practice. Through collaboration, these two distinct projects have offered
differing environments to study my own practice.
Although the data collected for this research project could have been generated
through two albums of solo drum set improvisations, the results generated through
collective improvisation represents an uncontrived extemporaneous decision making
process. The temptation to pre-plan solo improvisations and the ability to generate
multiple takes in the recording process can lead to good results, but may fall short in
terms of spontaneity. Both Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium were created in
an environment, which due to time restrictions of the recording sessions, encouraged

more spontaneous improvisations as opposed to meticulously constructed creative works.
1.2.1 Isolation has its Advantages. Although contrasting, the two creative works
share the theme of improvisation as a unifying factor. With the exception of a few tracks,
almost all the tracks on Isolation has its Advantages were recorded in a single take in an
attempt to capture the spontaneity of the moment. The compositions that were recorded in
the session were rehearsed with the ensemble in advance of the recording session to
familiarize the musicians with the material, focusing the session towards group interplay
and collective improvisation. The members of the ensemble were all chosen on the
strength of their improvisational ability and their capacity to navigate jazz, funk, free jazz
and freely improvised forms of music.
The Darren Moore Quintet was formed in Singapore in March 2009, coinciding
with the start of this Doctoral project. With the exception of Tim O'Dwyer, with whom I
have worked since 2003 in various improvising ensembles and as a member of The Tim
O'Dwyer Trio in Australia, I had met and played professionally with all of the other
members of the quintet within the first year of relocating to Singapore in June 2006.
Throughout 2007 and 2008, I worked with the members of my quintet in various
professional engagements, predominantly in jazz and commercial music contexts in
Singapore. When choosing the members for my quintet, Tim O'Dwyer, Greg Lyons,
Andrew Lim and Tony Makarome were my first choice collaborators.
Isolation has its Advantages was recorded on November 7, 2009 at Lion Studios in
Singapore. The personnel on the recording featured me on drum set, Tim O’Dwyer on
alto and baritone saxophones, Greg Lyons on tenor and soprano saxophones, Andrew
Lim on guitar and Tony Makarome on double bass. This Singapore-based quintet was put
together for the specific purpose of creating a vehicle through which my research project
could be articulated. The repertoire for the quintet featured my own compositions,
providing a framework from which to address the research questions.
1.2.2 Territorium. Territorium was recorded on the 29th October 2011 at the
Lasalle College of the Arts recording studio, Singapore. The session featured duo
improvisations with me on drum set and Vaidyanathan on ghatam and morsing. The
session was largely impromptu, involving at most, a brief discussion occurring before
each take to suggest an aesthetic or rhythmic area to work within. From the material
recorded during the session seven improvised duo pieces were chosen to be featured on
Territorium.
At the time of the recording, Vaidyanathan was an artist-in-residence at Lasalle
College of the Arts where we were both delivering Carnatic rhythm workshops. The
recording session that bore Territorium had been arranged to record solkattu audio
examples for a book on Carnatic rhythms that Vaidyanathan and I were collaborating on.
During the recording session, the examples for the book were efficiently recorded, giving
us surplus studio time. The initial idea for the duo recording was for the improvisations to
be included as an addendum to the Carnatic rhythms book, demonstrating the use of
Carnatic rhythms in musical situations.

Unlike Isolation has its Advantages, the tracks on Territorium were not recorded
with the intent to be submitted as the second creative work. The original plan was for the
second creative work to be another Darren Moore Quintet recording, which was based on
the notion that this would create a continuity of context from the first to the second
creative work to examine my playing within. Even up until the recording session with
Vaidyanathan, the recording of the second Darren Moore Quintet album was still planned
to occur in December 2011. I had even written six new compositions for the quintet that
was submitted as part of DMA coursework for Postgraduate Project Studies One
7525QCM.
The decision to alter the proposed submission was based on two main factors.
Firstly, the duo improvisations recorded with Vaidyanathan created more of a focus on
rhythmic interplay that in turn arguably manifested more evidence of the use of Carnatic
rhythms in my playing than would have been the case in a second Quintet recording.
Secondly, the session shifted the focus of the research from a singular context of a
contemporary jazz setting to include a hybridized context incorporating both Carnatic
percussion and Western drum set, broadening the context of the research.
The impromptu nature of the Territorium recording enabled an opportunity to
capture the spontaneity of the moment through the tracks being totally improvised,
contrasting the Isolation has its Advantages session, which has a predetermined agenda.
In addition, working with Vaidyanathan offered the opportunity to collaborate with a
master improviser who has worked with renowned Indian musicians such as Zakir
Hussian, Karaikudi Mani and Bickram Ghosh, and who continues to be one of the
preeminent Carnatic percussionists in the world. This opportunity to work with a
musician of this caliber inspired my performance on Territorium arguably far beyond
what might have been possible had I recorded solo.
1.3 Lessons
Soon after relocating to Singapore from Sydney to begin a full time academic
position at Lasalle College of the Arts, I began studying Carnatic rhythms under the
tutelage of Sundaresan at SIFAS. The lessons usually occurred once a week from August
to October in 2006, January to April in 2007 and February to August in 2009. In addition
to learning Carnatic rhythms from Sundaresan, I also studied with Chennai-based ghatam
player and multi-percussionist Vaidyanathan, who I had first met at a Carnatic rhythms
workshop at the Queensland Conservatorium in October 2009. After the initial encounter
with Vaidyanathan in Brisbane, I went to Chennai, India in August 2010 for a four-and-a-
half-week period of intensive study with Vaidyanathan, averaging three lessons per week.
The lessons with both Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan were conducted with the
transmission [a term used by ethnomusicologists to describe “the passing on of specific
bodies of knowledge that underlie many music cultures” (Schippers, 2009, p. xvi)] of
information occurring through the solmization technique known as solkattu. Solkattu is
the primary method of transmission in Carnatic music and dance used in teaching, to aid
memory and as a method of communication between practitioners. It involves the vocal

recitation of rhythmic phrases over combinations of handclaps, waves and finger counts
that are referred to as tala. The word tala, which literally translates as clapping or palm of
the hand, can be defined in a broad sense as an umbrella term encompassing all aspects of
rhythm in Carnatic music, and more specifically as an equivalent to the Western concept
of meter. For the purposes of this exegesis, the later definition of tala as meter will be
used. For further exploration of the broader definition of tala (referred to as tala theory),
Sankaran (1994) and Pesch (2009) are excellent resources.
Nelson (2008, p. 1) eloquently defines solkattu in the following manner:
The Tamil word solkattu means “words bound together,” which is an elegant
definition. The “words” are more or less percussive-sounding single syllables,
nearly all of which begin with consonants. They are “bound together” on two
levels: first, into combinations that comprise phrases, for example ta ka di mi. The
phrases are then combined into larger patterns and designs bound together by
meters, called tala. These cyclic meters are counted by recurring sets of hand
gestures: claps, waves, and finger counts. Speaking such patterns while counting
tala with the hands is solkattu.
The versatility of solkattu enables the transfer of rhythmic ideas regardless of
instrument or even discipline. Nelson (2008, p. 4) states that solkattu “is an ideal way to
learn the rhythms of Indian music without having to take on a new musical instrument or
technique”. In regards to the application of the Carnatic rhythms to the drum set in non-
Carnatic idiomatic settings, Lockett (2008, p. 8) points out that “the Carnatic rhythmic
system is organized methodically in a way that provides much scope to develop solo, fill,
groove, and phrase-building concepts in any style”. Nelson (2008, p. 4) further praises
the system, noting that many teachers of basic musicianship have been interested in using
solkattu as a method of training fundamental rhythmic skills due to its “elegance and
effectiveness”. He outlines three important attributes that make it an effective tool for the
learning of rhythm and transference of rhythmic ideas; “(1) the physical confidence it
develops, (2) its portability, and (3) its inherent musicality” (ibid.).
The lessons were recorded with a portable audio MP3 recorder with brief hand-
written notes taken down to aid in the memorization of the rhythmic patterns. Aubert
(2007, p. 73) argues that the gathering of information from lessons as both aural and
visual recordings can be seen as a direct extension of the oral teaching tradition and
advocates its importance, as “it constitutes a precious reservoir of information”. Cook
(1998, pp. 58–59) also comments that unlike musical notations which “are highly specific
about what they will or will not record”, recorders “will record anything” within the
limitations of the device.
On the other hand, Aubert (2007) has cautioned that when taken to the extremes,
the systematic copying of their masters improvisations can lead to the student’s own
improvisations being “completely devoid of individual inspiration” (p. 73). Although
potentially a concern, Aubert’s caution was not applicable to this research as lessons were
more concerned with teaching isolated rhythmic ideas and did not focus on improvisation
skills. By making my intentions clear to both Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan about the
purpose of my study, the information was delivered as smaller building blocks that I
could adapt and arrange within my own setting.
The process of learning Carnatic rhythms involved a continual recontextualization

of the transmitted information. From the perspective of both Sundaresan and
Vaidyanathan, my desire to learn Carnatic rhythms divorced from their natural musical
environment not only created new contexts for the rhythms, but also created a new
teaching context for both Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan. Schippers (2009, pp. 56–57)
points out that:
Music teachers will generally adapt their styles of teaching and possibly the
material they teach to the new context. Even when a student goes to India and
studies with a “genuine Indian guru,” he or she will be creating a new context.
Even if I had intended to learn a Carnatic percussion instrument with the goal of playing
Carnatic music, cultural differences would no doubt create a different learning
experience.
1.4 Learning Theory
The central approach applied to learning that was undertaken during the lessons
involved the transmission of smaller pieces of information, a term often referred to as
chunking, first coined by George A. Miller in his 1956 paper The magical number seven,
plus or minus two: Some limits on our capacity for processing information. Chunking
refers to the breaking down of information into smaller segments that make it easier to
retain. Nettl (2005, p. 388) regards learning music in general as a systematic approach
consisting of learning smaller building blocks; “It all can be broken down to learning a
musical system, consisting of many (and sometimes various types of) discrete units of
many sorts that a musician – composer, performer, improviser, even informed listener –
learns to manipulate”. The teaching method of both Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan

applied this approach. Campbell (1991) describes chunking in the following manner:
Among the cognitive strategies employed by musicians, the ability to acquire and
retain musical ideas has a particular relevance for understanding music learning
and creative improvisation. The preservation of information for storage in the
memory is what cognitivists call “chunking,” or the organization of information
into easily retrievable units of information (Miller, 1956). Chunking is a part of
the involuntary cognitive structuring of new information by students; it is also one
of the most useful instructional devices a teacher can master. As teachers present
student musicians with melodic or rhythmic patterns (rather than single sounds) to
be sung, chanted, and played, these phrases are internalized by students for later
use. Complete phrases or subphrases are stored in the ear, the mind, and the
appropriate neurophysical pathways, to be recovered at a moments notice for use
in the act of improvisation. The most creative musicians possess the capacity to
perceive and process this musical information from the teacher or other sources
within the environment, to organize it into aural and kinesthetic chunks, and to
reshape it in new and inventive ways. This storing-retrieving-synthesizing ability
may be one of the most meaningful cognitive strategies the performing musician
can develop…the bits and patterns of musical information are thus subject to
retrieval and reshaping into new musical expression during the problem-solving
act of improvisation. (pp. 84–85)
By learning smaller building blocks, the memorization and internalization of
rhythms becomes an accumulative process, in which the ultimate goal is to improvise
using these ideas within a performance setting. Nettl (2005, p. 392) points out the
commonality of improvisation in Carnatic music and jazz/improvised musical styles of
the West places an emphasis upon memorizing material, which “make it possible for one
to improvise”.
As quoted in Claxton (1997), R.W. Gerard articulates the process and outcomes of
engaging in more ‘intuitive’ modes of learning and operation, such as improvised forms
of music, as an accumulative process:
Much attention has been given to the phenomena of learning: by the slow
cumulation of a correct response in the course of experience [‘learning by
osmosis’]; and by the sudden grasp of a solution and abrupt performance of the
correct response [‘intuition’]. They seem different… But it is possible, perhaps

probable, that they are basically quite similar. In both cases, new functional
connections must be established in the brain; and this process may be more
gradual and cumulative in the case of ‘insight’ that it appears. For here, also,
much brain work precedes the imaginative flash – the theory of gravitation may
result only when the metaphorical apple falls on the prepared mind – and only
when the process has progressed to some threshold level does it overflow into a
conscious insight. (p. 67)
As Gerard states, it is only when the new learnt material reaches a certain threshold
level of cumulation that it will begin to overflow into a conscious insight. This process
relates to the manifestation of the learnt Carnatic rhythms in improvisation where the
ideas flow intuitively. As the main research question relates to examining the extent of
this manifestation, the idea proposed by Gerard can be seen as describing the internal
workings of this process.
Schippers (2009) also regards improvisation as a process learnt by osmosis by
drawing parallels to how a child learns a language. He states:
Important to this discussion is the fact that the rules are often not verbalized.
Improvisation is mostly learned by absorption rather than by explanation (except
in formal education). This also requires different learning processes, often using
subconscious analytical skills. The system of learning improvisation has parallels
with how a child learns a language, without being taught grammar explicitly. In
practice, learning improvisation usually proceeds through three stages: (1) exact
imitation of examples from recordings, teachers, or other sources; (2) spontaneous
creation or simple assignments evaluated by peers or the teacher; and (3)
independent improvisation. The skills needed for learning improvisation are
generally less tangible than those for learning technique or repertoire. The rules
for improvisation are rarely explicit, and the borders between acceptable and
unacceptable improvisations are usually learned through a long process of trial
and error, guided by peers or an acknowledged master. (p. 70)
1.5 Improvisation
The desire to enhance my improvisational skills places improvisation in a central
role within the context of this research. Berliner (1994) denotes the word improvisation
as being both a noun and a verb; as a noun referring to the “artistic product” and as a verb
referring to “real-time composing - instantaneous decision making in applying and
altering musical materials and conceiving new ideas” (pp. 221-222).
Bailey (1993) defines two distinct categories of improvisation: (1) idiomatic and (2)
non-idiomatic improvisation. Bailey distinguishes non-idiomatic improvisation by
claiming it is “not usually tied to representing an idiomatic identity” (p. xxi) such as jazz
or Carnatic music. Bailey (1993) perceives the relationship between the idiomatic
improviser and their respective tradition as being symbiotic in nature:
No idiomatic improvisor is concerned with improvisation as some sort of separate

isolated activity. What they are absolutely concerned about is the idiom: for them
improvisation serves the idiom and is the expression of that idiom. But it still
remains that one of the main effects of improvisation is on the performer,
providing him with a creative involvement and maintaining his commitment. (p.
18)
Peters (2009) sees this model of idiomatic improvisation defined by Bailey as
shifting the emphasis away from the idiom itself to that of the improviser. The improviser
hence becomes responsible “for the continuation of the idiom through acts of re-
origination and re-novation” (p. 142). My position within this research can be considered
fundamentally as an improviser, denoting that improvisation is central to my musical
practice. The jazz and Carnatic traditions can be seen as informing my improvisational
choices, evident through the manifestation of these choices in the creative works.
My position could also be considered as a composer/improviser, but that fails to
represent the breadth of scope of my objectives. Rather than bifurcating a
composer/improviser or idiomatic/non-idiomatic axis, my objective is to encompass
various elements into my practice. It is not within the scope of this paper to investigate in
detail the composition/improvisation or idiomatic/non-idiomatic debate, but rather
highlight that as an improviser, composition, idiomatic forms and non-idiomatic forms
serve as mediums of expression, not only as a vehicle for improvisation, but as a way of
consolidating and refining a personal syntax and to develop parameters for the
articulation of the artistic voice.
George Lewis sees the centrality of improvisation to the improviser’s practice as an
interconnecting factor that mirrors “the global, transcultural environment” (Zorn, 2000, p.
95) from which it was created. Lewis states:
Improvised music may be usefully characterised as a sociomusical location

inhabited by a considerable number of present-day musicians, from diverse
cultural backgrounds and musical practices, who have chosen to make
improvisation a central part of their musical discourse. Individual improvisors
[sic] are now able to reference an intercultural establishment of techniques, styles,
aesthetics, historical antecedents and networks of cultural and social practice.
(Zorn, 2000, p. 78)
My objective as an improviser is to draw influence from a variety of resources,
which do not necessarily represent one genre or culture of music; rather, my objective is
to represent multiple lineages. The goal is the establishment of an individual path that
navigates the congruent histories of music. Rather than aiming to create hybrid or fusion
forms, the objective is to assimilate heterogeneous influences.
1.6 Jazz and Carnatic Forms
The parallel use of improvisation in both jazz and Carnatic music and the interface
with composition represents a meeting point of both traditions. The relationship between
improvisation and the interpretation of repertoire (compositions) is central to both
traditions, allowing for flexibility of the interpretation of the composed form. Berliner
(1994) considers that “jazz improvisers continually explore the relationships of musical
ideas, negotiating among a mixture of fixed elements, which derive from their
storehouses, and fresh, variable elements, which present unique challenges and surprises”
(p. 221). Berliner considers the interpretation, embellishment and variation on the
compositional form theoretically as improvisation, focusing the relationship between
improvisation and composition as a stimulus for creative interplay:
The dynamic interplay that characterizes the artists’ manipulation of the linear
arrangement of their musical ideas in relation to one another in the solo line is
comparable to their manipulation of these components in relation to the formal
structures of pieces, whose elements are also subject to variability. In infinite
permutations, improvisers alter particular features of compositions as they explore
maneuverability with fixed features of their vocabulary, and vice versa. (p. 222)
This sentiment is echoed by Viswanathan and Allen (2004) who consider the
improvisation process undertaken by Carnatic musicians as a parallel to jazz by stating:
Karnatic musicians, like jazz performers, come to the stage with a knowledge of a
repertoire of musical compositions, a set of processes by which these are
interpreted in performance, and ears wide open. In both traditions, while
musicians love to play with colleagues they know well, fine performances can
also take place among musicians who have never even met, as long as they are
familiar with the “standards” and the appropriate processes of interpretation and
improvisation. (p. 60)
The pre-composed forms and melodies in both the Carnatic and jazz traditions
serve as “a basis for extemporization in performance” (Viswanathan & Allen, 2004, p.
61) fostering “a dialogue between what is fixed and what is created in the moment”
(Viswanathan & Allen, 2004, p. 60). This interplay between the fixed and the momentary
is a predominant feature in Isolation has its Advantages, framing my playing within a
(jazz) compositional framework.
Territorium on the other hand frames my playing within a freely improvised
framework in which rhythmic elements and form from both the jazz and Carnatic
tradition are improvised extemporaneously. Gilbert (2004) views the Carnatic (and
Hindustani) tradition as:
… a whole conceptual framework and technical vocabulary, as well as a system of

training, designed to enable the transmission of a growing and developing body of
knowledge and tradition of skilled practice which, despite its traditionally, retains
improvisation at its core. (p. 133)
The commonality of improvisation inherent in our respective traditions has enabled
Vaidyanathan and myself to engage in improvised dialogues that can be found throughout
Territorium.
1.7 Ethnomusicological Perspective
Although this research project is largely self-reflexive and auto-ethnographical in
its nature, the role of the author as an ethnomusicologist within the research also needs to
be illuminated. This role comes into focus through the gathering of Carnatic rhythmic
information. In addition, the data used in the comparative performance analysis in
Chapter Five, which draws upon two different musical contexts, can be seen as “an inter-
culturally comparative perspective” that Nettl views to be “like fieldwork, a hallmark of
ethnomusicology” (2005, p. 10).
The nature of the research itself and the implications of the dissemination echoes
Aubert’s view regarding the role of the ethnomusicologist. Aubert (2007) states that:
The ethnomusicologist’s work will then consist in considering the effects of the
transfer of world music styles to a new context … The ethnomusicologist’s
essential role, which is to study musical practices as artist expressions and social
facts, to unlock their inner sense and then to share the fruits of these marvelous
discoveries. (p. 14)
Aubert’s view on the role of the ethnomusicologist encapsulates the essence of this
research project: considering the effects of the transfer of Carnatic rhythms to a new
context, which essentially outlines the primary research question of the project. The study
of Carnatic rhythms and the embodiment of this new information has allowed me to share
the fruits of this learning through the dissemination of Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium; this exegesis; other recordings, and public performances both live and
recorded. By focusing on the effects of the transfer, Aubert’s view focuses on examining
the results of elements of two intersecting (musical) cultures. This view deemphasizes the
binary notion of us and the other described by Bohlman (1992), who argues that it is the
job of the ethnomusicologist to focus on what makes the music, form and practice of
indigenous music different to Western music.

The first stage of the research will involve a more ethnographic approach in an
attempt to understand another cultural approach to music making other than my own.
Tedlock (2003) likens this to being bilingual, asserting:
Just as one can become “bilingual,” given enough time and effort, so one can
learn to behave appropriately within a different cultural setting and even acquire a
second worldview. The main way this is accomplished is through direct
participation in the practices of the new culture … Ethnographers have been able
to combine the talents of scholars with those of apprentice. (p. 170)
By undertaking an apprenticeship of learning solkattu in the student-mentor model
found within the Carnatic tradition, I am essentially partaking in the practices of the new
culture. This has given me a much deeper understanding of the tradition through studying
with practitioners of Carnatic music native to India.
The title Isolation has its Advantages reflects on the positive aspects of alternity
that surrounded my relocation to Singapore. Similar to the sentiment Beard (2005, p. 11)
proposed, whereby “composers living in exile will inevitably experience a sense of
difference”, I too felt a sense of exile or isolation from the environment that had
previously defined me both personally and professionally. However, the new
environment, which was culturally very different from what I was accustomed to,
provided opportunities to redefine my identity as both a practicing musician and an
academic, as well as providing the opportunity to learn Carnatic rhythms.
The title Territorium, which is the Latin word for ‘territory’, suggests the ‘middle
ground’ between Carnatic percussion and contemporary drum set playing. The focus of
the recording session was on improvisation and interplay between Vaidyanathan and
myself. The musical exchange throughout Territorium can be seen as transcultural
through the use of “different musics and musical approaches on an equal footing”
(Schippers, 2009, p. 31).
Schippers (2009) relates tranculturality to Homi Bhabha’s concept of a third space,
which results from cultural encounters or hybridity. According to Bhabha:
Hybridity to me is the third space that enables other positions to merge. This third
space displaces the histories that constitute it … The process of hybridity gives
rise to something different, something new and unrecognizable, a new area of
meaning and representation. (Bhabha, 1990 as quoted in Schippers, 2009, p. 32)
Through the bringing together of our respective backgrounds, Territorium can be
seen to represent a third space created through the act of improvisation.
Although a thorough study of the nature of the hybridity of this project could be
undertaken, it is not within the scope of this research to delve deeply into this topic. In
reiterating the research question; what is the impact of learning Carnatic rhythms on my
performance practice, the context of the two recordings needs to be somewhat de-
emphasized in order to avoid being sidetracked from the main task of the research. The
hybrid nature of the Territorium recording cannot be denied, as the music belongs neither
the Carnatic nor jazz traditions but a product of both. Beard (2005, p. 84) describes this
as “new cultural forms that have arisen as a result of borrowings, intersections and
exchanges across ethnic boundaries”.

1.8 Indian Rhythms in Western Music
Early examples of Indian rhythms in Western music can be traced back to the
works of French composer Olivier Messiaen. Messiaen was one of the first to
recontextualize Indian rhythms in Western music, documented in works such as
L’Ascension for Organ and Orchestra (1933–4) and the Turangalila Symphony (1946–8).
In discussing the use of Indian (Hindustani or Northern Indian) rhythms in Messiaen’s
music, Griffith (1994) states that in using the formulae inherent in the Indian systems in
another context, the original function and association becomes recontextualized; he
argues that “the use of Hindu rhythms does not make Messiaen’s music sound
particularly Indian, nor is there much concern with the symbolic meanings of the
rhythms” (1994, p. 122).
It was not until the popularity of Ravi Shankar in the west that the influence of
Indian music on Western music became visible. Shankar’s popularity in the West peaked
during the Psychedelic era in popular music that spanned from mid to late 1960s. The
Beatles’ guitarist George Harrison became one of the best-known disciples of Shankar
during this period. Harrison had been introduced to Shankar’s music by David Crosby
and Roger McGuinn from Californian group The Byrds during the summer of 1965
(Prendergast, 2003, p. 191). This meeting in turn led to Harrison recording one of the first
instances of sitar in popular music on Norwegian Wood from the Rubber Soul (1965)
album. Shankar was also one of the first Indian musicians to collaborate with Western
artists, in particular his collaboration with American jazz saxophonist Bud Shank and
bass player Gary Peacock on Improvisations (Shankar, 1962) and the recording Shankar
made with Yehudi Menuhin (1967).
Saxophonist Joe Harriot in the 1960s, in collaboration with violinist John Mayer,
explored Indian and Jazz-fusion with their Indo-Jazz Fusion project, which featured five
jazz and five Indian musicians. The project produced three albums (1966, 1967, 1968),
with mixed critical responses. Other notable collaborative efforts between Indian and
Western musicians was John McLaughlin’s Shakti project in the 1970s, which fused jazz
with Hindustani and Carnatic traditions (McLaughlin, 1975) and McLaughlin’s
Mahavishnu Orchestra, which also incorporated Carnatic elements into improvisations
and compositions (McLaughlin, 2007).
More recently, several New York based musicians such as drummer Dan Weiss,
pianist Vijay Iyer and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa are incorporating Carnatic (and
Hindustani) elements into jazz and improvised forms. Weiss, for example, on his album
Timshel (2010) incorporates solkattu and into his compositions whilst Iyer uses Carnatic
rhythms, forms, phrasing and melodies to inform his compositions. Iyer, like Messiaen,
uses Indian elements structurally rather than stylistically:
I deal with forms and structures of Indian music and try to bring then into a
dialogue with my work and have them inform my compositional process. But I’m
not trying to make my work sound like Indian music. The surface of the music
doesn’t necessarily sound like Indian music, but at the structural level, its very
much there in terms of the rhythms, forms, phrasing, and melodies. (Prasad, 2008)
The Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) project The Chennai Sessions: Into the Fire
represents a contemporary example that features cross-cultural collaboration. Different to

the approach Iyer takes where the Indian music informs the compositional process, the
Into the Fire project attempts a marriage of jazz and Carnatic music by combining the
instrumentation, personnel and compositional techniques of both traditions. The project
explores the “rhythmic intricacies and improvising practices that reside at the core of
both the Carnatic tradition and the Western jazz tradition” (Into the fire: Program notes,
2009) drawing upon the similarities in the two traditions to facilitate the collaboration.
1.9 The Study of Indian Rhythms
In addition to learning solkattu from Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan, I also surveyed
literature concerning the study of Indian rhythms. These resources mainly fell into two
main categories: (1) the learning of Carnatic rhythms through solkattu and (2) the
adaptation of Indian rhythms to drum set. Secondary to this, I have surveyed the work of
drum set players who are using Carnatic rhythms in their playing, looking for parallels
between rhythmic concepts found in the Carnatic tradition and the drum set tradition. The
purpose for surveying these areas is twofold: to increase my knowledge of the subject and
to ascertain what has already been done in these areas of study.
The information on this subject was found in several formats including print,
web-based and DVD formats, as well as audio material included in some print based
formats. The release of several instructional manuals concerned with adapting Indian
rhythms to drum set provided a good starting point for learning different methods of
application. The examples that are given in the books deal mainly with adapting the ideas
in the rock/funk/fusion area therefore mainly outline ideas with subdivisions of eighth
and sixteenth-notes, although triplets, quintuplets, septuplets are used in some examples.
Literature concerned with the learning of solkattu by Sankaran (1994, 2010),
Nelson (1991, 2008), Pesch (1996, 2009) and Isler (2005) proved to be illuminating on
the subject, but remained an inferior method of transmission by comparison with the
traditional aural based approach used in the Carnatic tradition. After one-on-one tuition, I
found the DVD format to be the next most effective tool for the transfer of information.
Two such releases; The Gateway to Rhythm (McLaughlin, 2007) and The Artistry of
Ghatam and Konnokol (Chandran, 2007) get closer to the mentor-student experience, but
obviously only allow a one-way flow of information and interactivity.
Both releases start at beginner level with Chandran (2007) moving quickly into
advanced concepts. McLaughlin (2007) is aimed at the Western musician and not
exclusively percussionists. McLaughlin champions the use of solkattu as well as
advocating the method as a great source of inspiration. The interesting aspect of the DVD
is his demonstration of how he has adapted the rhythms into his own guitar playing and
the compositions of his group the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Literature concerned with the adaptation of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set
remains relatively underdeveloped. The most useful texts that deal directly with applying
Indian rhythms to the drum set are Lockett (2008), Pragasam (2008) and Jian (2009). As
can be seen from the years of publication, this is a relatively new area of interest. Of the
three publications, Lockett (2008) deals most directly with the adaption of Carnatic
rhythms to drum set. The work carefully explains the Carnatic systems and provides
many ideas on how to apply them.
Jian (2009) deals with adapting rhythmic ideas from Indian rhythms but is not
limited to Carnatic rhythm systems. The book takes many ideas from a broad range of
styles included in both the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions. It also looks at adapting
patterns associated with certain regional styles and instruments within the two traditions.
This book does not delve as deeply into the rhythmic systems and their application as
Lockett (2008), but it does provide a broader perspective of application. Pragasam (2008)
only touches on the subject, providing only ten, one bar patterns for drum set or ‘grooves’
orchestrated on snare drum, bass drum and hi hat cymbals. There is no information on the
source of the rhythms or whether they are from the Carnatic or Hindustani traditions.
As only a small amount has been published on applying Indian rhythms to the drum
set, I have surveyed contemporary drum set practitioners who have been using Indian
rhythms in their playing. From interviews with these drum set practitioners, further
insight into how other drummers are adapting Carnatic rhythms into their playing can be
observed. German drummer Benny Greb refers to the Indian rhythms as “rhythmic DNA”
or the “skeleton of rhythmic phrasing” (Lockett, 2006b), which allows the musician to
develop a multitude of variations from these concepts through sticking patterns and
orchestration on the drum set. He views each idea as a framework where existing drum
set techniques and can be applied. This approach is one I have already been using in my
practice through the adaption of Indian rhythms to the drum set.
American drummer Steve Smith acknowledges that this is a relatively new area of
study for drum set application calling it a “vast and untapped resource” and “a system
that makes a lot of sense on how the rhythms are put together” (Lockett, 2006a). As well
as being useful for playing with musicians from Indian classical background, Smith
discusses the usefulness of the Carnatic rhythms in Western applications, in particular
jazz/fusion context, to assist in developing soloing ideas and in ensemble playing.
The drumming styles of Benny Greb and Steve Smith, along with the drummers
such as Ari Hoenig, Pete Lockett, Sunny Jian, Trilok Gurtu and Dan Weiss, all
incorporate Indian rhythms into their drum set playing, with some drawing from the
Carnatic tradition, others from the Hindustani tradition and several drawing from both.
Due to the parallels between the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, many rhythmic
concepts are common to both. These rhythmic concepts include metric modulations (or
implied metric modulation), polyrhythms, odd-meters, beat displacement and the use of
odd number groupings of rhythms. Literature dealing with these concepts in the drum set
tradition has been compared to highlight parallels found in the Carnatic system.
One of the key publications on polyrhythms was Peter Magadini’s (2001)
Polyrhythms - A musicians guide first released in 1967. This book systematically details
polyrhythms that can be found in Carnatic music. Chaffee (1976) has also been an
important pedagogical tool for teaching of odd-rhythms, polyrhythms and metric

modulation. Apart from Magadini (2001) and Chaffee (1976) which are not necessarily
stylistically oriented, the majority of texts surveyed can be placed into two distinct
categories; (1) using these rhythm concepts in a jazz context and (2) in a contemporary or
fusion context.
Hoenig and Weidenmueller (2009), DeJohnette and Perry (1988) and Riley
(1997) outline the application of rhythmic concepts in a jazz context, whereas Pennie
(2008), Delong (2006), Harrison (1999) and Harrison (2000) predominantly deal with
concepts in the contemporary/fusion context. The majority of the aforementioned books
cover the rhythmic concepts discussed with some more focused on one central rhythmic
concept. These books provide an insight into the ways other drummers are using key
rhythmic concepts on the drum set that are also found in the Carnatic tradition.
1.10 Research Design
The methodology applied to this research project is reflexive in nature, involving
the investigation of my own practice to develop a deeper understanding, proficiency and
knowledge of my field. As the research unfolded, new elements were learnt, explored and
reflected upon, becoming part of my performance practice. The methodology documents
this process with the results from this process in turn contributing new ideas, methods
and knowledge to my field and larger community.
Research in general can be described by as “an organized manner of approach, a

systematic analysis of information, and a contribution to a knowledge economy”
(Balkema & Slager, 2004 p. 12). Balkema and Slager point out that even though research
methods vary according to the field and subject, all research is concerned with
“formulating questions and providing answers to those questions” and “that research can
be most adequately described as methodic links between questions and answers and
answers and question – in random order” (p. 12).
Slager (2004) differentiates between research in the arts and the traditional
scientific approaches as follows: “The research as conducted by artists today is not
characterized by an objective, empirical approach, since art, obviously, does not strive for
generalization, repeatability, and quantification. Rather, artistic research is directed
towards unique, particular knowledge” (pp. 12–13).
The methodic links described by Balkema and Slager (2004) could be seen as
entering into a research dialogue between the practice and the research methodology.
Robson (2002) broadly refers to this as real world or action research where “practice
helps to improve theory, and which in turn helps to improve practice” (pp. 10–11). This
influential approach regards “supporting and engineering change as an integral part of the
research process” (p. 7), requiring the researcher to inherit a flexible research design
which can accommodate the constant changes that occur during the process.
Vincs (Barrett & Bolt [Eds.] 2007) in her case study into studio-based dance
research brings forward many interesting ideas pertaining to research methodology in the
performing arts, in particular the notion that “in the arts, research methodology is often
retrospective” (p. 101). Vincs noticed that at the beginning of her PhD in dance, which
was through practice and exegesis, she choose not to have a preconceived methodology
but rather produce the dance works first and then use the works to “gradually identif[y]
the issues each one presented, and the questions that they raised about dance” (p. 101).
Vincs goes on to point out that this method is in opposition to traditional research
methods whereby one must have a well defined research question and clear methodology
before starting research, and that where “studio practice is concerned, the rule is turned
on head because the nature of artwork is itself emergent” (p. 101). This notion of the
retrospective method is then discussed in relation to applying preexisting frameworks of
research:
To try to impose a convergent framework on it, even with the best intention, is
doomed to failure. Either one ends up with convergent, predictable, and ultimately
unoriginal artwork, which, however conveniently it can be articulated in the
exegesis, is of little value to the artistic discipline in question, or one ends up with
a clear research paradigm, but badly behaved, unruly artwork that refuses to be
contained within that paradigm. (p. 101)
Vincs puts forward a model adopted from Deleuze and Guattari’s A Thousand
Plateaus of the ‘rhizome’ as a flexible design appropriate for doctorate research in the
performing arts. As an extension of Balkema & Slager’s (2004) methodic links, the
rhizome not only links questions and answers, but presents an “a web of interconnected
elements in which any point of a rhizome can be connected to anything other, and must
be” (as cited in Barrett & Bolt [Eds.] 2007 p. 100).

Vincs argues that to be an artist is not only to be engaged in a singular event, “but
involves constructing a simultaneous engagement with a multiplicity of elements” and
that “subjectivity is inevitability and intricately woven into rhizomic structures of
knowledge” (p. 100). Vincs concludes with the view that “the subjectivity of the artist,
itself a complex, rhizomic web, is part of this field in which knowledge is produced” (p.
100).
Leavy (2009) reflects this sentiment stating that the rhizome model reflects a
holistic approach emphasizing the interconnectedness of the various elements of the
research. Leavy (2009, p. viii) comments that this approach is “not only about the
epistemology-theory-methods nexus, but also the relationship the researcher has with his
or her work”. In a broad sense, this includes encompassing all aspects of a musician’s
profession; teaching, practice, research, playing, composing and performing as
contributing to the outcome of the research. Because my research is non-linear in nature,
with each of the stages informing the others, the rhizomic model acknowledges the
interconnectedness of the individual research elements; the model reinforces the fact that
the individual elements exist symbiotically and are in constant dialogue with each other.
This holistic concept is echoed in Smith and Dean’s (2009) model for creative arts
and research process. They describe an “iterative cyclic web of practice-led research and
research-led practice” (p. 20), which proposes a web-like structure that can allow for a
dialogue between academic research, practice-led research and research-led practice. This
design also parallels the rhizome model:

The web-like aspect of the model clearly suggests connections with the Deleuzian
rhizome in which any point can be linked to any other and there are ‘multiple
entryways and exits’ (Deleuze and Guattari 1987, p. 21). For Deleuze and
Guattari, ‘A rhizome has no beginning or end; it is always in the middle, between
things, interbeing, intermezzo’. (Smith & Dean 2009, p. 21)
Given the nature of the rhizome model coupled with reflexive performance
practice and its inherent subjectivity, outcomes for a research project will always reflect
different approaches to creating art. Factors such as background, culture, geographic
location, mental and physical conditioning create a range of components that contribute
to the process and outcomes of the performance practice.
1.11 Summary
This chapter has served to frame the research contextually, giving an overview of
the literature pertaining to the research project. Chapters Two and Three will provide
further information on Carnatic rhythms and drum set techniques and styles respectively
which are necessary for the comprehension of the performance analysis in Chapter Five.
Chapter Two: Carnatic Rhythmic Designs and Concepts
This chapter will detail the Carnatic rhythmic concepts and designs that can be
found throughout the transcribed material taken from Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium. The information presented in this chapter does not represent the totality of
Carnatic rhythm concepts and designs that have been transmitted during lessons with
Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan, rather, this chapter represents only what has manifested
during the extemporized performances found throughout the creative works.
This chapter is divided into two sections. Section one introduces the basic solkattu
syllables followed by an outline of various methods employed to create rhythmic
variation on singular phrases. These methods include the expansion and reduction of
phrases, methods of creating double time variations and the use of space between
phrases. Section two details organizational methods for multiple rhythmic phrases,
highlighting the cadential form of the arudie, the various organizational rhythmic designs
referred to as yati and a method for modulating groupings through different subdivisions
called trikalam.
The techniques outlined in this chapter concerned with creating variation on
singular phrases are amongst the most commonly used techniques throughout the
transcribed material. The transferability of these rhythmic concepts to the drum set in a
performance setting requires less attention to be paid to musical form, meter or style as
opposed to the larger rhythmic designs which require calculations to resolve at significant
points within the music.
The larger rhythmic designs that manifested throughout the recorded material occur
less frequently and sometimes were representations of the Carnatic designs presented in
this chapter. These designs were played with the intention of organizing rhythmic
material in a similar fashion to the Carnatic designs but did not strictly adhere to the rules
governing the design principles. In this situation, the Carnatic rhythmic designs provide
an outline or inspiration for a phrasing idea.
It is important to note that the information presented in this chapter does not
attempt to be an extensive treatise on Carnatic rhythms. Readers familiar with Carnatic
music theory will no doubt observe the absence of many key areas concerning rhythm
such as tala theory (which covers the whole subject of rhythm), the rhythmic designs of
the korvai, mora and koraippu, and the tani avartanam. For readers interested in
understanding more about these key concepts of Carnatic rhythms, Sankaran (1994,
2010), Nelson (1991) and Pesch (2009) are detailed resources on the subject.
Although many of the rhythmic designs from the Carnatic tradition can found in the
Hindustani tradition, the Carnatic nomenclature is used throughout and where necessary,
English transliterations are given. Unlike the Western tradition, the Carnatic tradition
does not have a standard notation method, due to the fact that it is largely an aural
tradition. The notation method used by Sankaran (1994, 2010), Isler (2006), Lockett
(2008) and Jain (2009) is adopted throughout this chapter, which entails transcribing
Carnatic rhythms into standard Western notation with solkattu syllables written below the
corresponding notes.
2.1 Methods for Creating Variations on a Single Grouping
2.1.1 Basic building blocks. In its simplest form, the Carnatic rhythmic system can
be broken down to small rhythmic cells ranging from one to nine beats in length. For the
beginning student, the syllables are taught as solkattu and recited whilst maintaining a
tala count with the hands. The solkattu syllables are first recited in a tala of corresponding
length to the number of syllables. To illustrate, the five-note grouping of ‘ta ka ta ki ta’ is
first taught with a tala that is five pulses in length (khanda chappu tala).
1 - ta
2 - ta ka
3 - ta ki ta
4 - ta ka di mi
5 - ta ka ta ki ta
6 - ta ka ta ka di mi
7 - ta ki ta ta ka di mi
8 - ta ka di mi ta ka ju nu
9 - ta ka di mi ta ka ta ki ta
Figure 2.1. The building blocks of the Carnatic rhythmic system.

Figure 2.1 shows the basic building blocks of the Carnatic rhythmic system. The
various groupings consist of solkattu phrases that correspond as one syllable per rhythmic
element. For groupings of five syllables and above, the solkattu syllables are
combinations of groupings one through four. To illustrate, the syllables for seven are
derived from combining the grouping for three (ta ki ta) and four (ta ka di mi).
The syllables given to each of the groupings were originally derived from an
onomatopoeic representation of various drum strokes of the Southern Indian mridungam
drum. Most of these verbalizations are still used today, which has contributed to there
being a large variety of different syllables. For the purpose of this exegesis, with the
exception of ‘ta di ki na dom’ to follow, the extent of the solkattu phrases presented will
be limited to the groupings presented in Figure 2.1.
Although the syllables shown in Figure 2.1 are widely accepted as the basic
solkattu syllables and are included in most of literature concerning Carnatic rhythms,
there is still no standardized nomenclature for solkattu syllables. This can be observed in
Pesch (2009), Lockett (2008), Nelson (2008) and Sankaran (2010) which all differ in
their nomenclature for solkattu syllables. Although most of the syllables in Figure 2.1 are
included in Pesch (2009), Lockett (2008), Nelson (2008) and Sankaran (2010), all authors
offer alternative syllables for the groupings with no two texts containing exactly the same
content.
Furthermore, the transliterations for solkattu groupings also differ from author to
author. To illustrate, the alternative syllable for a grouping of five ‘ta di ki na dom’
(nomenclature as taught by Vaidyanathan) appears in Pesch (2009) as ‘ta dhi ki na tom’
in Lockett (2008) as ‘ta ti ki da tum’ and in Nelson (2008) and Sankaran (2010) as ‘ta din
gi na tom’. The transliteration ‘ta di ki na dom’ as taught by Vaidyanathan will be used
throughout this exegesis.
2.1.2 Expansion and reduction. The solkattu syllable ‘ta di ki na dom’, which
represents a grouping of five, is a commonly used variation to ‘ta ka ta ki ta’ for two
main reasons. Firstly, it represents a grouping of five which is not comprised of smaller
groupings (e.g. two plus three) and secondly, due to the common methods by which the
figure can be expanded to create larger numbers. The grouping ‘ta di ki na dom’ features
in many Carnatic rhythmic designs that involve the expansion of groupings of five into
larger groupings. This expansion method is achieved by giving a greater value to some of
the syllables of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping. The most frequently used expansions of
‘ta di ki na dom’ are the expansion of the phrase to create six, seven, eight and nine-note
groupings which are outlined from Figure 2.2 to Figure 2.6.
Figure 2.2. Five-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.

Figure 2.3. Six-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.
Figure 2.4. Seven-note variation of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.
Figure 2.2 shows the initial phrase of ‘ta di ki na dom’ written in 5/8 with each
syllable being represented by an eighth-note. The first variation show in Figure 2.3 is a
six-note expansion of ‘ta di ki na dom’ which is achieved by doubling the value of the
second note ‘di’ of ‘ta di ki na dom’ which is shown in Figure 2.3 as a quarter-note. The
second variation is a seven pulse grouping shown in Figure 2.4 which is derived from
doubling the value of the first note ‘ta’ and the second note ‘di’ of the ‘ta di ki na dom’
grouping. The grouping of five, together with the six-note and seven-note variations are
featured in many Carnatic rhythm designs which involve the expansion of the ‘ta di ki na
dom’ phrase.
Figure 2.5. Eight-note variation ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.

Figure 2.6. Nine-note variation ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping.
The further variations are an eight-pulse variation, derived by doubling the second
(di), third (ki) and fourth (na) notes of the ‘ta di ki na dom’ grouping as shown in Figure
2.5, and a nine-pulse variation which is achieved by doubling all of the syllables except
the last note ‘dom’ as shown in Figure 2.6. This method of expansion creates variations
whilst still using the same five notes of the original ‘ta di ki na dom’ phrase.
Further methods of expanding a phrase can be achieved by adding additional notes
to a phrase and inversely, a method of reducing a phrase can be achieved by subtracting
notes from a phrase. Although these principles of expansion and reduction form the basis
of the yati and other Carnatic rhythmic designs, which will be examined later in this
chapter, this section will look at the expansion and reduction of singular phrases.
The expansion and reduction concept will be illustrated in this section by applying
it to the eight-note single paradiddle rudiment as shown in Figure 2.7. In Figure 2.7, the
single paradiddle has been orchestrated between the hi hat and snare drum, with the bass
drum added on the first beat of the grouping and a snare drum accent added on the fifth
beat, creating an ostinato pattern or drum groove. In order to create variations on the
eight-beat paradiddle phrase, beats can either be adding or subtracted to create a different
length phrases.
Figure 2.7. Eight-beat single paradiddle groove.
Figures 2.8 and 2.9 show two variations based on the expansion and reduction
principles. Figure 2.8 shows a reduced seven-note grouping and Figure 2.9 shows an
expanded nine-note grouping. The objective when creating these variations is to maintain
the character of the original phrase whilst altering its duration. In order to create a related
phrase, consideration must be given to the construction of the new phrase so that it shares
similar sticking patterns and orchestration methods to that of the original phrase.
Figure 2.8. The reduction of the single paradiddle groove to create a seven-note
grouping.
Figure 2.9. The expansion of the single paradiddle groove to create a nine-note grouping.
The seven-note grouping (Figure 2.8) and the nine-note grouping (Figure 2.9) share
similar qualities to the original phrase. The seven-note grouping in Figure 2.8 is a
reduction of the single paradiddle achieved by omitting the fourth note of the single
paradiddle. The nine-note grouping is an expansion of the single paradiddle which is
augmented by adding a hi hat beat after the accented snare drum.
Further variations on the seven and nine-note groupings can be achieved by
changing the order of the subdivided groupings. For example, a variation on a seven-note
grouping can be achieved by playing a four-note grouping first followed by a three-note
grouping. In this variation, the first grouping of four would be the same as the first half of
the single paradiddle and the second grouping of three would be a reduced version of the
second half of the single paradiddle achieved by omitting the last note of the single
paradiddle as shown in Figure 2.10.

Figure 2.10. A further seven-note grouping based on the single paradiddle.
2.1.3 Rhythmic substitution. Rhythmic substitution is a method of creating
variation achieved by replacing the notes of a phrase with subdivisions of lesser or
greater value, creating a phrase of the same duration but with a differing internal
structure. The most common method is achieved by replacing each note in the phrase
with two notes half the value of the original note creating a phrase that maintains the
same duration but has twice as many notes. This method will be the focus of this section
as illustrated in Figures 2.11 and 2.12.
Figure 2.11. Grouping of five.
Figure 2.12. Grouping of ten derived through rhythmic substitution.

In Figure 2.11, a grouping of five comprising of one grouping of two eighth-notes
and one grouping of three eighth-notes is shown. Figure 2.12 shows the rhythmic
substitution of two sixteenth-note for every eighth-note in Figure 2.11. The result is a ten-
note grouping comprised of a grouping of four sixteenth-notes and a grouping of six
sixteenth-notes. This concept is useful as it creates variations without having to change
the overall structure of the grouping or rhythmic design. In both examples the duration of
the phrases is the same length of one bar of 5/8. An example of this concept can be
further illustrated through the orchestration a five-note grouping to the drum set.
Figure 2.13. Orchestration of a five-note grouping to the drum set.
The orchestration in Figure 2.13 shows a five-note grouping comprised of a
grouping of two eighth-notes and a grouping of three eighth-notes. The beginning note of
each grouping is orchestrated with the right hand played on the hi hat with the bass drum
added for emphasis and additional notes of the grouping played by the left hand on the
snare drum. A rhythmic substitution is most effective when the basic shape of the original
phrase is kept intact as can be seen in Figure 2.14.

Figure 2.14. Grouping of ten derived through rhythmic substitution orchestrated on the
drum set.
Figure 2.14 shows one possible method of creating a rhythmic substitution of the
five-note grouping shown in Figure 2.13. The total number of notes of the phrase is now
ten sixteenth-notes as oppose to five eighth-notes of the original phrase. Again the
duration of both variations is the same. The orchestration of the ten-note grouping in
Figure 2.14 maintains similar qualities to the original orchestration in Figure 2.13 with
the placement of the hi hat and bass drum maintaining the same position within the bar.
2.1.4 Karvai. Karvai is the calculated use of space when creating rhythmic phrases.
The use of karvai is inherent within Carnatic music permeating most aspects of rhythm.
Karvai can defined as “(1) extending the duration of a note by one or several basic units
of time (matra); (2) a pause inserted between two notes or drum beats” (Pesch, 2009, pp.
435–436). The function of a karvai can be seen to have a similar role as a rest in Western
music, yet it is not quite the same concept. In Western music a rest is considered an
absence of sound or silence, whereas in Carnatic music karvai is perceived as an
extension of the preceding note. The karvai is considered part of the calculations of
rhythmic phrases and designs in Carnatic music.

The karvai can be used to create rhythmic variation within a phrase. Figure 2.15
shows the five-note grouping ‘ta ka ta ki ta’ which consists of a grouping of two ‘ta ka’
and a grouping of three ‘ta ki ta.’ Taking this example, further rhythmic variations can be
achieved by applying the idea of the karvai to either the grouping of two, the grouping of
three or both groupings.
Figure 2.16 shows a variation that can be achieved by applying the karvai concept
to the grouping of two. A karvai must have a beginning note or rhythmic figure that is
followed by an extension of the note or karvai. The grouping of two, denoted by the
broken brackets, is represented in Figure 2.16 as a quarter-note to demonstrate the
beginning note and extension as being part of the same phrase. This method of notation is
preferred as grouping the karvai as an eighth-note followed by an eighth-note rest
separates the two elements.
Figure 2.15. A five-note grouping consisting of a grouping of two and three.

Figure 2.16. A five-note grouping with the two grouping as a karvai.
A second possibility shown in Figure 2.17 is to apply the karvai concept to the
grouping of three of the five-note grouping giving a karvai of a dotted quarter-note in
length. A third variation can be achieved by applying the karvai idea to both the
groupings of two and three as can be seen in Figure 2.18. The syllable ‘dom’ has been
applied to the grouping of three in this instance to differentiate the two different
groupings. It is common in the Carnatic tradition to assign the syllable ‘ta’ to the shorter
karvai and the syllable of ‘dom’ to the longer karvai in rhythmic structures.
Figure 2.17. A five-note grouping with the three grouping as a karvai.
Figure 2.18. A five-note grouping with both the two and three grouping as a karvai.
Another possibility is to create a karvai that is five beats in length as shown in
Figure 2.19. Further variations could be achieved by swapping the order of the groupings
of two and three and by subdividing the grouping of five into groupings of one and four
and applying the karvai concept to the four-note groupings. The more individual elements
a phrase is comprised of, the more permutations that are possible. The use of the karvai
can be found throughout the transcribed material as it is a device used to separate
rhythmic figures and, from a more practical point of view, used to give time to travel
from one part of the drum set to another.
Figure 2.19. A five-note karvai.
2.2 Methods of Creating Rhythmic Variation with Multiple Groupings
2.2.1 Arudie. The arudie is a cadential rhythmic structure in Carnatic music that
consists of the triplicate repetition of a phrase with separations (karvai) in between that
may be articulated. The length of the phrases and the separations are commonly uniform
in length, however the phrase lengths can differ so long as they have an orderly relation
to one another. An arudie is normally played to lead from one section into another in
Carnatic music. It performs a similar function to a fill played by drum set player to
indicate a transition between sections. The design of the arudie can be simplified to the
following structure demonstrated in Figure 2.20.
{phrase} [separation] {phrase} [separation] {phrase}
Figure 2.20. The arudie formula.
The phrase length must be a minimum of one note while the separations can be zero
notes or more. The separations are usually of a lesser duration than the phrases with
larger separations sometimes articulated as smaller units for example a grouping of six
articulated as two groupings of three. In addition to the formula in Figure 2.20, an extra
beat is added at the end of the arudie indicating the resolution point of the structure,
which can be seen in Figure 2.21.
{Phrase} [separation] {phrase} [separation] {phrase}|| (resolution point)
Figure 2.21. The arudie formula with resolution point.
The resolution point is excluded from the calculations of the arudie design, which
only includes the phrase and separation lengths. The resolution point commonly
coincides with an important structural point within a composition; commonly either the
beginning beat of the cycle (samam) or beginning note of the melody (eduppu) in a
Carnatic composition. The resolution point is usually given the same solkattu syllable as
the separations when the separations are more than one note in duration to create
continuity within the overall arudie structure. When the separations are zero pulses,
common cadential syllables such as ‘dom’, ‘tom’ or ‘ta’ are assigned to the resolving
beat.
Even though the resolution point is not considered part of the calculations of the
arudie, it is an important structural element as it is the point where the tension created by
the arudie structure is released within the cycle. The arudie structure can be illustrated by
demonstrating a common arudie in 4/4 consisting of the triplicate repetition of a phrase
four sixteenth-notes in length and the separations of two sixteenth-notes in length. The
total length of the arudie is sixteen sixteenth-notes in length shown below in Figure 2.22.
Figure 2.22. Simple arudie in 4/4 time.
Unlike the two separations shown in Figure 2.22 represented by the syllable ‘tom’,
the resolution point is of no fixed duration in length. The resolution point is usually given
at least the duration of the separations before the percussionist returns to rhythmic
accompaniment (sarvalaghu) in Carnatic music. The length of the resolution point note
can be longer than the duration of the separations with the re-entry point in the cycle
dependent on the aesthetic decision of the percussionist.

One further example will be given to illustrate an arudie design with separations
equal to zero. The triplicate repetition of a five beat phrase will produce an arudie with a
total length of fifteen beats as seen in Figure 2.23. For the purpose of demarcating the
phrases, accents have been added to the beginning of each phrase to highlight the starting
point within the bar. The starting point for the arudie example in Figure 2.34 is on the
second sixteenth-note of the bar and resolves on beat one of the following bar. Once the
length of the arudie has been calculated, the starting point is always the corresponding
duration before the resolution point.
Figure 2.23. Arudie with separations equal to zero.
2.2.2 Yati. In its simplest form, a yati can be considered as the shape of a rhythmic
design. The yatis are used to give order to rhythmic designs and as a method to create
rhythmic variation. Pesch (2009) observes six yati designs, five of which can be
represented as distinct shapes with a sixth arrangement being an irregular arrangement:
Five yati varieties are derived from number-patterns evoking graphic images or
figures: (1) tapering or decreasing ‘like a cow’s tail’ (gopuccha yati); (2)
broadening or increasing ‘like a river’ (srotovaha yati); (3) of uniform or ‘same’
length (sama yati); (4) increasing, then decreasing; broadening towards the
middle like the contours of a drum (mridanga yati); (5) first decreasing, then
increasing; narrowing towards the middle as the contours of an hourglass-shaped
drum (damaru yati). A sixth arrangement, one that is devoid of any obvious
pattern, would in this context be referred to ‘irregular’ or ‘rugged’ (visama yati).
(p. 222)
From the six yati described by Pesch (2009, p. 222), the gopuccha, srotovaha,
mridanga and damaru are the four most commonly used in Carnatic music shown in
Figure 2.24 as visual representations.
Figure 2.24. Visual representations of gopuccha, srotovaha, mridanga and damaru yati.
Figure 2.25 shows an example gopuccha yati illustrated here as a grouping of five
sixteenth-notes followed by a four sixteenth-notes and finally a grouping of three
sixteenth-notes in 3/4. The uniform reduction of the phrases by one sixteenth-note
demonstrates the gopuccha yati that is characterized by phrases that go from long to
short. Through rearranging the individual groupings of five, four and three in this
example, srotovaha, mridanga and damaru yatis can be derived.
Figure 2.25. Gopuccha yati.

By reversing of the order of the groupings in Figure 2.25 to create an three-four-
five progression, a srotovaha yati can be derived which is characterized by a short to long
progression shown in Figure 2.26.
Figure 2.26. Srotovaha yati.
The mridanga yati, characterized by a short-long-short design, can be seen in Figure
2.27 derived by combining a srotovaha yati (Figure 2.26) followed by a gopuccha yati
(Figure 2.25). This combination creates a two bar variation in which phrase lengths
expand and then contract.
Figure 2.27. Mridanga yati.
Figure 2.28 shows the damaru yati derived by combining a gopuccha yati (Figure
2.25) followed by a srotovaha yati (Figure 2.26). In this example, a design characterized
by phrase lengths that go from long to short and then long again can be observed.
Figure 2.28. Damaru yati.
Due to the regular occurrence of sama yati and the difficulty in defining a visama
yati, these patterns have not been included as part of the performance analysis in Chapter
Five and hence not detailed in this chapter. Only the yati designs of gopuccha, srotovaha,
mridanga and damaru will be highlighted in Chapter Five with the gopuccha and
srotovaha yati designs occurring most frequently throughout the transcriptions.
2.2.3 Trikalam. Trikalam is a method of creating variation with the basic building
blocks. Trikalam translates literally to three speeds: tri meaning three and kalam meaning
speed. This process involves playing the rhythmic cell first as quarter-notes, then as
eighth-notes and finally as sixteenth-notes creating three different ‘speeds’ of the
rhythmic grouping. As a general rule, the amount of beats in the meter and the number of
beats in the phrase should either correspond or be a multiple of each other. For example,
a four-note grouping should be played in 4/4 and a nine-note grouping should be played
in 9/4. To illustrate this concept, Figure 2.29 shows the four-note solkattu grouping of ‘ta
ka di mi’ applied to the trikalam rhythmic structure.

Figure 2.29. Trikalam with four-note grouping ‘ta ka di mi.’
The first bar of Figure 2.29 shows the first speed (Vilambakalam) in which the
four-note grouping is playing as quarter-notes. The second bar shows the second speed
(Madhyamakalam) in which the four-note grouping is played as eighth-notes, essentially
doubling the speed of the first. The final bar shows the third speed (Durithakalam) in
which the four-note grouping is played as sixteenth-notes. The third speed is therefore
twice as fast as the second speed and four times as fast as the first speed, giving a ratio of
1:2:4. Observing this concept, we can see that all three speeds contain the same rhythm
(ta ka di mi) but through playing the rhythm in different subdivisions, the rhythm
becomes transformed into a related but new item.
In practice, each speed can be repeated any number of times before moving on to
the next as opposed to one bar each which is shown in Figure 2.29. Commonly, each bar
would be repeated four or eight times before moving on to the next speed. This idea can
be further extrapolated to include playing the same rhythms in different subdivisions.
After applying the trikalam concept for quarter-notes, eighth-notes and sixteenth-notes
during practice sessions, I would commonly play the groupings as quarter-note triplets,
eighth-note triplets and sixteenth-note triplets as shown in Figure 2.30 giving even further
variations.
Figure 2.30. Trikalam in triplets.
Figure 2.30 shows the trikalam rhythmic design in 4/4 using a triplet subdivision.
The first two bars of the example show the first speed in which quarter-note triplets are
grouped into four denoted by the broken brackets. This phrase takes two bars to resolve
back to the first beat of the bar. Bars three and four of Figure 2.30 show the second speed
in which the groupings of four are played as eighth-note triplets. This figure takes one bar
to resolve back to the first beat of the bar. Bars five and six show the third speed of the
trikalam rhythmic design in which the groupings of four are playing as sixteenth-note
triplets. This takes half a bar (two quarter-notes) to resolve back to the quarter-note pulse.
The 1:2:4 ratio once again is adhered to with groupings of four over two bars occurring
three times in the first speed, six times in the second speed and twelve times in the third
speed.
2.3 Summary
The various methods used to create rhythmic variation that have been outlined in
this chapter are all fundamental elements of the Carnatic rhythmic system. As mentioned
earlier, this chapter does not represent the totality of the rhythmic approaches found in
the Carnatic tradition, however, this chapter does give an insight in micro (section 2.1)
and macro (section 2.2) approaches to creating rhythmic variation.
In the following chapter, the focus shifts from the Carnatic rhythmic concepts and
designs towards outlining drum set techniques and styles. The following chapter serves a
similar function to this chapter, except it highlights the rudiments, sticking patterns and
orchestration methods used throughout the transcriptions, as well as providing a
background on the different styles of drumming that have contributed to the approach
found on the two albums.

Chapter Three: Drum Set Techniques and Styles
The techniques, concepts and stylistic approaches discussed in this chapter are
presented to provide a point of reference for the examination of the drumming approach
found throughout Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium. The information from
this chapter, along with the information on Carnatic rhythmic in Chapter Two, endeavors
to provide sufficient background to enable the reader to better understand the material in
the performance analysis in Chapter Five. The combination of the drumming techniques
and styles from this chapter together with the Carnatic rhythmic designs and methods
from Chapter Two constitutes a hybrid approach that lies at the core of this research
project.
The information in this chapter is presented in three parts, reflecting the method of
applying Carnatic rhythms to the drum set used throughout the research period. This
method can be simplified as follows: (1) choosing an appropriate sticking pattern; (2)
orchestrating the sticking pattern around the drum set and (3) considering stylistic
approaches to the orchestration. Reflecting this methodology, section 3.1 in this chapter
examines rudimental sticking patterns, section 3.2 addresses the various methods of
orchestrating these sticking patterns around the drum set with section 3.3 being an
overview of the various drumming styles that have informed the playing found
throughout transcribed excerpts.

3.1 Rudiments and Sticking Patterns
The drum rudiments are a series of sticking combinations derived from the military
snare drumming tradition that provide the basis for drum set playing. There are forty
essential rudiments set out by the Percussive Arts Society (Carson, 2005), as well as
hundreds of hybrid rudiments which are either based on the essential forty or new
inventions. This chapter highlights the main rudiments featured in the transcribed
excerpts and groups them according to their rudimental families. The rhythmic concepts
that are associated with certain families or individual rudiments are also presented to give
an insight into the logic behind their application to the drum set.
The majority of sticking patterns consist of combinations of single, double, triple
and/or quadruple strokes with these strokes either alternating or overlapping. From the
alternating stroke combinations we derive the single stroke rudiments, the multiple
bounce roll, double stroke rudiments, diddle rudiments and drag rudiments and from the
overlapping strokes we derive the flam rudiments. This section will not detail the entire
forty essential and hybrid variations, only those rudiments that are found throughout the
transcriptions will be presented.
Sticking patterns derived from the process of applying Carnatic rhythms to the
drum set are chosen based on their capacity to convey the essence of the rhythmic idea.
During this process, consideration is given to the sticking combinations and accenting
patterns that enable a good flow and have the potential for further rhythmic development.
It is during this process that many hybrid rudiments are born, predominantly through the
combination of duple and triple rudimental elements to produce odd time groupings.
The majority of the rudimental examples are displayed starting with the right hand
to maintain consistency throughout. The examples illustrating each rudiment are not
confined to being played only in the subdivision shown in each of the examples; some
rudiments are found in both duple and triple subdivisions in the transcribed excerpts.
Examples that show rudiments in their basic form are written on a single line percussion
stave with the subsequent orchestration of these rudiments written on a five line
percussion stave (please refer to the drum key in Appendix A for further clarification).
Right-handed strokes are denoted by a capital R, left-handed strokes by a capital L and
both hands played together by a capital B (both) written below each of the notes.
3.1.1 Single stroke rudiments. From the single stroke family of rudiments, the
most fundamental rudiment is the single stroke roll as seen in Figure 3.1. The single
stroke consists alternating strokes and is featured throughout the transcribed examples.
The single stroke roll can be orchestrated around the drum set in a variety of ways that
will be explored further later in this chapter.
Figure 3.1. The single stroke roll.

Another rudiment from the single stroke family found throughout the transcriptions
is a variation on the single stroke four. Figure 3.2 shows the single stroke four played as
three sixteenth-note triplets and one eighth-note with the sticking RLRL. The variation
maintains the order of the sticking, but changes the rhythm of single stroke four by
playing two sixteenth-notes followed by two eighth-notes which creates a triple-pulse
rudiment as shown in Figure 3.3. This hybrid rudiment is one of the more common of the
hybrid rudiments and is often referred to as a herta; other names include the single stroke
drag or single stroke diddle.
Figure 3.2. The single stroke four.
Figure 3.3. A triple-pulse variation of the single stroke four or herta.
3.1.2 Double stroke rudiments. The double stroke rudiments are also common
throughout the transcriptions. All of the rudiments in the double stroke family are based
on the double stroke roll, which is derived by playing two strokes with each hand
consecutively. From this family of rudiments, the double stroke roll (Figure 3.4) and the
five stroke roll (Figure 3.5) are the most frequently used throughout the transcriptions.
The six stroke (Figure 3.6 and 3.7), seven stroke (Figure 3.8), nine stroke (Figure 3.9)
and eleven stroke roll (Figure 3.10) are also used throughout the transcriptions but with
less frequency. The names for each of the double stroke rudiments are derived from the
number of strokes in each of the rudiments. Figures 3.4 to 3.10 below illustrate the
double stroke rudiments found throughout the transcriptions.
Figure 3.4. The double stroke roll.
Figure 3.5. The five stroke roll.

Figure 3.6. The six stroke roll.
Figure 3.7. The six stroke roll (triplet version).
Figure 3.8. The seven stroke roll.

Figure 3.9. The nine stroke roll.
Figure 3.10. The eleven stroke roll.
The double stroke roll family of rudiments is used throughout the transcriptions to
create variations on the single stroke roll. An example of this concept is shown in Figure
3.11, which shows beats one and two played as a single stroke roll in sixteenth-notes and
beat three and four as thirty-second-note double strokes. Beats three and four can be seen
as variations of the beats one and two achieved by substituting each sixteenth-note single
stroke by two thirty-second-note double strokes.

Figure 3.11. A single stroke to double stroke progression.
This concept can be applied to any accented single stroke roll to create a double
time effect. Using this concept, a grouping of three single strokes with the first note of the
grouping accented will create a five stroke roll (Figure 3.12), a grouping of four notes
with the first note accented will produce a seven stroke roll (Figure 3.13), a grouping of
five with the first note accented will produce a nine stroke roll (Figure 3.14) and so forth.
Figure 3.12. Groupings of three accented single strokes with double stroke variations.
Figure 3.13. Groupings of four accented single strokes with double stroke variations.
Figure 3.14. Groupings of five accented single stroke with double stroke variations.
3.1.3 Drag rudiments. In addition to the single and double stroke, the combination
of one single stroke and one double stroke is another common sticking that is found
throughout the transcriptions. This three-note grouping (Figure 3.15) is derived from a
rudiment called the three stroke ruff or drag (Figure 3.16) that consists of double stroke
grace notes and a single stroke.
In the three-note variation shown in Figure 3.15, when the grace notes are given the
same duration as the single stroke, six sticking combinations become available (RLL,
LRR, RRL, LLR, RLR or LRL). These are very useful sticking patterns for outlining
groupings of three with the same hand leading. This differs from accenting single strokes
every three notes, which creates accents on alternating hands. Sticking patterns on the
drum set facilitate the orchestration of ideas around the kit and can be categorized into
three separate categories; right hand lead, left hand lead and alternate sticking patterns.
Figure 3.15. A three-note figure derived by combining a single and double stroke.
Figure 3.16. The three stroke ruff or drag.
3.1.4 Paradiddle rudiments. The paradiddle families of rudiments are further
combinations of single and double strokes. The paradiddle rudiments, with the exception
of the paradiddle-diddle (Figure 3.28), fall into the alternating category of sticking
patterns whereby the accents fall on alternate hands. The single paradiddle (Figure 3.17)
and the paradiddle-diddle are the most commonly used paradiddle rudiments throughout
the transcriptions.
Figure 3.17. The single paradiddle.

Figure 3.18. The paradiddle-diddle.
The double paradiddle (Figure 3.19) and the triple paradiddle (Figure 3.20) are used
less extensively but can be found used in combination with the single paradiddle to obtain
hybrid rudiments of varying lengths. The combination of a double paradiddle and a single
paradiddle for example, creates a phrase that is ten notes in length as shown in Figure
3.21. This hybrid rudiment can be found throughout the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription, which centers on paradiddle variations.
Figure 3.19. The double paradiddle.
Figure 3.20. The triple paradiddle.

Figure 3.21. A hybrid rudiment combining the single and double paradiddle.
3.1.5 Multiple bounce rudiments. Three consecutive strokes on each hand that are
derived from the triple stroke roll (Figure 3.22) can be found through the transcriptions.
The triple strokes are not played as alternating triple strokes as shown in Figure 3.25 but
as variations on the up-tempo jazz ride cymbal pattern. The jazz ride cymbal pattern,
which is the underpinning rhythmic figure in jazz drumming, played at slow to medium
tempos is written with an eighth-note triplet subdivision as shown in Figure 3.23.
However, at faster tempos, the rhythm of the ride cymbal pattern changes from an eighth-
note triplet subdivision to an eighth-note subdivision. This is often referred to as the
‘flattening out’ of the ride cymbal pattern; accommodating the increase in tempo whilst
maintaining the outline of the original triplet based rhythm. This creates a triple stroke in
the ride cymbal pattern that is shown in brackets of Figure 3.24.

Figure 3.22. The triple stroke roll.
Figure 3.23. The jazz ride cymbal pattern at slow to medium tempos.
Figure 3.24. The jazz ride cymbal pattern at fast tempos.
Figures 3.25 and 3.26 demonstrate further variations that can be derived from the
up-tempo jazz ride cymbal pattern that utilize the three consecutive strokes. Figure 3.25
shows a variation where the jazz ride cymbal pattern is played with both hands together.
In this example, the right hand plays on the ride cymbal with the left hand on the snare
drum, with the hi hat being played on the second and fourth quarter-notes. Figure 3.26
shows a further variation on the up-tempo jazz ride cymbal pattern with the snare part
playing triple strokes that overlap the ride cymbal part.
Figure 3.25. Triple strokes orchestrated with both hands playing together.
Figure 3.26. Overlapping triple strokes in right and left hands.
The multiple bounce roll, also known as a ‘drum roll’ or ‘press roll,’ is produced by
applying pressure to alternating strokes so that the stick creates small multiple bounces in
quick succession on a playing surface. With each hand playing the multiple bounces
consecutively, the effect is a continuous sustained note. This rudiment is not used
extensively throughout the transcriptions but does appear in two different forms. Firstly,
it is played in its original form on the snare drum to create rolls of varying lengths and
secondly, by isolating one multiple bounce stroke to create what is often referred to as a
‘crush note.’
Figure 3.27 shows a common method of writing the multiple bounce roll that
represents the effect of creating a roll or sustained note on the drums. Figure 3.28 shows
the sticking pattern involved in creating the effect. The symbol that resembles the letter z
on each of the stem of the notes represents the multiple bounce on each note.
Figure 3.27. The multiple bounce roll.
Figure 3.28. The sticking pattern for the multiple bounce roll.
The second method in which the multiple bounce roll is used is a technique
common to jazz drumming and is also used as an embellishment in funk and rock
grooves. In jazz drumming, it is usually played in the left hand on the snare whilst
maintaining the jazz ride cymbal pattern in the right hand. This technique is illustrated in
Figure 3.29 whereby the single multiple bounce stroke is played on the snare drum on the
fifth eighth-note of the bar, falling in between the ride cymbal pattern.
Figure 3.29. An example of a single multiple bounce stroke.
3.1.6 Flam rudiments. A flam consists of a single stroke with a grace note
preceding the note as shown in Figure 3.30. When applying the flam to the drum set, the
flam can be interpreted two ways: it can either be played as it is written in Figure 3.30
with a small grace note preceding the main stroke or it can be played with both hands
together at the same time giving the grace note full value. The first interpretation is
commonly used when playing on one playing surface where the effect of the flam is most
obvious, whereas the second interpretation is useful when orchestrating the flam rudiment
onto two different playing surfaces. This technique of playing both hands together is
sometimes referred to as ‘flat flams’. Overlapping single, double, triple stroke and/or
quadruple strokes in each hand derives most flam combinations.

Figure 3.30. The flam.
The overlapping effect can be demonstrated through observing the sticking pattern
of the Swiss army triplet (Figure 3.31), consisting of overlapping double strokes in the
right and left hands. The overlapping is not immediately evident by looking at Figure
3.31, however if the Swiss army triplet is orchestrated on two different playing surfaces,
the overlapping becomes more apparent. Figure 3.32 demonstrates the orchestration of
the same Swiss army triplet as seen in Figure 3.31 but with the right hand on the tom and
left hand on the snare. From this example, the overlapping double strokes become more
evident.
Figure 3.31. The Swiss army triplet.

Figure 3.32. The Swiss army triplet orchestrated on the snare drum and floor tom.
A related variation of the Swiss army triplet is a double stroke roll sticking
consisting of RRLL which has a left-handed grace note before the right-handed double,
as illustrated in Figure 3.33. This can be seen as an extension of the Swiss army triplet
due to a similar design and the addition of an extra left-handed stroke to make it a four-
note grouping. This variation consists of an overlapping of a double stroke in the right
hand and a triple stroke in the left hand. Figure 3.34 illustrates the overlapping of double
and triple strokes for the Swiss army triplet four-note variation that places the right-
handed strokes onto the floor tom and the left-handed strokes onto the snare drum.
Figure 3.33. The Swiss army triplet four beat variation.

Figure 3.34. The Swiss army triplet four beat variation orchestrated on the snare drum
and floor tom.
3.1.7 Hybrid rudiments. Hybrid rudiments are any sticking combination that is
either a variation on the forty essential rudiments, combinations of elements of the forty
essential rudiments or new inventions. This section focuses on highlighting the hybrid
rudiments found throughout the transcribed material. The two primary methods applied to
produce hybrid rudiments throughout the transcriptions are either; (1) by combining
duple and triple elements of existing rudiments to obtain an odd number or (2) by adding
or subtracting a note or rest from an existing rudiment to change the duration of the
rudiment.
The first example presented in Figure 3.35 is a grouping of five, constructed by
adding a grouping of two (RL) and three (RLL) together. A further variation on the five-
note grouping as seen in Figure 3.35 can be derived by changing the sticking of the
grouping of three from RLL to RRL. This five-note grouping (RLRRL), as shown in
Figure 3.36, is useful for outlining a grouping of five with only one accent at the
beginning of each grouping.

Figure 3.35. A grouping of five comprised of a grouping of two and a grouping of three.
Figure 3.36. A grouping of five that does not emphasize sub-groupings of two and three.
This concept can be expanded upon to derive other odd number groupings by
adding further duple and triple groupings. A grouping of seven (Figure 3.37) can be
derived by adding two groupings of two and one grouping of three (2+2+3). Groupings of
nine (Figure 3.38) can be derived by adding an additional grouping of two (2+2+2+3) and
a grouping of eleven (Figure 3.39) by adding a further grouping of two (2+2+2+2+3).
The groupings of twos and threes can be played in any combination, but are shown here
with the groupings of three last to demonstrate the progression of the idea.
Figure 3.37. A grouping of seven derived from 2 groupings of two and 1 grouping of
three (2+2+3).
Figure 3.38. A grouping of nine derived from 3 groupings of two and 1 grouping of three
(2+2+2+3).
Figure 3.39. A grouping of eleven derived from 4 groupings of two and 1 grouping of
three (2+2+2+2+3).
As in Figure 3.21, which illustrated a paradiddle hybrid constructed by combining a
double paradiddle and a single paradiddle to produce a ten-note grouping, rudiments from
other families can be combined to create odd number groupings. Figure 3.40 shows a
combination of a five stroke roll three sixteenth-notes in duration and a seven stroke roll
four sixteenth-notes in duration to produce a seven-note grouping.
Figure 3.40. A seven grouping derived from adding together a five stroke roll and seven
stroke roll.
Rudiments from different families can also be combined to produce hybrid
rudiments. Figure 3.41 shows a combination of three single strokes and a flam tap (Figure
3.42) to create a five-note grouping.
Figure 3.41. A five-note grouping derived by combining three single strokes and a flam
tap.
Figure 3.42. The flam tap.
The combining of duple and triple rudimental elements to produce hybrid
rudiments is the method predominantly used throughout the transcriptions. The second
method of adding or subtracting a note or rest to change the duration of the rudiment is
illustrated in Figure 3.43, which shows a seven-note grouping derived by subtracting the
last note from a single paradiddle.
Figure 3.43. A seven-note grouping derived by subtracting the last note of a paradiddle.
An example in which a note value is added to an existing rudiment can be seen in
Figure 3.44, whereby an extra note is added to a double paradiddle to expand it from a
twelve-note to a thirteen-note phrase, in this case an extra right hand stroke after the
midway left-handed accent is added.

Figure 3.44. A thirteen-note grouping derived from adding an extra note to the double
paradiddle.
The second method of deriving hybrid rudiments, which is to add or subtract a note
or rest as illustrated in Figures 3.43 and 3.44, could be considered the similar to the first
method, as fundamentally all the examples can be broken down into duple and triple
figures. However, due to the method by which these rudiments were conceived, they have
been categorized into the second method.
3.2 Orchestration Methods
The rudiments and sticking patterns detailed in Chapter Three, 3.1 provide the
foundation for the majority of the orchestration methods, drum set techniques and
approaches found throughout the transcriptions. The application of the rudiments to the
drum set involves the orchestration of sticking patterns between the hands and feet onto
different parts of the drum set. The orchestrated material can be broken down into small
rhythmic cells commonly referred to as licks. A drummer’s style can be defined by how
these small rhythmic cells are phrased and arranged within a piece of music.
The orchestration of the sticking patterns can be seen as the second stage in the
methodology of applying Carnatic rhythms to the drum set. The various orchestration
methods create a catalogue of small rhythmic cells, becoming building blocks that can be
rearranged in numerous ways during improvisations. It is during this process that
consideration is given to where the various strokes are placed on the drum set and to the
inclusion of the bass drum and hi hat parts.
This section details the orchestration methods found throughout the transcriptions
taken from Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium, presenting each example as a
small rhythmic cell. The examples are displayed as either sixteenth-notes in a 2/4 bar for
duple groupings or eighth-notes in a 6/8 for triple groupings. The examples are shown as
an orchestrated figure comprising of the snare drum, bass drum and hi hat to highlight the
design of the orchestration.
3.2.1 Addition of bass drum or hi hat to rudiments. The first technique for the
orchestration of sticking patterns to be examined is the addition of a bass drum (or hi hat)
to a right or left sticking and the orchestration of that note onto the cymbals, snare or
toms. A common application of this technique is the orchestration of the strokes onto the
cymbals. An orchestration of a single stroke roll using this technique would appear as in
Figure 3.45, three-note ruff or drag as in Figure 3.46, and the orchestration of a double
stroke would appear as in Figure 3.47.

Figure 3.45. The orchestration of a single stroke roll with the bass drum played together
with the right hand.
Figure 3.46. The orchestration of three-note ruff with the bass drum played together with
the right hand.
Figure 3.47. The orchestration of double stroke roll with the bass drum played together
with the right hand.

The combinations of a two stroke grouping (RL) derived from the single stroke
example shown in Figure 3.45, the three-note grouping (RLL) in Figure 3.46 and the
four-note orchestration of the double stroke (RRLL) as in Figure 3.47 give rise to a large
amount of permutations. Various duple, triple and odd number groupings can be derived
from combining these smaller elements, as illustrated earlier in 3.1.7 on hybrid
rudiments.
A related method of orchestration involves a bass drum (or hi hat) being added to
the accented notes of a rudiment and then orchestrated around the drum set. In this
method the unaccented notes are commonly played on the snare drum, but can be played
on the toms or hi hat. This is a common method often learnt as a first step to orchestrating
various rudiments around the drum set. Figure 3.48 shows the first stage of this method in
which a bass drum is added to the accented notes of a sticking pattern; in this case, to the
accented notes of a single paradiddle. The second stage of the orchestration is shown in
Figure 3.49, whereby the accented notes of the paradiddle are placed onto the cymbals,
the right-handed accent on the ride cymbal and the left-handed accent on the crash
cymbal.
Figure 3.48. A paradiddle with the bass drum added to the accented notes.
Figure 3.49. A paradiddle with the bass drum added to the accented notes and played on
the cymbals.
Figure 3.49 highlights an approach that enables an ergonomic flow around the drum
set. In this example, the right-handed accents are placed on the ride cymbal, located on
the right hand side of the drum set and the left-handed accent is placed on the crash
cymbal, located on the left hand side of the drum set. This method divides the drum set
into right and left zones with the corresponding hands playing the instruments on their
respective sides, which avoids crossing the hands over each other. The cross-over
technique can produce interesting rhythmic variations, but is predominantly employed for
a visual effect.
This technique is a useful way to orchestrate the double stroke rolls, the paradiddle
rudiments, flam rudiments and related hybrid rudiments. This technique is most
commonly applied to accented single stroke rolls when the bass drum is added to the
accented notes and orchestrated around the drum kit. Similarly, accents can be added to
unaccented notes in rudiments and then orchestrated around the drum set to create further
variations. The Swiss army triplet is commonly played with the accenting note being the
flam but further variations can be derived by accented the second or third note of the
rudiment. Figure 3.50 shows an example of a Swiss army triplet with the second note
accented.
Figure 3.50. A Swiss army triplet with the second note accented.
Figure 3.51 below shows an orchestration of the Swiss army triplet in which a bass
drum is added to the second accented note and orchestrated onto the ride cymbal. This
technique is good for maintaining the effect of the flam whilst orchestrating the rudiment
onto different parts of the drum set.
Figure 3.51. Swiss army triplet with second note orchestrated on the ride cymbal.
3.2.2 Linear drumming. Linear drumming is a term given to an orchestration
approach whereby only a single surface is played at one time. This approach differs to the
approaches thus far explained, where either a bass drum or hi hat is added to accented or
unaccented notes of rudimental sticking patterns.
A linear approach can be achieved by orchestrating a rudiment onto the drum set
with the bass drum (or hi hat) being substituted for the existing rudimental strokes or
added in addition to the rudimental strokes. Figure 3.52 demonstrates the method of
adding the bass drum or hi hat to existing rudiments. In this example, the hi hat is added
in between each stroke of a single stroke roll. Figure 3.53, on the other hand, shows an
example of a linear approach that substitutes a rudimental stroke for the bass drum or hi
hat. In this instance, every second left hand stroke of a single stroke roll is substituted
with a bass drum.
Figure 3.52. A single stroke roll with hi hat added in between each stroke.
Figure 3.53. A single stroke roll with every second left hand stroke substituted with the
bass drum.
These two methods of either adding or substituting a bass drum or hi hat can
produce many combinations of the hands and the feet. Within the transcriptions, there are
several figures that are used throughout, the most common of those, in addition to Figure
3.63 and 3.64 above, are shown in Figures 3.54 through 3.59 below. These patterns
constitute the building blocks that can be combined to create many variations of duple,
triple and odd-numbered figures. Figures 3.54 through 3.59 are shown in a simplified
form between the snare and bass drum. These combinations can be further developed by
orchestrating them around the drum set and by playing them in various subdivisions and
time signatures.
Figure 3.54. A two-note linear grouping.
Figure 3.55. A three-note linear grouping.

Figure 3.56. A four-note linear grouping.
Figure 3.57. A five-note linear grouping.
Figure 3.58. A six-note linear grouping.
Figure 3.59. A seven-note linear grouping.

Another orchestration method that can be seen as an extension of the flat flam, can
be produced by playing rhythmic figures with both hands together and adding bass drum
or hi hat in between the strokes. Like the linear approach, most of the combinations found
throughout the transcriptions are made up of only a few smaller building blocks, such as
in Figures 3.60 through 3.64, shown here orchestrated on the closed hi hat, snare drum
and bass drum. These smaller building blocks of two, three, four and five notes can be
combined to create further permutations.
Figure 3.60. A two-note grouping orchestrated flat flam.
Figure 3.61. A three-note grouping orchestrated flat flam.
Figure 3.62. A four-note grouping orchestrated flat flam (variation 1).

Figure 3.63. A four-note grouping orchestrated flat flam (variation 2).
Figure 3.64. A five-note grouping orchestrated flat flam.
3.3 Stylistic Considerations
This section gives an overview of the basic drum set playing styles that have
informed the drumming approaches found throughout the transcriptions. This section
reflects the third stage of applying Carnatic rhythms to the drum set, whereby stylistic
considerations and aesthetic decisions inform the choice of appropriate sticking patterns
and orchestration methods that best complement the style of music being played.
In this section, jazz, rock, blues and funk styles are examined to identify the core
attributes that define these basic styles. These core attributes can be seen as the factors
that connect newer drumming styles and approaches with the basic forms, contributing to
the lineage of these styles. Through defining the core attributes of these basic drumming
styles, this section also examines how drum ostinatos or grooves are derived from the
basic styles and applied to odd time signatures. In addition, the rhythmic concepts of beat
displacement and superimposed metric modulation are presented.
Drum set playing is part of a continuum that began in the early part of the twentieth
century. The development of drum set playing evolved parallel to the development of
jazz and popular music forms during the first half of the twentieth century in the United
States. From the second half of the twentieth century until today, a myriad of genres and
sub-genres has since developed, establishing many different stylistic approaches to
playing the drum set. The musical forms from Latin American and Europe are of notable
influence in addition to the developments in the United States.
3.3.1 Jazz drumming. The development of jazz music and jazz drumming in
general is not the focus of this section; rather, the objective is to define the characteristics
of a jazz approach. This approach has informed much of the drumming found throughout
the transcriptions. For an in-depth study on the development of the jazz tradition, Gunther
Schuller’s Early Jazz (1968) is a treatise that examines the early roots of jazz,
highlighting the influence of the African and European music traditions. Although
Schuller does examine the rhythmic aspects that define jazz, Brown’s (1976) dissertation
on the development of the drum set and jazz drumming styles remains one of the most
thorough resources concerning the roots of jazz drumming.

The term swing is a commonly used umbrella term that attempts to describe the
rhythmic characteristics of jazz music. The term is used to define varying aspects of jazz
rhythm that at the same time can describe rhythmic phrasing, pulse, timekeeping patterns
and the emotional quality of the music. The term also refers to a period of jazz music in
the 1930s and 1940s when jazz big bands were at the height of their popularity.
In a technical sense, the rhythmic characteristics of swing can be attributed to a
triplet based subdivision that places emphasis on the second and fourth quarter-notes
within a 4/4 meter, a characteristic underlying most African-American musics (Monson,
1996). Monson (1996) and Berliner (1994) each attempt to describe swing in both a
physical and metaphysical sense, but it remains a subjective term that carries as many
interpretations as there are people trying to define it.
Early styles of jazz drumming popular between the early 1900s until the late 1920s
revolved around the playing rhythmic ostinatos on the snare drum, with the bass drum
accenting the first and third quarter-notes of the 4/4 meter. The major exponents of this
style were Warren “Baby” Dodds and Zutty Singleton. During the Big Band Era or
Swing period, the focus shifted from snare drum as the main timekeeping device to the
ride cymbal with the bass drum emphasizing all four beats of the bar instead of one and
three. The major exponents of this approach were Chick Webb, Buddy Rich, Papa Jo
Jones and Gene Krupa.
As the Big Band period waned after the Second World War, economic issues
forced bandleaders to reduce their big bands to small groups. The drumming style used in
big bands proved to be too overbearing for the small group setting, which led to the ride
cymbal and the hi hat becoming the main timekeeping devices, and the bass drum being
played much softer. This approach of playing the bass drum is called feathering, where
the objective is for it to be felt and not heard. The Bebop Era, which began at the same
time as the demise of the big band, gave rise to a new approach to jazz drumming,
exemplified by the playing styles of bebop pioneers such as Kenny Clarke and Max
Roach. The jazz ride cymbal and hi hat pattern used throughout the Bebop Era is
illustrated here in Figure 3.65.
Figure 3.65. The jazz ride cymbal pattern with two and four played with the hi hat.
The style of jazz drumming that developed during the Bebop Era is the foundation
for contemporary approaches to playing jazz, and gave rise to the development of four-
way coordination, where all four limbs are involved in the time keeping process. In this
approach, the ride cymbal and hi hat provide an ostinato as seen in Figure 3.65, leaving
the snare drum and bass drum free to play improvised rhythmic figures known as
comping, a word derived from the word accompaniment, which functions to provide
spontaneous rhythmic accompaniment for the soloist during improvisation. In contrast to
the feathered bass drum, the use of strong accented bass drum beats was referred to as
dropping bombs. Figure 3.66 below shows an example of the approach developed in the
Bebop Era with the ride cymbal as the main timekeeper, two and four ostinato on the hi
hat and the bass drum and snare comping.
Figure 3.66. An example of bebop drumming approach.
Further developments of this concept during the 1960s saw drummers shift the
timekeeping emphasis to the hi hat, freeing the drummer from playing a repetitive pattern
on the ride cymbal and enabling a more interactive approach, which incorporated all of
the drum set parts into the timekeeping role. At the same time, the hi hat broke free from
being a timekeeping element and was used as another comping source along with the
snare and the bass drum. The ride was still used as a timekeeper but the ride cymbal
pattern was not strictly adhered to and was played with more variation.
Around the same period, more adventurous rhythmic devices were employed to
create more rhythmic tension. For example, drummers such as Tony Williams, Elvin
Jones and Art Blakey began superimposing a 3/4 ride cymbal patterns over the 4/4 time
signature. The 3/4 ride cymbal pattern is a variation on the 4/4 ride cymbal pattern that is
often referred as a jazz waltz. Figure 3.67 demonstrates an example of a 3/4 ride cymbal
pattern with the bass drum played on beat one and the hi hat on beats two and three. The
bass drum is bracketed as it is sometimes omitted.
Figure 3.67. A 3/4 ride cymbal pattern.
Figure 3.68 shows the application of this concept, whereby a 3/4 ride cymbal
pattern denoted by the broken bracket is played throughout the three bar example in 4/4
meter, with the hi hat being played on the second and fourth quarter-note of the bar,
representing the 4/4 ride cymbal pattern. Rhythmic tension is created by playing the 3/4
ride cymbal pattern against the hi hat on the second and fourth quarter-note of the bar.
Figure 3.68. A superimposed 3/4 ride cymbal pattern played in a 4/4 meter.
This concept of playing a 3/4 ride cymbal pattern in 4/4 is sometimes referred to as
poly-metric approach where simultaneous meters are being played at the same time.
Strictly speaking, only the 4/4 meter is being played with rhythmic groupings, giving the
impression of poly-metric activity. The term superimposed metric modulation will be
used throughout to describe this rhythmic concept.
Figure 3.69. 4/4 ride cymbal pattern with the hi hat played on every quarter-note
Figure 3.69 shows another common device used when playing the ride cymbal
pattern, which places the hi hat on every quarter-note within a 4/4 bar instead of the
second and fourth quarter-note. By using this technique, the hi hat is relegated to a
timekeeping function, leaving the hands and the bass drum free to play rhythmic figures.
This was an approach favored by drummers such as Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette,
who in the 1960s set the foundations for a more modern approach to jazz drumming. This
approach, along with the superimposed metric modulation can be found throughout the
transcribed material.
3.3.2 Fundamental popular music styles. The drumming styles derived from
popular music have similar roots as jazz drumming but have taken different courses in
their development. Rock drumming styles evolved from rhythm and blues, a style that
was popular from the late 1940s through to the early days of rock and roll in the 1950s
(Glass, 2005). Rhythm and Blues is a commonly accepted antecedent of Rock and Roll,
along with the influence of country, gospel and the blues.
The fundamental characteristics of the popular music drumming approaches that
have their roots in the aforementioned antecedents can be simplified to include: a eighth-
note or sixteenth-note subdivision of the quarter-note (as opposed to the triplet
subdivision of jazz), emphasis of the downbeat (first quarter-note) of the bar with the
bass drum, and emphasis of the snare drum on the second and fourth quarter-notes of a
4/4 bar, commonly referred to as the backbeat.
Three basic stylistic ostinato patterns or grooves are shown to demonstrate these
fundamental characteristics; Figure 3.70 shows a basic rock beat, Figure 3.71 a 12/8 blues
groove and Figure 3.72 a sixteenth-note funk groove. All of these examples are shown in
their simplest form without any bass drum, snare drum and hi hat variants.
Figure 3.70. A basic 4/4 rock groove.

Figure 3.71. A basic 12/8 blues groove.
Figure 3.72. A basic sixteenth-note funk groove.
From these three examples (Figures 3.70-3.72), it can be seen that the bass drum
and snare drum parts maintain relative positions in the bar with the bass drum on the first
and third quarter-notes and the snare drum on the second and fourth quarter-note of the
bar. The 12/8 blues groove can also be written as a bar of 4/4 with a triplet subdivision as
both interpretations sound and feel the same. A 12/8 blues groove, for example, is
commonly counted off with a four count, hence the application of the same counting
system for all three examples.
What is evident from these three examples is a change in the subdivision of the hi
hat part, which defines the feel of the groove. These three simple forms provide the
blueprint for many variations and provide the foundation for many different popular
music genres. Even though the bass drum on the third quarter-note of the bar is shown
here as a constant and could hence be construed as a defining characteristic, the essence
of the basic styles will still be maintained if it is omitted or displaced to a different beat.
Variations in the beats are usually derived from playing rhythmic figures that
complement the music being played. Most commonly, the bass drum reinforces the
rhythmic figures of the bass. Many drummers will endeavor to maintain the characteristic
of the basic beats previously presented, adding bass drum, snare drum and hi hat
variations to complement the rhythms of the music being played. In Figure 3.73, the
relationship between the bass part and drum part is shown illustrating a generic rock bass
and drum part. The dotted lines indicate the correspondence of the bass rhythms to the
bass drum part. As can be observed, the hi hat and snare parts remain unchanged from the
basic rock feel, with the bass drum playing the three notes contained in the bass part.
Figure 3.73. A generic rock feel for bass and drums.
3.3.3 Odd time grooves. The same methods illustrated earlier that produce hybrid
rudiments and orchestrations can be applied to creating grooves or drum beats in odd
time signatures. The objective is to create grooves that have a natural flow by
maintaining the characteristics of the basic popular music styles introduced earlier in this
section. As with hybrid rudiments and orchestrations, the odd time grooves can be
achieved by combining duple and triple elements of the basic rock, blues and funk
grooves. The basic rock groove and sixteenth-note funk groove provide duple elements
and the 12/8 blues feel provide triple elements. The first example is a simplified rhythmic
version of “Cepheus” from Isolation has its Advantages and a common method of
subdividing a rhythmic figure in 5/4, consisting of two dotted quarter-notes and two
quarter-notes, as shown in Figure 3.74 below.
Figure 3.74. A common 5/4 rhythmic subdivision orchestrated with bass and drums.
The rhythm of the bass is again mirrored in the drum part in the bass drum and
snare drum. This beat can be considered a hybrid groove that combines duple and triple
elements, by applying a 12/8 blues groove to the dotted quarter-notes of the bass rhythm
and a basic rock groove to the quarter-notes of the bass rhythm. As can be observed, the
basic shape of the original basic grooves are maintained with continuous eighth-notes on
the hi hat, bass drum on the down beat and with bass drum and snare drum following
each other consecutively. The effect of this approach is the creation of a groove that does
not interfere with the flow of the music, and which has a natural feel due to the presence
of attributes of the original basic grooves.
Grooves can also be derived from orchestrating rudimental sticking patterns
between the snare drum, bass drum and hi hat. For the right-handed drummer, this is
usually achieved by placing the right hand on the hi hat and the left hand on the snare
drum with the bass drum added to the right-handed accents. Figure 3.75 shows the
paradiddle orchestrated on the snare drum, bass drum and hi hat to create a groove. When
comparing this groove to the original three basic grooves, it is evident that the paradiddle
orchestration is related to the sixteenth-note funk groove. The characteristic elements of
the basic popular music beats shown earlier remain evident due to the sixteenth-note
subdivision of the beat, the first and third quarter-notes played on the bass drum and the
second and fourth quarter-notes accentuated on the snare drum.
Figure 3.75. A groove created from the orchestration of a single paradiddle.
In this style of playing, the hi hat and snare drum are played with two different
dynamic levels to distinguish between accented and unaccented notes. This concept of
groove playing is well explained in beginning of Garibaldi’s (1990) Future Sounds that
covers the orchestration of paradiddles and linear style groove playing. In this approach,
accented notes are played on the hi hat with the shaft of the stick and unaccented notes by
the tip with the accented notes on the snare drum played as a rim shot (playing both the
rim and centre of the drum together) and unaccented notes played close to the drum head
(approximately 5cm), represented by the bracketed ghosted notes on the snare drum.
The paradiddle family of rudiments is well suited to this sort of orchestration as the
accented strokes usually alternate from hand to hand. As can be seen in Figure 3.75
above, the bass drum accents and snare accents occurring sequentially reflects the bass
drum and snare drum accents of the basic rock, blues and funk styles. Again, duple and
triple paradiddle elements can be combined to create odd number groupings. Expanding
on the previous example, Figure 3.76 below shares the same rhythmic outline as the
example in Figure 3.75, but orchestrates the single and double paradiddles to create the
drum part.
Figure 3.76. A 5/4 groove created by combining single and double paradiddles.
In Figure 3.76, the bass rhythm is complemented by the bass drum and snare drum
in the same manner as found in Figure 3.74. The double paradiddle corresponds to the
dotted quarter-notes and single paradiddle corresponds to the quarter-notes of the bass
rhythm. The effect is a busier, more complex sounding groove than the rock/blues
derived grooves in Figure 3.74 with Figure 3.76 being more akin to a sixteenth-note funk
groove. This approach is often called a linear approach in which sticking patterns are
orchestrated on the snare drum, bass drum and hi hat. Strictly speaking, a linear groove
would not contain notes played on more than one surface at a time, however the overall
effect of paradiddle orchestrations sound very similar to the linear approach, hence the
orchestration of paradiddle rudiments.
3.3.4 Beat displacement. A linear approach is often syncopated, giving the illusion
of poly-rhythms and/or poly-metric activity. The drumming style on both recordings
could be considered highly syncopated and can be seen as a fundamental characteristic of
the approach. There are many methods of creating syncopated drum parts, from playing
poly-rhythmic and poly-metric figures to accenting off beat figures whilst comping.
Another effective way to achieve a syncopated effect is by beat displacement.
Beat displacement is demonstrated in this section through the orchestration of the
single paradiddle to create a drum groove. By displacing the starting point of the
rudiment either behind or ahead of the beat, this rhythmic device gives the impression
that the pulse has momentarily shifted, which creates rhythmic tension. Figures 3.77, 3.78
and 3.79 demonstrate displaced versions of the single paradiddle. Figure 3.77 starts the
single paradiddle on the second sixteenth-note of the bar, Figure 3.78 starts the single
paradiddle on the third sixteenth-note of the bar (or off-beat) and Figure 3.79 starts on the
fourth sixteenth-note of the bar.

Figure 3.77. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the second sixteenth-note of the
bar.
Figure 3.78. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the third sixteenth-note of the bar.
Figure 3.79. A single paradiddle displaced to start on the fourth sixteenth-note of the bar.
3.4 Summary
This chapter has been an overview of the drum set techniques and styles found
throughout the transcribed material. The purpose for presenting this information is to give
the reader a better understanding of the building blocks that constitute the drumming
approaches found throughout Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium. The
information from this chapter and the previous chapter are then used as descriptors to
communicate the methods that have informed the performance analyzed in Chapter Five.
Chapter Four: Methodology
The methodology applied in this research project investigated my transference of
rhythms from Carnatic music to the drum set, with particular attention given to the
impact of this application on my performance style. The methodology contains four
distinct stages: (1) the learning of Carnatic rhythms through the study of the solkattu; (2)
the application of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set; (3) the usage of applied Carnatic
rhythms to the drum set in performance; and (4) a performance analysis of the creative
works to ascertain the influence of Carnatic rhythms on my performance practice.
4.1 Stage One: The Study of Solkattu
The first stage of the research project involved the learning of Carnatic rhythms.
This occurred primarily through one-to-one lessons with Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan
with print and DVD publications on the topic playing only a secondary role. The lessons
with Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan were the primary source of Carnatic rhythmic
information, with the overall method of transmission employed by both teachers being
similar, and the main differences being the content and pacing of the lessons.
In both cases, lessons were delivered using solkattu as a means of transferring
rhythmic information with instruments seldom being involved. Occasionally, both
teachers would demonstrate the application of an idea on their respective instruments but
only after the idea had been first taught via solkattu. Both teachers possessed an innate
ability to gauge my musical standard and consequently deliver concepts that were within
my grasp, yet challenging; constantly pushing my boundaries.
Two main factors that contributed to the differences of transmission between
Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan were: (1) my prior knowledge of Carnatic rhythms when I
began study with Vaidyanathan and (2) an improvement in transcription methods. The
result of these two factors meant that lessons with Vaidyanathan moved through
information quicker than the lessons with Sundaresan.
The lessons with Sundaresan introduced me to the principle concepts of the
Carnatic rhythmic system. During these lessons, I learnt the main solkattu syllables,
fundamental tala patterns and common methods of subdividing the aforementioned tala
patterns, along with basic rhythmic awareness exercises. Once these elements were
established, the focus of the lessons shifted predominantly to the learning of various
Carnatic rhythmic designs such as arudie, yati and the korvai. The korvai is another
cadential rhythmic design most frequently used the tani avartanam (percussion solo) in
Carnatic music. The korvai design that was taught during lessons will not be featured in
this exegesis as the design did not manifest in either Isolation has its Advantages or
Territorium.
The lessons with Vaidyanathan occurred during a four-and-one-half-week intensive
study period in Chennai in August 2010. As opposed to studying with Sundaresan, which
involved a more open-ended approach, the fixed period of my Chennai visit led to a more
structured lesson plan. My first request to Vaidyanathan involved asking him to begin
with the basics of Carnatic rhythms to see if there were any fundamental gaps in my
knowledge. As Sundaresan considered me one of his advanced students due to my
drumming background, a lot of fundamental exercises were omitted from the lessons by
Sundaresan, as he considered them either too simplistic or instrument specific. The
lessons with Vaidyanathan progressed quickly through the basics and covered the
rhythmic designs of the arudie, yati and korvai, as well as other methods to create
rhythmic variation.
During lessons received from Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan, the volume of
information transmitted far exceeded the amount I was able to assimilate into my own
body of knowledge. Being aware of this situation, I was mindful to document each lesson
so I could reference the material after the lesson had occurred. The written transcription
method I used during lessons transformed as I progressed through the research period.
This transformation, explained below, allowed me to capture information much quicker
during lessons so that more time could be spent on learning.
My initial method used with Sundaresan involved transcription of Carnatic rhythms
into Western notation and adding solkattu syllables below the corresponding notes.
Although this is a legitimate method used in texts on Carnatic rhythms (Lockett, 2008;
Sankaran, 1994, 2010), this method proved to be very time consuming during lessons.
Figure 4.1 shows an excerpt taken from one of the first lessons I had with Sundaresan
that occurred during my artistic residency at Lasalle College of the Arts in March 2006.
As can be seen from this example, each separate idea is written out in Western notation
with the corresponding solkattu patterns written below the notes.
Figure 4.1. Transcription method using Western notation.
The next evolution of my transcription method involved writing out the separate
groupings of the rhythmic designs in Western notation but omitting bar lines and solkattu
syllables. The spatialization and beaming of the groupings were configured so that they
visually represented the structure of the rhythmic design. This method allowed me to
transcribe ideas more efficiently and allowed for quicker comprehension of the structure
of each rhythmic design. Figure 4.2, taken from a lesson in April 2007, demonstrates an
example of this transcription method.
Figure 4.2. Transcription method using Western notation and spatialization.
Figure 4.3 shows the structure of the rhythmic design shown in Figure 4.2
represented by numeric values with the bracketed numbers indicate rests.
5 (1) 5 (1) 5
6 (1) 6 (1) 6
7 (1) 7 (1) 7
Figure 4.3. Numeric transcription method.
Although the method of representing rhythmic designs numerically shown in Figure
4.2 was developed during my studies with Sundaresan, this method of transcription was
used most extensively during my lessons with Vaidyanathan. Figure 4.4 shows an
example of this method taken from a lesson with Vaidyanathan on the August 30, 2010.
Figure 4.4. Numeric transcription method from lesson with Vaidyanathan.
In the period between studying with Sundaresan and Vaidyanathan, I had adopted
another method borrowed from Nelson (2008) that involved writing out the solkattu
syllables of a rhythmic design and placing subtext numbers next to the solkattu syllables
to represent the duration of the syllable. This method relies on the prior knowledge of the
meter and the assumption that the basic subdivision of the pulse is sixteenth-notes.
Figure 4.5. Transcription method using solkattu syllables and subtext numbers.
Figure 4.5 taken from a lesson with Vaidyanathan on August 18, 2010 shows the
transcription method using solkattu syllables and subtext numbers. In this excerpt, which
demonstrates a rhythmic design in 7/4, the various subtext numbers placed next to
solkattu syllables represent the duration of each syllable in sixteenth notes. Where there
are no subtext numbers, the solkattu syllables represent one sixteenth-note.
4.2 Stage Two: Application of Carnatic Rhythms to the Drum Set
Stage two of the methodology involves the application of Carnatic rhythms to the
drum set. The Carnatic rhythms learnt in the first stage of the methodology provide the
primary data for this stage. A singular idea in its primary form (solkattu) can generate a
multitude of secondary ideas (application to the drum set) through application of different
sticking patterns and methods of orchestration around the drum set. Those orchestrations
can then be manipulated further through permutations and stylistic considerations to
create a vast quantity of variations. My prior musical experiences, in addition to aesthetic
decisions, became factors in the outcome of results.
As personal practice is central to the outcome of stage two, my drum set practice
routine played an important role in the transformation process. The objective of the
practice sessions was not only to adapt the Carnatic rhythms to the drum set but also to
further develop my technique in order to be able to execute the ideas. The musical
traditions important in my development as a musician, such as jazz, funk, Latin, free jazz,
free improvisation and fusion music, provided the foundation built upon during this stage
through the application of Carnatic rhythms to drum set.
The documentation for this stage came in two forms: (1) a practice journal and (2)
video documentation of selected practice sessions. The information transcribed in the
practice journals is the focus of this section, in order to examine the methods used to
adapt the Carnatic rhythms to drum set. Neither the practice journal nor the video
documentation have been included as part of the submission, as the focus of the exegesis
is on the performance analysis. However, selected examples from the practice diary in
this chapter have been included in the exegesis to highlight the application of Carnatic
elements into my practice.
In most cases, a sticking pattern was first applied to the Carnatic rhythms, followed
by orchestrating the sticking pattern to the drum set. The rhythm would first be practiced
as a rhythmic cell on the snare drum, repeating the pattern until it was comfortable to
play. Figure 4.6 shows an example taken from my practice diary on August 8, 2011
detailing a typical process of applying sticking patterns to basic Carnatic rhythmic
groupings.
Figure 4.6. Example of sticking pattern devised to adapt Carnatic rhythmic ideas.
In this particular example, a RLRRL sticking pattern has been applied to the five-
note grouping ‘ta di gi na dom’. As illustrated in 2.1.2 on expansion and reduction,
groupings of six and seven can be derived from the original grouping of five, giving three
different length groupings all with the same sticking pattern. By maintaining the same
sticking pattern for each of the different length groupings, the execution of the 777-666-
555 pattern for example as written in Figure 4.6 becomes easier to achieve, addressing
the issue of being able to play a succession of different length groupings without much
forethought. This type of rhythmic design where various length groupings are played in
succession is common to the Carnatic rhythmic system.
Developing the ability to lead with the same hand whilst changing the size of the
rhythmic groupings not only makes the rhythmic designs easier to play, it also contributes
to the continuity in the orchestration, as the different length phrases are related. To
illustrate, Figure 4.7, taken from my practice diary on September 2, 2010, shows the
orchestration of various related sticking patterns to the hi hat, bass drum and snare drum.
Figure 4.7. Various length orchestrations between the hi hat, snare drum and bass drum.
In Figure 4.7, the orchestration applied to all examples (except the last line) is for
right hand to be played on the hi hat and the left hand to be played on the snare drum.
The examples in Figure 4.7 show four different progressions of related sticking patterns
orchestrated to the drum set. These patterns were devised as preliminary exercises to play
Carnatic rhythmic designs.
The first progression on the second staff sees the expansion of a five-note grouping
shown in the 5/16 bar, into a grouping of six (6/16 bar) and seven (7/16 bar). This is a
common method of expanding a five-note grouping, in which the grouping of six is
derived by doubling the value of the second note in the five grouping, and grouping of
seven is derived by doubling the value of the first and second notes of the grouping of
five. The same five notes are being played on the same three sound sources with the
rhythm of each grouping altered to produce variations.
The second, third and fourth progressions show similar sequences to that of the
five, six and seven sequence. In the second progression a seven, eight, nine, ten
progression is shown (third and fourth staves). In the third progression a five, seven, nine,
eleven progression is shown (fifth and sixth staves) and in the fourth progression a five,
eight, eleven progression can be observed (seventh staff).
A further method employed in the adaption of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set
was to modify existing drum set patterns developed either by myself or other players. The
method used to modify the patterns was to either omit or add notes or rests to existing
phrases to create related phrases of differing lengths. Like the method described earlier,
which orchestrated sticking patterns between the hi hat, snare drum and bass drum
(Figure 4.7), this method creates a sense of continuity between the different length
phrases through being derived from the sticking pattern.

Figure 4.8. Rhythmic variations of Max Roach phrase.
Figure 4.8 shows this method of creating variations by modifying a phrase
commonly associated with jazz drummer Max Roach. The original phrase is a nine-note
grouping orchestrated on the snare drum, bass drum, tom and floor tom, which can be
seen on the first staff written as eighth-note triplets. The manipulation of the phrase is
achieved by reducing the duration of the last snare drum note by one eighth-note triplet to
create an eight-note grouping (second staff), and by reducing the last snare drum note by
two eighth-note triplets to create a seven-note grouping (third staff). The fifth, sixth and
seventh staves of Figure 4.8 show further variations on this idea by omitting the last two
snare drum notes of the original pattern.
4.3 Stage Three: Application of Carnatic Rhythms in Performance
The third stage of the research involved the application of Carnatic rhythms in a
performance setting. This stage was a progression from learning Carnatic rhythms via
solkattu in stage one, applying the Carnatic rhythms to the drum set in stage two and
finally, using the applied Carnatic rhythmic ideas in a performance setting. Although
these three stages can function as a linear progression, by referencing Deleuze and
Guattari’s rhizome concept, stages one, two and three of the methodology can influence
each other, creating a non-linear relationship between the stages.
As analysis of my performances needs to occur in order to address the research
question, stage three focuses on the documentation of performances, in particular the
recording of Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium. It is during this stage that the
influence of the first and second stages becomes apparent, creating a feedback loop in
which the results from stage three can then influence stages one and two.
Although my performance practice was situated in a variety of settings throughout
the research period, for the purpose of this research, the Darren Moore Quintet and the
percussion duo with Vaidyanathan were chosen as the primary vehicles for data
collection in this stage. The reason these two projects were chosen was that both projects
created an environment conducive to the use of Carnatic rhythms. Details of Isolation has
its Advantages and Territorium are discussed in this section, highlighting the background
to the recordings, compositional approaches and a discussion of the salient features of
each track presented for analysis.
4.3.1 Isolation has its Advantages. Although the framework inherent in the jazz
quintet context articulates an interplay between improvisation and composition, the only
compositional elements within this context taken into consideration during the
performance analysis is that of the meter and the rhythmic pattern of the bass ostinato on
each respective track. The meter and bass ostinato are the primary compositional
constants throughout the transcribed excerpts that have an influence on the drum set
performances.
The compositional method employed throughout Isolation has its Advantages
involved first constructing the rhythm section parts (bass, guitar, drums), followed by the
melodic lines (saxophone melodies). The first part to be composed was the bass part,
from which the fundamental identity of each individual track was derived. A
complementing guitar part was then added and finally the melodic lines. The individual
parts were entered into Garageband music software as MIDI information. Having limited
piano playing skills, the advantage of composing using Garageband for me was the
ability to loop each part as opposed to having to play it, providing an accompaniment to
assist in the creation of other parts. I created the melodic lines by singing over the bass
and guitar parts. Once the melody line was created, I then entered the melodies via a
MIDI keyboard.
Isolation has its Advantages features six tracks with excerpts from four of the
tracks (“Cepheus”, “Sirius”, “Coma Berencies” and “Perseus”) being presented for
performance analysis in Chapter Five. These excerpts were chosen as they best articulate
the use of Carnatic rhythms in my playing. The two tracks not included (“Orion” and
“Lyra”) featured drum parts that predominantly featured repetitive drum patterns, with
only a small degree of group interplay and deviation from the original pattern. Although
some compositional elements of both “Orion” and “Lyra” contained influences of
Carnatic rhythms, the drum performances on those two tracks did not feature the
influence of Carnatic rhythms as much as “Cepheus”, “Sirius”, “Coma Berencies” and
“Perseus”.
Figure 4.9–4.12 detail the guitar, bass and drum parts of excerpts taken from
Isolation has its Advantages presented for performance analysis in Chapter Five. An
overview of Figure 4.9–4.12 serves as a background to the performance analysis,
highlighting the salient features of each track rhythmically, harmonically and
melodically. These features are highlighted, as they have been influential in the decision-
making process of my performances on those particular tracks. A detailed rhythmic,
harmonic and melodic analysis of all the tracks on Isolation has its Advantages has not
been presented here, as only an overview featuring the transcribed material is necessary.
Figure 4.9 shows the guitar, bass and drum part in the B section or bridge of
“Cepheus”, which is in 5/4 meter recorded at a tempo of approximately 165 quarter-note
beats per minute (bpm). This four bar example shows the repeated chord sequence and
bass ostinato featured in the outro drum solo in the “Cepheus” (transcription one). A
drum part is added here to highlight the basic drum pattern from which the outro drum
solo is extrapolated. The prominent feature of Figure 4.9 is the rhythm of the bass line
that subdivides the 5/4 bars into two dotted quarter-notes and two quarter-notes. This
common method of subdividing a bar of 5/4 provides the primary rhythmic motif from
which the drum solo is constructed.
Figure 4.9. Bridge of “Cepheus” showing guitar, bass and drum parts.
Figure 4.10 shows the guitar, bass and drum parts featured throughout “Sirius”
(transcription two). “Sirius” is in 6/4 meter and was recorded at approximately quarter-
note equals 115 bpm. The salient feature on this track is the multiple meters that are
suggested as a result of the rhythmic subdivision of each part. The guitar part is
rhythmically subdivided to suggest a 12/8 meter superimposed over the 6/4 bar. This
method of subdivision creates a polyrhythmic effect of four over six. The bass part
divides the 6/4 bar into two even halves, outlining the superimposition of two 3/4 bars
within the 6/4 meter. The drum part, which is based on the jazz ride cymbal pattern,
outlines a 2/4 pattern repeated three times within the 6/4 bar. In summary, the rhythm
section parts for “Sirius” suggests the superimposition of 12/8, 3/4 and 2/4 meters
simultaneously over the 6/4 meter. The rhythmic subdivisions suggested by the multiple
meters can be used as rhythmic source material and alluded to during improvisations.
Figure 4.10. Guitar, bass and drum ostinatos taken from “Sirius”.
Figure 4.11 highlights the rhythmic subdivision of the bass part in “Coma
Berencies” that provides the rhythm signature of the track featured in both the drum solo
(transcription three) and saxophone solo (transcription four) taken from “Coma
Berencies”. “Coma Berencies” was recorded at a tempo of approximately eighth-note
equals 200 bpm in 7/8. In transcription three the drum solo is played over the bass
ostinato shown in Figure 4.11, whereas transcription four features a collective
improvisation with both saxophones soloing at the same time, the bass playing the
ostinato outlined in Figure 4.11, and the guitar and drums providing accompaniment.
A breakdown of the rhythmic subdivision of the bass ostinato is shown in the drum
part of Figure 4.11 consisting of four groupings of three sixteenth-notes, followed by one
grouping of two sixteenth-notes (33332). This subdivision provides the rhythmic DNA
from which the melody and improvisations are extrapolated. Although the drum part
throughout the track does not have a set pattern or ostinato, the rhythmic subdivisions of
the bass part are referenced throughout. The drum solo featured in transcription three and
the ensemble playing featured in transcription four are both based upon this rhythmic
subdivision.
Figure 4.11. Bass ostinato of “Coma Berencies” showing the rhythmic subdivisions in
the drum part.
Figure 4.12 shows the four bar pattern repeated throughout guitar and bass parts in
“Perseus” (transcription five). “Perseus” was written in 3/4 meter and played at a tempo
of approximately quarter-note equals 83 bpm. The bass part utilizes D flat whole tone
scale to create a four bar ostinato upon which the rest of the track is based. The guitar line
shows the melody for “Perseus”, which is the repetition of C flat. The C flat is the
seventh degree of the Db7#5 chord.
After a free improvisation at the beginning of the track, the bass, guitar and
saxophones parts throughout the track become fixed, with the only the drums
improvising. The drum part builds the composition throughout, increasing in intensity by
applying different jazz and rock drumming techniques. Transcription five features the last
thirty-two bars of “Perseus”, which can be viewed as a drum solo. The 3/4 meter of
“Perseus”, like the 6/4 meter featured in “Sirius”, provides many rhythmic options
through its divisibility of groupings of two and three. Throughout the track, the drum part
uses these various subdivisions to create tension and release.
Figure 4.12. Bass ostinato taken from “Perseus” showing the harmony and main melodic
motif in the guitar part.
4.3.2 Territorium. Excerpts from three tracks on Territorium were chosen for
inclusion in the comparative performance analysis in Chapter Five. These tracks were
chosen as they represent three different stylistic approaches and tempos, enabling the
influence of Carnatic rhythms on my playing to be examined in a variety of settings. The
three tracks that were chosen were track 1 “Holding the Infinite”, track 3 “Ascending by
Degrees”, and track 7 “Nothing More Beyond”. All three tracks are in 4/4 meter and
feature me on drum set and Vaidyanathan on ghatam.
“Holding the Infinite” features improvisations in an up-tempo jazz style at a tempo
of approximately quarter-note equals 300 bpm. The improvisations for the drums are
based around maintaining a timekeeping function with the ride cymbal and hi hat whilst
interacting rhythmically with the snare and bass drum in a jazz comping style. This
approach is also interspersed with rhythmic fills that interact with Vaidyanathan and to
create forward motion.
The second track to be analyzed from Territorium was “Ascending by Degrees”.
This track features improvisations in a funk/fusion style with a predominant sixteenth-
note subdivision at tempo of approximately quarter-note equals 108 bpm. In a similar
approach taken to “Holding the Infinite”, the improvisations are based around a time
keeping pattern, used as a basis for the improvisation, whilst interacting rhythmically
with Vaidyanathan.
The last track presented for analysis is the last track on Territorium called “Nothing
More Beyond”. This track features a different approach to “Holding the Infinite” and
“Ascending by Degrees” whereby the drum part performs more of a soloistic function
rather than a timekeeping function. Featuring improvisations at approximately quarter-
note equals 115 bpm, this track can be seen as a soloistic dialogue between Vaidyanathan
and myself. The track also differs from the aforementioned tracks in that the ending of
the track features an atempo improvisation, creating textures of sound rather than
rhythmic content; an approach more akin with free improvisation.

4.4 Stage Four: Comparative Performance Analysis
This section focuses on the methodologies employed to undertake a comparative
performance analysis of transcription excerpts from Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium. The objective of the fourth stage is to examine the influence Carnatic
rhythms have had on my performance practice through the learning of Carnatic rhythms
via solkattu in stage one and the subsequent adaption of the Carnatic rhythms to the drum
set in stage two.
The methodology employed to explore the influence of Carnatic rhythms on my
performance practice involves codifying the Carnatic rhythmic elements that appeared
within the transcribed excerpts and cross-referencing each transcription to examine the
extent of their occurrence. Examination of my performances from the transcriptions taken
from Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium in Chapter Five revealed that the
occurrence of Carnatic rhythmic elements in Territorium occurred more frequently than
in Isolation has its Advantages.
The codification of Carnatic elements can be likened to an approach proposed by
Leavy (2009) called poetic transcription, which has been used to extract themes and
recurring language from interview transcripts. Leavy describes poetic transcription as
“an approach to analysis and writing derived from a grounded theory perspective
(although not the same), where code categories develop inductively out of the data” (p.
75). Leavy continues that the researcher “studies interview transcripts looking for themes
and recurring language, then draws exact words and phrases out of the data” (p. 75). This
approach resonates which the method employed during this research project as it was not
until I transcribed my own performances that the Carnatic rhythm code categories
manifested.
The methodology employed to expose the transformative process incorporated
repeated listening to each album to pinpoint sections within the recorded tracks that
reflect an influence of Carnatic rhythms. The sections chosen from Isolation has its
Advantages were: (1) 5.58 to 6.54 in “Cepheus”; (2) 2.39 to 2.52, 5.52 to 6.11 and 6.48 to
8.26 in “Sirius”; (3) 1.24 to 2.03 and 5.13 to 7.26 in “Coma Berencies” and (4) 5.48 to
7.00 in “Perseus”. From Territorium, the sections chosen were: (1) 2.20 to 3.21 in
“Holding the Infinite”; (2) 0.00 to 2.17 in “Ascending by Degrees” and (3) 1.19 to 4.01 in
“Nothing More Beyond”. As can be seen, only “Ascending by Degrees” was transcribed
from the beginning of the track, with the excerpt from the other tracks taken from
significant points in the track that highlight the use of Carnatic rhythms.
Once these sections were highlighted, the drum set part of these sections was then
transcribed and entered into Finale music notation software. The transcription process
was aided by the use of Ableton Live digital audio workstation whereby the sections
chosen were able to be slowed down using Ableton’s time stretching function, which
enables the tempo to be slowed down whilst retaining the original pitch of the track. In
addition to the time stretching function, the Ableton equalizer EQ3 was also used in some
instances to assist in isolating the frequencies of certain parts of the drum set to aid in the
transcription process.
The transcription process varied between Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium in that for Isolation has its Advantages, the transcriptions were derived from
the finished CD and for Territorium, the transcriptions were taken from the original
Protools sessions. Consequently, the transcription process for Territorium was more
efficient as the individual drum and percussion parts were able to be isolated from each
other.
In addition to each selection representing the influence of Carnatic rhythms on my
drum set playing, the transcribed excerpts were also chosen to represent a cross section of
different stylistic drum set approaches in a variety of meters. Although all the selections
from Territorium were in 4/4, the tracks chosen from Isolation has its Advantages were
in 5/4 (“Cepheus”), 6/4 (“Sirius”), 7/8 (“Coma Berencies”) and 3/4 (“Perseus”).
From Isolation has its Advantages, the transcriptions from “Sirius” and the
saxophone solo in “Coma Berencies” represent interactive ensemble playing where the
drums are involved in a dialogue with the soloists in addition to maintaining a time
keeping function. In contrast, the other selections chosen from Isolation has its
Advantages represent a soloistic approach to drum set playing which are found in the
outro drum solo in “Cepheus”, the drum solo preceding the first melody in “Coma
Berencies” and the “Perseus” transcription. In all examples, the drums solo over ostinatos
played by the ensemble.

From the Territorium album, three tracks were chosen to represent a cross-section
of different stylist approaches. The first excerpt, taken from “Holding the Infinite”
represents an 4/4 up-tempo jazz approach, the second excerpt taken from “Ascending by
Degrees” represents in a mid-tempo 4/4 syncopated funk groove, and the third excerpt,
taken from “Nothing More Beyond”, represents a more soloistic approach that
incorporates jazz and funk elements. The interactive conversational style of playing
employed by both Vaidyanathan and myself on Territorium can be considered a hybrid
approach incorporating interactive ensemble playing and soloing.
The transcribed excerpts from both albums varied in duration from one to three
minutes per selection with an aim for the amount of transcribed bars from both albums to
be approximately the same. Once the excerpts were transcribed, an analysis of each of the
transcriptions was undertaken in order to identify the codified Carnatic elements within
the transcriptions.
From this stage, a table was drafted to collate all of the information from all the
transcriptions. This table, which can be found in Appendix D, lists the rhythmic concepts,
drum rudiments and drum set orchestration methods found within the transcriptions. The
table comprises of four columns listing; 1) the concept, 2) whether the concept is derived
from the Carnatic or drum tradition, 3) the transcription from which the concept was
found, and 4) the bar(s) in which the concept occurs within the transcriptions. The
analysis table was an effective method of organizing and identifying the codified Carnatic
elements found within the transcriptions. It also aided in defining the content of the
material to be presented in Chapters Two, Three and Five.
4.5 Summary
The methodology for this research developed in tandem with the project itself.
Although the methodology has not strayed too far from the original proposal, a degree of
flexibility in the design has allowed for changes to occur along the research journey.
Through a retrospective approach, the methodology produces a more accurate
representation of the process employed as opposed to trying to fit the research into a pre-
existing format. By forming a methodology created as a product of the creative work, the
aim is to “enable evaluation and discovery” through the lens of the exegetical perspective
(Vella, 2005, p. 2).
The following chapter will present the performance analysis of transcriptions
taken from both Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium. As outlined in the previous
section, the analysis examines the influence of Carnatic rhythms on my performance
practice. The information presented so far in Chapters One through Four provides a
background for the comprehension of the analysis.

Chapter 5: Comparative Performance Analysis
This chapter compares my performances on Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium to examine the influence of Carnatic rhythms and to observe any
development in the playing approaches between the two creative works. The
transcriptions are cross-referenced to highlight the presence of Carnatic rhythms and
drumming approaches outlined in chapters two and three.
The information in this chapter is organized thematically by rhythmic concepts
under three main headings: (1) Basic building blocks; examining the influence of odd
time groupings that are not part of larger rhythmic design, (2) rhythmic devices; covering
areas of rhythmic substitution, beat displacement and superimposed metric modulation
and (3) Carnatic rhythmic designs; detailing the influence of yati and arudie designs.
5.1 Basic Building Blocks
This section examines the presence of the basic building blocks of Carnatic
rhythm with a focus on odd number groupings to examine the various ways these
groupings have manifested within the transcriptions. The decision to focus on odd
number groupings in this section was based on the fact that these groupings were one of
the main focal points for practice and study during the research period.
This section first presents groupings of five, followed by groupings of seven and
lastly additional groupings. The additional groupings section covers groupings of nine,
ten, eleven and thirteen-note groupings. These groupings have not appeared as frequently
as groupings of five and seven, hence they are combined under one heading. Each of the
three sections examine the various ways these groupings have manifested in the
transcribed material, through observation of the sticking patterns, orchestrations and
rhythmic designs of the groupings.
5.1.1 Groupings of five. “Sirius” is the only track where examples of groupings
of five can be found in the Isolation has its Advantages transcriptions. The five-note
groupings found in “Sirius” are derived from the rhythm as seen in Figure 5.1 below,
consisting of a grouping of two and three with the last note of each grouping omitted. The
rhythm displayed in Figure 5.1 is consistent throughout Figures 5.2 − 5.4 in the ride
cymbal part played by the right hand that is highlighted by the broken brackets in each
example. The left hand part in each of the examples can be seen as variations on the
initial rhythm.
Figure 5.1. The rhythmic template for the groupings of five found throughout the
“Sirius” transcriptions.
The first example shown in Figure 5.2 from bar four of the “Sirius” transcription
consists of the groupings of five played as sixteenth-notes starting on the second quarter-
note of the 6/4 bar. The second quarter-note starting point aids in the resolution of
quadruple repetition of the groupings of five to the beginning of the following bar. The
left hand plays the same rhythm on the snare drum with the hi hat accenting every second
quarter-note of the bar, referencing the hi hat part of the jazz ride cymbal pattern.
Figure 5.2. Groupings of five in bar 4 of the “Sirius” transcription.
Two further variations on this initial phrase can be found in bars 17 (Figure 5.3)
and 20 (Figure 5.4) of the “Sirius” transcription. In both cases the groupings of five are
played as eighth-notes as opposed to sixteenth-notes. Again, the hi hat is played on every
second quarter-note of the bar in both examples. In bar 17, the groupings of five start on
the first quarter-note of the 6/4 bar, whereas in bar 25 the groupings of five start on the
second quarter-note of the 6/4 bar, as in Figure 4.2. In both bars 17 and 25, the left hand
is comping counter rhythms to the ride cymbal pattern.

The transcriptions taken from Territorium containing examples of orchestrated
groupings of five are next to be examined. “Ascending by Degrees” and “Nothing More
Beyond” transcriptions contain the majority of examples, some of which are examined in
later sections as part of larger rhythmic designs. The “Holding the Infinite” transcription
does not containing groupings of five per se but groupings of ten, which can be
considered as derivative of five, in which each of the notes of the five-note grouping are
doubled.
Figure 5.5 shows an example of the orchestration for a grouping of five derived
from combining a grouping of two and three. This example is orchestrated with the right
hand played on the open hi hat with the bass drum added and the left hand playing the
snare drum. This orchestration method is very useful because the groupings all start with
the same hand, making it easier to apply to the drum set and to create variations. The hi
hat is opened at the beginning of every sub-grouping of two and three and closed one
sixteenth-note afterwards.
Figure 5.5. A five-note grouping derived from a grouping of two (RL) and three (RLL).
The application of this orchestration method can be seen in Figure 5.6 below taken
from bar 58 of the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription. In this example, the groupings
divide the bar of 4/4 into a 3-5-5-3 sequence. This sequence acts as a prelude to a larger
rhythmic design that comes afterward, which will be discussed later in this chapter.
Figure 5.6. A 4/4 bar divided into a 3-5-5-3 sequence of sixteenth-notes taken from bar
58 of the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription.
Groupings of five can also be found in the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription comprised of the sub-groupings one and four as opposed to two and three of
the previous example. Figure 5.7 shows a five-note grouping comprised of a bass drum
on the first beat followed by four single strokes (RLRL).

Figure 5.7. A five-note grouping orchestrated between the bass drum and snare drum.
Figure 5.8, taken from bar 4 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription,
illustrates this orchestration in a performance context. The grouping of five can be seen
situated in the last five sixteenth-notes of the bar denoted by the broken bracket as part of
a larger improvised pattern around the toms and snare drum.
Figure 5.8. A five-note grouping orchestrated between the bass drum and snare drum
taken from bar 4 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.
5.1.2 Groupings of seven. In this section the use of groupings of seven throughout
the transcriptions is examined. The results of practicing groupings of seven throughout
the research period can be seen by the frequency with which the groupings of seven are
found in Territorium as opposed to Isolation has its Advantages. The groupings of seven
found throughout the transcriptions fall into two main categories; (1) a seven-note
grouping with accents on the first beat of the grouping with no articulated sub-groupings
and (2) a seven-note grouping comprised of three and four-note sub-groupings. Many of
the orchestrations presented in this section can be seen as extensions of the groupings of
five presented in the previous section.
As covered in Chapters Two and Three, the larger number groupings are commonly
comprised of smaller sub-groupings. These categories are linked together with common
sticking patterns or orchestrations produced by adding additional units, commonly
groupings of two and three, that share similar qualities. Examples from the Isolation has
its Advantages transcriptions will be looked at first and then contrasted against the
Territorium examples.
The first example to be examined in this section comes from the transcription taken
from bar 57 of the saxophone solo in “Coma Berencies”. In this example seen in Figure
5.9, the grouping of seven is bracketed as the last seven sixteenth-note triplets of the bar.
This examples falls into the first category of seven that has no articulated accents or sub-
groupings. The sticking seen here (RLRLRLL) is related to the grouping of five sticking
(RLRLL) introduced in Chapter Three, derived from adding two single strokes to the
beginning of the grouping. Even though this could be considered to be comprised of two
groupings of two and a grouping of three, it is considered a whole phrase of seven
because it has no articulated accents.

Figure 5.9. A grouping of seven in bar 57 of the “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo
transcription.
The next two examples taken from Isolation has its Advantages fall into the second
category of groupings of seven, as they are comprised of sub-groupings of three and four.
In both cases presented here, the sub-groupings are a grouping of three followed by a
grouping of four.
The first example taken from bar 32 of the “Sirius” transcription is orchestrated
with the right hand on the ride cymbal and the left hand on the snare. In this example
shown in Figure 5.10, the groupings of seven start on the first beat of the bar with
accented notes outlining a three and four-note sub-groupings highlighted by the broken
brackets in the example. Two grouping of seven are played in eighth-note triplets
followed by an additional four-note grouping to resolve the phrase on the first beat of the
following bar (not shown). The hi hat in this example acts as a timekeeping element,
outlining a steady quarter-note pulse throughout the example.

Figure 5.10. Groupings of seven in bar 32 of the “Sirius” transcription.
The second example taken from bars 2 and 3 of the drum solo in “Coma Berencies”
can be seen below in Figure 5.11. Again, the grouping of seven is comprised of sub-
groupings of three and four. In this example, the three-note Swiss army triplet and the
four-note variation of the Swiss army triplet are combined to create a seven-note
grouping. The Swiss army triplets and the four-note variations are orchestrated on the
snare drum with the right-handed flam orchestrated on the floor tom.
The groupings of seven, which are highlighted by the broken brackets in Figure
5.11, are part of a phrase that extended over two bars. The two groupings of seven are
preceded by another Swiss army triplet and followed by a grouping of two flat flams to
resolve the phase to the beginning of the bar (not shown). As can be seen in this example,
the smaller sub-groupings are derived from a related family of rudiments, enabling a
cohesive flow.
Figure 5.11. Groupings of seven in bars 2 and 3 of the “Coma Berencies” drum solo
transcription.
Figure 5.12 taken from bar 11 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription falls
into the first category of seven that has no articulated sub-groupings. The grouping of
seven in this example can be seen as an extension of the three-note and five-note
groupings denoted by broken brackets shown in Figure 5.12. The groupings of five and
seven are derived from the three-note groupings by adding additional single strokes. Each
grouping begins with the bass drum and is followed by the single strokes orchestrated on
the snare, tom and floor tom. The seven-note grouping is part of a larger phrase that
incorporates related ideas to create continuity.
transcription.
The next two examples demonstrate the incorporation of the karvai. The first
example seen in Figure 5.13 taken from bar 37 of the “Holding the Infinite” transcription,
shows a grouping of seven comprised of three and four-note sub-groupings. In this
example, the grouping of three is a dotted quarter-note karvai played on the ride cymbal
and bass drum. The grouping of four consists of a double stroke and single stroke roll
with the hi hat in this example maintaining a quarter-note ostinato.
Figure 5.13. A seven-note grouping from bar 37 of the “Holding the Infinite”
transcription.
The second example seen in Figure 5.14 taken from bar 36 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription, shows two seven-note groupings which are comprised of sub-
groupings of two groups of two followed by a grouping of three (2+2+3). In the first
grouping of seven delineated by the broken brackets, an eighth-note karvai is played on
the first grouping of two, which is orchestrated onto the open hi hat and bass drum. This
is then followed by a two-note grouping comprised of a thirty-second-note five stroke roll
played on the snare, followed by a sixteenth-note grouping of three orchestrated with the
first note played on the hi hat and bass drum with the second and third notes played on
the snare.
In the second seven-note grouping in Figure 5.14, the right hand is played on the hi
hat with the bass drum added on the first, third, fifth and sixth beats of the seven-note
grouping, with the left hand playing on the remaining notes of the grouping on the snare.
Figure 5.14. A seven-note grouping from bar 36 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription.
The starting point in the bar for the groupings of seven in Figure 5.14 is on the third
sixteenth-note of the first quarter-note of the bar of 4/4 which is fourteen sixteenth-notes
away from beat one of the following bar. This starting point in the bar enables resolution
point for both groupings of seven to coincide with the first beat of the following bar (not
shown).
Another orchestration possibility shown in Figure 5.15 that can found throughout
bars 33 to 35 in the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription is the combination of a five
stroke roll and a seven stroke roll to produce a seven-note grouping. The seven-note
groupings are denoted by the broken brackets with the seven, the five stroke rolls are
denoted by the broken brackets with the number three and the seven stroke rolls are
denoted by the broken brackets with the number four.

transcription.
5.1.3 Additional groupings. In this section the presence of various length
groupings in addition to five and seven throughout the transcriptions is examined. The
groupings are to be examined are groupings of nine, ten, eleven and thirteen notes. Out of
all of the aforementioned groupings only groupings of ten appear in the Isolation has its
Advantages transcriptions with nine, eleven and thirteen-note groupings appearing only
in the Territorium transcriptions. Some groupings of nine and eleven found in the
“Ascending by Degrees” and the “Nothing More Beyond” transcriptions will be
examined later in this chapter, which will examine these groupings as part of larger
rhythmic designs.
The first example to be examined is a grouping of nine taken from bar 13 of the
“Nothing More Beyond” transcription. Figure 5.16 shows a grouping of nine comprised
of a grouping of two and a grouping of seven. This grouping is a related phrase to five
and seven-note grouping in Figure 5.12. By adding a bass drum and floor tom (denoted
by the number 2 over the broken brackets) to a seven-note grouping (denoted by the
number 7 over the broken brackets) the nine-note grouping is derived.

Figure 5.16. A nine-note grouping taken from bar 13 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription.
The following example in Figure 5.17 demonstrates a different method of
orchestrating groupings of nine beats that comprise of sub-groupings of six and three.
This example taken from bar 34 of the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription, shows a
double paradiddle sticking orchestrated with the hi hat played by the right hand and the
snare drum played by the left hand, with the bass drum played on the first and third notes
of the double paradiddle grouping. A grouping of three single strokes starting on the left
hand succeeds this grouping of six. Within this nine-note grouping the ‘downbeat’ and
‘backbeat’ are on the first and seventh notes of the grouping respectively, outlining the
groupings of six and three.
Figure 5.17. A nine-note grouping taken from bar 34 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription.
Two further groupings of ten notes can be found in the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription derived from combining single and double paradiddles. The first example,
which combines the double paradiddle with the single paradiddle, occurs several times
throughout the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription, in bars 2, 8, 22, and 32. In Figure
5.18, taken from bar 8 of the “Ascending by Degrees” transcription, the grouping is
orchestrated with the right hand on the hi hat and the left hand on the snare, with the bass
drum played on the first and third sixteenth-notes of the grouping, which is the same
orchestration as the double paradiddle shown in Figure 5.17. The grouping of ten starts
on the fourth sixteenth-note of the first quarter-note with the grouping of six and is
followed by the single paradiddle grouping of four that begins with the ‘backbeat’ on the
snare.
transcription.
Figure 5.20 shows another variation of a ten-note grouping found in bar 34 of the
“Ascending by Degrees” transcription, which combines a single paradiddle (four beats)
with a variation on the double paradiddle (six beats). The grouping of ten in this example
starts on the third sixteenth-note of the first quarter-note with the single paradiddle that is
then followed by the grouping of six that is a variation on the double paradiddle.
The variation of the double paradiddle is derived from changing the starting point
of the double paradiddle to the fourth beat of the double paradiddle rudiment. In Figure
5.19, the six-note grouping derived from the double paradiddle is shown denoted by the
broken brackets in the context of the double paradiddle rudiment. Accents have been
added to fourth and seven beat of the double paradiddle to emphasize groupings of three
within the grouping of six. Further groupings of ten found throughout the transcribed
excerpt are introduced in the next chapter on rhythmic substitution.
Figure 5.19. A six-note grouping derived from the double paradiddle.
transcription.
Figure 5.21 shows the four-note grouping on which the larger rhythmic design
found in bars 15 to 27 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription is based. In bars 15 to
27, the four-note grouping shown in Figure 5.21 is extrapolated to create other groupings
combined to create the larger rhythmic design. Before showing the full phrase from bars
15 to 27, the methods by which the nine and thirteen-note groupings were derived will be
highlighted.
Figure 5.21. The four-note grouping on which bars 15 to 27 from the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription is based.
Figure 5.22 shows the nine-note variation that is comprised of the initial four-note
grouping followed by five additional single strokes. The grouping of thirteen shown in
Figure 5.23 is comprised of an eight-note phrase that extends the four-note grouping by
four single strokes followed by a five-note version of the herta, which adds two extra
single strokes to the three-beat herta.

Figure 5.22. A nine-note grouping taken from bars 26 and 27 of the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription.
Figure 5.23. A thirteen-note grouping taken from bars 25 and 26 of the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription.
Figure 5.24 below shows the full phrase taken from bars 15 to 27 from the
“Nothing More Beyond” transcription. The first grouping bracketed in Figure 5.24 is a
phrase sixteen sixteenth-notes in length that starts on the fourth quarter-note of the bar
and is repeated twice. Adding twelve sixteenth-note single strokes to the initial phrase
derives the sixteen-note phrase. The following ten, eight and fourteen sixteenth-notes
phrases are derived in a similar manner by adding six, four and ten extra single strokes
respectively. When added together, the ten, eight and fourteen-note phrases equals a total
of thirty-two sixteenth-notes which is the same duration as the first two sixteen-note
phrases, resolving the groupings to the original starting point in the bar.
The next two phrases are a repetition of the sixteen-note phrase followed by an
eight-note version repeated twice to resolve on the fourth quarter-note of the bar again.
At this point a longer eighteen-note phrase is introduced which incorporates two hertas.
The eighteen-note phrase is then followed by five groupings of six before the
aforementioned thirteen and nine-note groupings are introduced.
Figure 5.24. Bars 15 to 27 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.

The introduction of the thirteen-note odd-number grouping changes the starting
position of each individual grouping within the bar. With the even-number groupings, the
phrases either start on the quarter-note pulse or third sixteenth-note of every quarter-note
(or the off beat). With the introduction of the odd-number grouping, each individual
phrase either starts on the second or fourth sixteenth-note of the beat. By playing the
nine-note grouping at the end of the phrase, the resolution point of the overall rhythmic
design is returned to the quarter-note pulse.
Figure 5.25 below shows a further thirteen-note grouping found in bar 45 of the
“Ascending by Degrees” transcription. This example shows a thirteen-note grouping
comprised of sub-groupings of six and seven. The grouping of six is the same sticking as
the first half of the double paradiddle, whilst the seven-note grouping can be considered a
derivative of the single paradiddle whereby the first note of the single paradiddle is
omitted to derive a seven-note grouping. The accent at the beginning of the seven-note
grouping performs the function of a backbeat, which in this case is placed on the third
sixteenth-note of the second quarter-note of the bar.
Figure 5.25. A thirteen-note grouping from bar 45 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription.
5.2 Rhythmic Devices
This section examines the influence of three devices used to create rhythmic
variation. The devices can be seen as methods in which the basic building blocks can be
expanded upon and placed within the time cycle. The first rhythmic device to be
examined is rhythmic substitution, whereby each note of a grouping is replaced with two
notes of half the value. The second rhythmic device to be examined is beat displacement,
focusing on examples taken from “Ascending by Degrees”. The last rhythmic device to
be examined is superimposed metric modulation, which examines the use of different
length groupings within various subdivisions of the beat.
5.2.1 Rhythmic substitution. The next two examples taken from the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription illustrate the how a rhythmic substitution is
derived. Figure 5.26 taken from bar 13 of the “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo
transcription shows the rhythmic subdividing of the 7/8 bar into four groupings of three
sixteenth-notes and one grouping of two sixteenth-notes totaling fourteen sixteenth-notes
(3+3+3+3+2=14). This subdivision can be seen as the template from which a rhythmic
substitution is derived in the example to follow.
In Figure 5.26, a RLL sticking pattern is applied to the groupings of three with the
right hand orchestrated on the ride cymbal with the hi hat added and the left hand played
as ghost notes on the tom, with the grouping of two orchestrated in a similar manner
between the ride and snare drum. This subdivision of the 7/8 bar follows the rhythm of
the bass ostinato in “Coma Berencies”.
saxophone solo transcription.
The following example shown in Figure 5.27 is taken from bar 52 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription, showing a rhythmic substitution of the rhythm
in Figure 5.26. Playing six thirty-second notes in the place of the three sixteenth-notes
and playing four thirty-second notes in place of the two sixteenth-notes in Figure 5.26
producing the double-time variation. The paradiddle-diddle sticking beginning with the
right hand is applied to the groupings of six with the groupings of four maintained as
single strokes with a right-hand lead.
The orchestration of Figure 5.27 maintains a similar outline to Figure 5.26 with
the main differences being that the hi hat has been replaced with the bass drum and the
strokes in between the cymbal hits are now played on the snare drum instead of the tom.
Although the amount of strokes has doubled from Figure 5.26 to Figure 5.27, the aspect
that remains constant between the two examples is that the beginning note of each
grouping starts in same position in the bar.

saxophone solo transcription.
A two bar example shown in Figure 5.28 taken from bars 38 and 39 of the
“Ascending by Degrees” transcription demonstrates the use of rhythmic substitution in
combination with a karvai. The groupings in this two-bar example can be subdivided in
dotted eighth-note groupings that are orchestrated between the hi hat, snare and bass
drum (except the first grouping that is orchestrated on the crash instead of the hi hat).
Figure 5.28. Rhythmic substitution taken from bars 38 and 39 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription.
The first grouping in Figure 5.28, denoted by the 3/16 broken brackets, illustrates a
grouping of three sixteenth-notes orchestrated with the right hand playing the crash
cymbal, accompanied by the bass drum and the left hand playing the snare drum. The
second grouping shows a double-time variation on the first grouping that is comprised of
six thirty-second notes. Again, the paradiddle-diddle sticking is used, orchestrated
between the hi hat and the snare drum with the bass drum added to the first note of the
grouping. The third grouping shows a karvai with the duration of three sixteenth-notes,
played on the hi hat with the right hand and bass drum.
The subsequent dotted eighth-note groupings in Figure 5.28 are either single or
double-time variations, switching between the two versions to create variation. This
approach takes the rhythmic concept a step further than examples show in Figure 5.27
from Isolation has its Advantages, by integrating single and double variations of the
rhythmic substitution along with the karvai concept within the same larger rhythmic
design.
5.2.2 Beat displacement. Beat displacement is examined in the context of the
“Ascending by Degrees” transcription from Territorium where this concept is used
throughout the track. This method is found only on this track and not found elsewhere in
the transcriptions. The drum part in “Ascending by Degrees” is based around the
orchestration of the single paradiddle. This section examines the variations on the single
paradiddle that have manifested within the transcriptions and the methods used to create
the variations.
The example in Figure 5.29 below taken from bar 21 of the “Ascending by
Degrees” transcription shows the displaced paradiddle groove using the brackets to
highlight the single paradiddle sticking pattern. The orchestration of the single paradiddle
in this example is played with the right hand on the hi hat and the left hand played on the
snare drum. Two levels of dynamics are applied to the orchestration through accented and
non-accented notes.
The starting point for the single paradiddle sticking begins on the fourth sixteenth-
note of each beat, illustrating the displacement of the single paradiddle from the usual
position of beginning on either the first or third quarter-note within a 4/4 bar. Although
not always repeated exactly, this pattern provides a foundation for the rest of the drum
part.
For example, the first bar in the track outlines this displaced single paradiddle
sticking pattern as can be seen in Figure 5.30. In this variation, only the first beat is
accented by being played on the crash cymbal with the bass drum. The second and third
notes of the pattern are also omitted to creating a karvai of three sixteenth-notes in
duration. The broken brackets highlight the starting point for the single paradiddle
sticking pattern.
Further variations on the displaced paradiddle pattern can be obtained by adding
different accents to notes and by adding the bass drum to strokes played by the right hand
on the hi hat. Figure 5.31 shows the addition of two extra bass drum strokes on the
second and third sixteenth-note in the second quarter-note of the bar, which further
emphasizes the rhythm produced by the right hand. Additional accents have also been
added to the third and fourth quarter-notes to give the appearance that the orientation of
the displaced paradiddle groove has shifted back onto the quarter-note pulse.
Next, methods by which further displacements of the single paradiddle groove in
“Ascending by Degrees” have been obtained is examined. The example shown in Figure
5.32 taken from bars 7 to 10 demonstrates two further displacements of the same
paradiddle groove. The method used is to insert additional strokes of various lengths to
change the starting position of the groove. The example in the 8/16 bracket shows the
single paradiddle orchestration with the same placement as the previous examples
(Figures 5.29 to 5.31).
Figure 5.32. Displacement method one taken from bars 7 to 10 of the “Ascending by
Adding a right and left sticking, which is the bracketed two sixteenth-note
grouping, displaces the paradiddle pattern. From the insertion of these two extra
sixteenth-notes, the pattern has now been displaced to begin on the second sixteenth-note
of each quarter-note beat. After playing the paradiddle pattern once from this point, it is
then displaced to the third sixteenth-note of the first quarter-note of bar 9 by the addition
of a five sixteenth-note grouping. This ‘off beat’ version of the paradiddle groove is then
repeated twice.
After the ‘off beat’ paradiddle groove is played, the 5/16 grouping is then
repeated on the hi hat, followed by another 2/16 grouping before the grouping of five is
repeated once again. Finally, a two-note grouping is added comprising of a hi hat and
snare drum. It can be observed from these four bars that through applying the 2/16 and
5/16 groupings in different combinations, displacement of the paradiddle groupings can
be produced.
Another method to displace the starting point of the single paradiddle groove can
be obtained by adding a rhythmic figure one quarter-note in length so that it starts on the
second quarter-note of the bar. This method does not change the orientation of the
paradiddle sticking within the quarter-note but gives the illusion that the downbeat has
shifted to the second quarter-note of the bar.
Figure 5.33. Displacement method taken from bars 25 and 26 of the “Ascending by
The example in Figure 5.33 taken from bars 25 and 26 shows the insertion of a six
stroke roll played on the hi hat in sixteenth-note triplets on the first beat of bar 26, which
delays the starting point of the main paradiddle groove to the second quarter-note of the
bar. This can be seen as extending bar 25 into a 5/4 bar (denoted by brackets), which in
turn creates a 3/4 bar afterwards, dividing the eight quarter-notes of the two bars into a
grouping of five quarter-notes and a grouping of three quarter-notes. A 3/4 version of the
paradiddle groove is hence created to fit into the space available, creating yet another
variation of the 4/4 single paradiddle displaced groove.
Figure 5.34. Displacement examples taken from bars 31 to 36 of the “Ascending by
Figure 5.34 is a six-bar excerpt from bars 31 to 36 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription, which shows the combinations of various methods of displacement,
creating a highly syncopated six-bar phrase. Bars 31 and 32 contain a two-bar pattern that
is repeated several times (with minor variations) throughout “Ascending by Degrees”.

These two bars contain the main groove of the piece that is highlighted by the bracketed
8/16 groupings as well as the ten sixteenth-note grouping that combines a double and
single paradiddle. As covered early in this chapter, this ten-note grouping can also be
considered an eight-note paradiddle grouping with an extra two notes added to the
beginning of the phrase, as highlighted in Figure 5.35 below.
Figure 5.35. Alternate interpretation of groupings of ten.
Taking the second interpretation of the grouping of ten to be comprised of sub-
grouping of two and eight, this grouping can be interpreted as a single paradiddle groove
that has been displaced from the fourth sixteenth-note of the quarter-note (as can be seen
in the first two groupings of 8/16) to the second sixteenth-note of the quarter-note. A
grouping of 5/16 and then a grouping of 10/16 then follow the grouping of ten found in
bar 32.
The combination of the groupings of five and ten found in bars 32 and 33 further
displaces the single paradiddle groove to the quarter-note pulse. However, in this
example the paradiddle groove starts on the fourth quarter-note of bar 33, which can be
considered one quarter-note earlier than the common starting point of beat one of the bar.
It is interesting to note that the common starting point of playing the single paradiddle
groove on the first beat of the bar does not occur throughout the whole transcription of
“Ascending by Degrees”.
Starting on the second quarter-note of bar 34, a grouping of nine sixteenth-notes
followed by a grouping of seven sixteenth-notes can be observed. These two groupings
when combined create a sixteen-beat phrase, which when played in sixteenth-notes fits
into one bar of 4/4. This is evident through the two phrases starting on the second
quarter-note of bar 34 and finishing by the second quarter-note of bar 35. In Figure 4.61,
the nine and seven-note groupings are isolated from the example and placed in a 4/4 bar
to demonstrate yet another way of creating syncopated drum parts.
Figure 5.36. A nine and seven-note grouping in 4/4.
The grouping of nine and seven are then followed by a thirty-second-note six-note
paradiddle-diddle orchestration, the same introduced in the rhythmic substitution section
which then was followed by a three sixteenth-note karvai played with the bass and open
hi hat. This then leads on to another displacement of the single paradiddle groove onto
the third sixteenth-note of the quarter-note pulse. This eight-note grouping differs from
the other preceding it in that the sticking is a variation on the single paradiddle having a
RLRR LRRL sticking as opposed to the standard RLRR LRLL single paradiddle
sticking.
5.2.3 Superimposed metric modulation. Superimposed metric modulation is the
“temporary change in time signature, or the illusion of the tempo shifting momentarily
when in fact it is not” (Colaiuta, 1987). It involves playing in another time signature that
is different to the time signature of the piece of music that is being played. As opposed to
standard metric modulation where the time signature is modulated by a set ratio,
superimposed metric modulation does not change the time signature of the composition.
Instead, figures are temporarily superimposed over the existing time signature, giving the
illusion that the time signature has changed.
This technique is an advanced method of rhythmic manipulation, creating layers
of time signatures and perceived tempos. The purpose of this technique is to temporarily
shift the perception of the time signature away from the original time signature to create
rhythmic tension. Although superimposed metric modulation is not officially a term used
or recognized in Carnatic music, the technique is used extensively as an improvisational
tool and it is also a common rhythmic device used by drum set players.
The use of this rhythmic device can be found in the transcriptions taken from both
Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium with the examples found throughout the
Territorium being more complex and involving a wider variety of superimposed time
signatures. An overview of a selection of examples from Isolation has its Advantages will
be looked at first, followed by examples taken from Territorium.
The majority of the examples involve various groupings of three being
superimposed over the time signature of the transcriptions. Either 3/16, 3/8 or 3/4 can be
found to be superimposed over either 7/8 in the drum solo and saxophone solo of “Coma
Berencies”, 5/4 in the drum solo in “Cepheus”, 3/4 in “Perseus”, 6/4 in “Sirius” and 4/4
in “Holding the Infinite”, “Ascending by Degrees” and “Nothing More Beyond”. In
“Nothing More Beyond”, groupings of 5/16 and 7/16 are superimposed over a 4/4
quarter-note pulse indicating a further development in rhythmic awareness from the
playing found on the Isolation has its Advantages transcriptions; these example are
highlighted in the following section on yati rhythmic design. In “Holding the Infinite”, an
example of compound superimposed metric modulation occurs in which two different
groupings of three (3/4 and 3/8) are superimposed over a 4/4 pulse.
The first example will that will be examined is from bar 40 to 43 of the “Sirius”
transcription. In this four bar example, groupings of 3/8 are played over the 6/4 time
signature, illustrated by the brackets in Figure 5.37 below. Four groupings of 3/8 can be
played within the 6/4 time signature creating the effect that the time feel has now shifted
to a 4/4 bar with a triplet subdivision or a 12/8 bar. In order to emphasize the contrast
between the superimposed 4/4 triplet groupings and the original 6/4 tempo, the hi hat is
played on all six quarter-note beats with the bass drum emphasizing the first note of the
groupings of 3/8 (with the exception of the second grouping of 3/8 in bar 40).
transcription.
A similar technique can be seen in Figure 5.38 taken from bars 8 to 11 from the
“Sirius” track. As opposed to Figure 5.37 where the 3/8 groupings coincided with the
quarter-note pulse on the first and fourth quarter-note of the 6/4 bar, in Figure 5.38, the
3/8 groupings coincide with the quarter-note pulse of the 6/4 bar on the second and fifth
quarter-note. The 3/8 groupings are comprised of a paradiddle-diddle orchestrated as
sixteenth-notes between the ride cymbal in the right hand and the snare drum in the left
hand, with the hi hat played at the beginning of every paradiddle-diddle grouping.
transcription.
The effect of the grouping gives the impression of a superimposed jazz ride
cymbal pattern. The right hand of the paradiddle-diddle outlines the rhythm of the jazz
ride cymbal pattern. The placement of the hi hat on the first beat of the grouping creates
the illusion of the common two and four hi hat pattern of the standard jazz ride cymbal
pattern.
In Figure 5.39 below, the paradiddle-diddle is shown orchestrated in a 4/4 triplet
based subdivision to highlight the similarities to the jazz ride cymbal pattern. As can be
observed from this example, filling in the triplet beats in between the standard jazz ride
cymbal pattern produces a paradiddle-diddle sticking starting on the second and fourth
quarter-note of the bar. This is exactly the same orchestration that is found in Figure 5.38,
creating a superimposition of a 4/4 jazz ride pattern.
Figure 5.39. Paradiddle-diddle orchestrated to be a jazz ride pattern.
The same method of orchestrating the paradiddle-diddle can be found in bars 26
and 27 of the “Perseus” transcription. In this example seen in Figure 5.40, the paradiddle-
diddle starts on the second sixteenth-note of the second quarter-note of bar 26. This is
preceded by a three-note 3/16 orchestration of RLL which set ups the 3/16
superimposition. The paradiddle-diddle is repeated five times before resolving to the third
quarter-note of bar 27 where a thirty-second-note single-stroke roll is played to resolve
the phrase to the downbeat of the following bar (not shown).
Figure 5.40. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 26 and 27 of the
“Perseus” transcription.
The following examples also use the paradiddle-diddle as a means of creating
superimposed metric modulation. In Figure 5.41, taken from bar 52 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription, the paradiddle-diddle is played as thirty-second
notes with the first note of each grouping alternating between the ride cymbal and crash
cymbal with the bass drum added. The rest of the rudiment is played on the snare drum.
The grouping of 3/16 is repeated four times as shown by the bracket in Figure 5.41. In
this example, the superimposed metric modulation is inherent in the composition as the
rhythm outlined in this example follows the bass ostinato.
Figure 5.41. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bar 52 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription.
In Figure 5.42 below, taken from bar 41 and 42 of the same track, the 3/16
superimposed metric modulation spans two bars of 7/8. The overall phrase resolves on
the sixth eighth-note of bar 42. In this example, Swiss army triplets are orchestrated
between the snare and the ride cymbal with the bass drum placed with the ride cymbal.
This orchestration consists of the flam of the rudiment played on the snare drum with the
following right-hand stroke orchestrated on the ride with the bass drum added. The first
and second groupings of 3/16 in the example serve to outline the 3/16 grouping, which
sets up the Swiss army triplet orchestration.
Figure 5.42. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 41 and 42 of the “Coma
Berencies” saxophone solo transcription.
The simple three-note RLL sticking is used to create a temporary 3/16
superimposed metric modulation in bar 15 of “Cepheus” seen in Figure 5.43. This phrase
is orchestrated with the right hand on the ride with the bass drum added and the left hand
on the snare drum; this is repeated four times, resolving on the fourth quarter-note of the
bar, which again is followed by a sixteenth-note single-stroke roll on the snare drum to
resolve the phrase to the downbeat of the following bar (not shown). The hi hat plays the
quarter-note pulse of the 5/4 bar, outlining the contrast between the new superimposed
time signature and the original.
Figure 5.43. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bar 15 of the “Cepheus”
transcription.
Figure 5.44 illustrates a similar superimposed metric modulation technique used
in an up-tempo jazz situation taken from bars 19 to 22 of the “Holding the Infinite”
transcription. This example shows the three-note RLL sticking again orchestrated with
the right hand on the ride cymbal and the left hand on the snare. The bass drum and hi hat
are played together on the first beat of every superimposed 3/8 grouping to reinforce the
3/8 pulse.
the Infinite” transcription.
Figure 5.45 taken from bars 8 and 9 of the “Holding the Infinite” transcription
illustrates the superimposition of a 3/4 jazz swing over a 4/4 pulse. In this example, the
3/4 ride cymbal pattern can be seen starting on the second quarter-note of bar 8 and is
repeated twice. The 3/4 ride cymbal pattern is played on the ride cymbal with the hi hat
played on the second quarter-note of each of the superimposed 3/4 bars, with the left
hand accenting the snare drum to reinforce the beginning of each grouping. The cymbal
pattern in the brackets clearly defines a 3/4 ride cymbal pattern.

Figure 5.45. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 8 and 9 of the “Holding
Figure 5.46, shows bars 29 to 32 from the same transcription, illustrates the same
3/4 swing superimposition except over four bars instead of two. From the second 3/4
grouping to last grouping shown in bar 32, further sub-groupings of 3/8 demonstrate a
compound superimposed metric modulation where both 3/8 and 3/4 groupings are
superimposed over 4/4. The 3/8 grouping are shown with the snare drum being played on
the first and second eighth-notes of each 3/8 grouping, dividing the 3/4 into two equal
parts.
In this example, the hi hat part is played emphasizing two different time feels. In
bars 29 and 30, the hi hat is played on the second and fourth quarter-note, whereas in bars
31 and 32 it is played on every quarter-note of the 4/4 bars. In bars 29 and 30, the
emphasis of the second and fourth quarter-note echoes the 4/4 swing ride cymbal pattern
even though a 3/4 ride cymbal pattern is being superimposed. This gives the impression
that the time feel is simultaneously in 3/4 and 4/4. In bars 31 and 32 by contrast, the
playing of the hi hat on every quarter-note does not emphasize any particular time
signature, which releases the rhythmic tension created by the simultaneous playing in 3/4
and 4/4 of the previous two bars while at the same time making the superimposed 3/4
pattern more ambiguous.
Figure 5.47 taken from bars 36 and 37 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription, demonstrates how the use of five stroke rolls on the snare drum can also
give the impression of 3/16 superimposed meter. In Figure 5.47 a five stroke roll is
played ten times on the snare drum using accents to outline the 3/16 pulse.
Figure 5.47. Superimposed metric modulation taken from bars 36 and 37 of the “Nothing
More Beyond” transcription.
5.3 Carnatic Rhythmic Designs
This section examines the presence of larger Carnatic rhythmic designs
throughout the transcriptions. Attention is first turned to the yati Carnatic rhythmic
designs. The two types of yati highlighted in section 5.3.1 are the srotovaha yati and
gopuccha yati. In Carnatic music, these two designs commonly increase and decrease in a
logical order either by an arithmetic or geometric progression. Srotovaha yati and
gopuccha yati are used in this section to describe designs that reduce or expand by a
logical progression and those that reduce or expand by an irregular progression. The only
examples of the yati designs were found on Territorium, with three of those being the
srotovaha yati and one being an example of gopuccha yati, demonstrating a development
and awareness of larger rhythmic designs found on Territorium.
Section 5.3.2 to follow details the occurrence of the cadential rhythm form of the
arudie within the transcribed material. Five examples are given: two that are taken from
the Isolation has its Advantages are examined first, followed by the three examples taken
from Territorium. The examples are examined individually, followed by a comparison of
all five examples.
5.3.1 Yati. Firstly, srotovaha yati examples are examined. All three srotovaha
designs to follow (Figures 5.48, 5.50 and 5.52) share similarities in their design. In all
three examples, the initial phrase is increased by a uniform amount throughout the
progression. Figure 5.48, taken from bars 59 and 60 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription, shows this progression clearly, with a uniform increase of two sixteenth-
notes for each subsequent grouping.
The first phrase is a five-note grouping that can be broken up into a grouping of
two and three and orchestrated between the open hi hat, snare and bass drum. Each
phrase in the design is made up of these smaller two and three-beat elements. Each
subsequent repetition of the phrase adds another grouping of two to the previous phrase,
resulting in an overall design comprising five, seven, nine and eleven-note groupings
highlighted by the broken brackets in Figure 5.48. This design would be considered a
legitimate srotovaha design, as the orderly progression of the idea is uniform.
Figure 5.48. Srotovaha yati taken from bars 59 and 60 of the “Ascending by Degrees”
transcription.
Two further examples show a similar principle of expansion but with different
orchestrations around the drum set. Again, the phrase size expands by two sixteenth-
notes, this time expanding from three to five and finally seven sixteenth-notes in both
examples. The difference between the following two examples and the previous example
is that the repetitions of the phrases are not uniform throughout, nor do they follow a
logical progression.
The first example (Figure 5.50) shows a progression of three, five and seven
groupings orchestrated on the floor tom, snare, tom and hi hat. Apart from the first
grouping of three, which is a linear orchestration between the floor tom, snare and hi hat,
all other groupings are orchestrated with both hands playing together. The grouping of
three comprises two strokes with both hands orchestrated on the snare drum and floor
tom, and one stroke with the hi hat, which alternates with a similar figure except the
hands are orchestrated on the floor tom and tom. The subsequent grouping of five and
seven increase incrementally by a stroke, with both hands on the snare and floor tom
followed by a hi hat. The three, five and seven-note progression is shown in Figure 5.49
below.
in length found in bars 44 to 52 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.
As can be seen from the progression in Figure 5.49, adding the two-note figure to
the grouping of three produces a grouping of five and the grouping of seven. The
progression therefore has an incremental increase of two sixteenth-notes that are denoted
by the broken bracket. The groupings of three are repeated ten times with the groupings
of five also repeated ten times; the total of both groupings added together equals eighty,
which fits into five bars of 4/4. The groupings of seven are repeated eight times, totaling
fifty-six beats, which falls short of a downbeat by eight beats or finishing half way
through a bar of 4/4. Even though the srotovaha yati progression finishes at this point, the
phrase is not resolved and continues with more groupings of three using a similar
technique but with a different orchestration (both hands on the snare and ride cymbal).
Although this progression seen here in Figure 5.50 follows the general shape of
the srotovaha yati where the phrase lengths increase, it would be considered a poorly
designed srotovaha yati for several reasons. Firstly, the repetitions of each phrase are not
uniform nor do they follow some logical progression of development, and secondly the
phrase does not resolve on the downbeat or a significant point in the music.
transcription.
This progression of 3/16 to 5/16 to 7/16 also demonstrates superimposed metric
modulation, which in contrast to the examples shown in the previous section, places
multiple superimposed time signatures in a progression that creates a highly syncopated
phrase.
The next example (Figure 5.52) taken from bars 69 to 72 of the “Nothing More
Beyond” transcription shows a similar orchestration technique to Figure 5.50, except that
the hands are now placed on the ride cymbal and snare drum, with the hi hat played in
between. Figure 5.52 contains the same three, five and seven progression as Figure 5.50
but contains differing amounts of repetitions of each individual phrase. The groupings of
three begin as a jazz coordination with a snare pattern grouped into three played against
the jazz ride cymbal pattern. This is repeated three times before morphing into the three-
note orchestration as shown in Figure 5.51, which also shows the five and seven-note
groupings that are derived by adding two-note groupings to each subsequent grouping.
in length found in bars 69 to 72 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.
The example shown in Figure 5.52 has an even more irregular design with the
groupings of three repeated seven times, the groupings of five repeated five times and the
grouping of seven played only once shown by the broken brackets. The expansion of the
three-note phrase to a five-note phrase to a seven-note phrase follows the increasing
shape of the srotovaha yati.

transcription.
The final example is a gopuccha yati seen in Figure 5.53, taken from bars 56 to 60
of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription. The orchestration method used in this
example is the same as Figure 5.50, with the hands playing together and the hi hat
phrased in between the hands. This example comprises a reducing shape, starting with
one grouping of nine and followed by one grouping of seven, three groupings of five, one
grouping of four and twelve groupings of three, highlighted by the broken brackets.
Figure 5.53. Gopuccha yati taken from bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription.
Though this example is also an irregular progression that does not adhere to a
uniform reduction of phrases, there is a logic to the method by which each phrase is
reduced. By observing the first three groupings of nine, seven and five, we can see a
method of reduction that resembles the method used in the previous srotovaha examples.
The nine-note grouping in Figure 5.54 is comprised of two groupings of two followed by
a grouping of five. The orchestration of the last five-notes of each grouping is the
constant in all three examples, comprised of four strokes on the hands and one on the hi
hat. The grouping of seven is derived by removing the first grouping of two from the
grouping of nine and the grouping of five is derived by removing both groupings of two.
Figure 5.54. The gopuccha yati progression of phrases from nine to seven to five beats in
length found in bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.
Further reductions are made to the grouping of five to produce the grouping of
four and three by removing one stroke of the hands in each subsequent reduction as
shown in Figure 5.55. This method of reduction is a common method used to create
variations in Carnatic rhythm designs.
Figure 5.55. The gopuccha yati progression of phrases from five to four to three beats in
length found in bars 56 to 60 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.
5.3.2 Arudie. The first example is taken from bars 30 and 31 from the “Perseus”
transcription shown in Figure 5.56. This example shows the triplicate repetition of a six-
note sixteenth-note triplet phrase orchestrated between the snare drum and floor tom with
separations of three sixteenth-note triplets in length in between the phrases, shown by the
broken brackets. The overall form of this arudie is consistent with the description
outlined in Chapter Two except that the resolution point of the phrase does not coincide
with the downbeat of the bar.

Figure 5.56. An arudie taken from bars 30 and 31 of the “Perseus” transcription.
The second example shown in Figure 5.57 is taken from bars 35 and 36 of the
“Sirius” transcription. This example also shows a triplicate repetition of a phrase that is
eight sixteenth-notes in length orchestrated between the snare, bass drum and cymbals
with separations of four sixteenth-notes in length, denoted by the broken brackets. The
form of the arudie in this example is consistent with the description outlined in Chapter
Two, with this example resolving on the down beat of the following bar.
Figure 5.57. An arudie taken from bars 35 and 36 of the “Sirius” transcription.
Both examples share the same ratio of length between the phrase and separations
being 2:1. This reflects one of the more common arudies show below in Figure 5.58. This
arudie has a phrase length of four sixteenth-notes and separations of two sixteenth-notes.
Figures 5.56 and 5.57 can be seen as variations on this basic form, the former substituting
a sixteenth-note triplet subdivision for the sixteenth-note subdivision and the later
doubling the value of the phrase and separation lengths.
Figure 5.58. An arudie with a [4 (2) 4 (2) 4] design.
The example shown in Figure 5.59 is taken from bars 54 to 58 of the “Holding the
Infinite” transcription. This example shows a related arudie design, highlighted by the
broken brackets, to the previous examples but differs in several ways. Firstly, the length
of the phrases is not uniform, with the first and second phrase being eight eighth-notes in
length and the last being twelve eighth-notes in length. Although the separations are
uniform at two eighth-notes in length, having irregular phrase lengths such as in Figure
5.59 would not be an acceptable arudie form in the Carnatic system. Phrase lengths can
differ but there needs to be a logical progression between all three phrases. To illustrate, a
progression of four-eight-twelve would be acceptable as there is a logical progression
between the phrases.
Although the example shown in Figure 5.59 is not strictly an arudie due to the
irregular phrase lengths and the resolution point not being at the beginning of the bar, the
overall impression of an arudie is evident through the triplicate repetition of phrases with
separations in between. This example shows an attempt to expand upon the basic arudie
form shown in Figure 5.58 and the variations shown in Figures 5.56 and 5.57.
Figure 5.59. An arudie taken from bars 54 to 58 of the “Holding the Infinite”
transcription.
The last two examples show the arudie form where there are no separations.
Figure 5.60 taken from bars 57 and 58 of the “Nothing More Beyond” transcription
shows the triplicate repetition of groupings of five, highlighted by the broken brackets.
The orchestration of the groupings of five in this particular arudie are played with four
sixteenth-notes played with the right hand on the ride and left hand on the snare drum,
with a hi hat played by the foot on the fifth sixteenth-note of the groupings.
Figure 5.60. An arudie taken from bars 57 and 58 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription.
The second example shown in Figure 5.61 was previously shown in the arudie
section in Chapter Two. Taken from bars 32 to 35 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription, this example shows an arudie with triplicate repetition of groupings of six
eighth-notes with no separations, illustrated by the broken brackets. The groupings are
played with the first note of each grouping played on the ride cymbal and bass drum, with
the remainder of the notes played on the snare drum. The hi hat maintains a quarter-note
pulse throughout.
Figure 5.61. An arudie taken from bars 32 to 35 of the “Nothing More Beyond”
transcription.
In both Figures 5.60 and 5.61, the resolution point coincides with the downbeat of
the following bar. The three examples from Territorium demonstrate the use of arudie
forms that differ from the basic example shown in Figure 5.58. Although the arudies
shown in Figures 5.56 and 5.57 have different phrase orchestrations and rhythm, they can
each be seen as variations on the basic form shown in Figure 5.58. Although not strictly
adhering to the arudie form, Figure 5.59 from the “Holding the Infinite” transcription is
an attempt to break away from the common 4-2-4-2-4 arudie form.

5.4 Summary
This chapter has outlined a detailed analysis of my performance practice through
an examination of the influence of Carnatic rhythmic elements and other rhythmic
devices. Samples of my performance practice were derived by extracting transcribed
examples from Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium to examine the development
of my playing between the two creative works.
The following conclusion chapter highlights the importance of a listening-based
approach to the research project and examines the findings of this chapter. The
conclusion also reflects on the impact the environment surrounding the research has had
on the project, as well as investigating emergent practice methods. Lastly, the further
implications of the research are discussed, focusing on the development of an
improvisational vocabulary based on the findings of this research.

Chapter 6: Conclusion
The aim of this research project was to enable an insight into the creative process
concerned with the learning, adaptation and recontextualization of new musical elements
into an existing musical practice. The focus of this research was to observe the
development of a performance practice by means of a reflexive analysis of performances
taken from two audio recordings submitted as creative works. The creative works
functioned to frame the performance practice, creating snap shots at two different points
within the research period.
The submission of audio-as-research has placed listening as the central method of
transmission, highlighting the importance of the creative works as the primary vehicles
through which the investigation of my performance practice has occurred.
Ethnomusicological and musicological research methods have served to support this
listening-based approach through the collection of data and performance analysis
respectively.
6.1 Performance Analysis
The objective of the performance analysis in Chapter Five was to quantify the
influence of Carnatic rhythms on my drum set playing. Through the codification of
rhythmic elements into thematically related material, the methodology applied examined
the occurrence of the Carnatic rhythmic elements throughout excerpts transcribed from
Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium. The findings of Chapter Five provide
evidence that point towards an increased influence of Carnatic rhythmic elements on my
drum set playing from the first to the second recording.
In order to examine the influence of Carnatic rhythmic elements on my
performance practice, the context surrounding Isolation has its Advantages and
Territorium was de-emphasized. However, the personnel and stylistic differences did
have an influence on the outcomes of the recordings, which calls attention to contrasting
facets between the two creative works such as compositional versus improvised forms,
jazz trained versus Carnatic trained musicians and jazz vocabulary versus Carnatic
vocabulary.
The change in context from a jazz quintet to a percussion duo facilitated the use of
Carnatic rhythms in a performance setting, with rhythm being the primary mode of
communication. The duo setting still incorporated the supportive roles inherent in a jazz
setting but differed in that the decision to maintain or discard these functions became
optional. The ability to define the framework extemporaneously in Territorium, in
contrast to the predetermined framework of Isolation has its Advantages, also allowed for
a more conducive environment for playing Carnatic rhythms.
Furthermore, the undertaking of the study of Carnatic rhythms facilitated the
realization of the Territorium project through the assimilation of Carnatic rhythmic
elements into my playing, which in turn developed into a common syntax for
communication between Vaidyanathan and myself. The commonality resulted in the
increased use of Carnatic rhythmic elements in Territorium, contrasting with Isolation
has its Advantages where the common syntax was derived from the jazz tradition.
Contextual considerations aside, the occurrence of Carnatic rhythms and rhythmic
devices presented in Chapter Five were more frequent and varied in orchestration in the
Territorium transcriptions by comparison with the Isolation has its Advantages
transcriptions. Rhythmic elements such as odd-groupings of nine, eleven and thirteen,
beat displacement and yati occurred only in the Territorium transcriptions, providing
evidence that new rhythmic elements manifested within my performance practice during
the research period as a direct result of incorporating Carnatic rhythmic material into my
practice routine.
In the Territorium transcriptions, the use of odd time groupings can be observed to
go beyond their initial usage in the Isolation has its Advantages transcriptions. In the
excerpts taken from Isolation has its Advantages, the odd time groupings were
incorporated sparingly and found repeated no more than twice, while the odd time
groupings from the Territorium transcriptions were repeated many times, often as part of
larger rhythmic designs.
Some of the larger rhythmic designs, such as the superimposed metric modulation
and yati that appeared in the Territorium transcriptions, demonstrated the further
development of odd time groupings. As evident in some of the superimposed metric

modulation and srotovaha yati examples, the progressions increased incrementally by two
beats, with the smallest grouping providing the source material from which the other
groupings were derived. The use of beat displacement was exclusive to Territorium
shown in the examples taken from “Ascending by Degrees”. The practice of this
technique throughout the research period manifested a rhythmic approach not found in
the Isolation has its Advantages transcriptions.
The analysis process attempted to examine the performances on Isolation has its
Advantages and Territorium as objectively as possible. The differences in context did
influence the outcomes of the creative works but these factors were de-emphasized in
favor of a comparative performance analysis focused on the rhythmic aspects of the
performance. The intention here was to present quantifiable data that could be examined
to ascertain the influence of Carnatic rhythms on my performance practice.
6.2 Emergent Practice Methods
The application of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set has led to the emergence of
new personal practice methods. Many of these methods have been assimilated into my
practice routine to develop rhythmic awareness. The application of Carnatic rhythmic
concepts into my performance practice has involved using the rhythmic designs as
templates, in which various sticking patterns and orchestration methods can be inserted
and practiced.
The assimilation of the basic building blocks and methods for creating variation on
singular groupings outlined in section 2.1 such as expansion and reduction, rhythmic
substitution and karvai has created a foundation for an improvisational vocabulary that
has become part of my performance practice. The organizational principles for multiple
groupings of rhythms outlined in section 2.2 such as the arudie, yati and trikalam
constitute the rhythmic templates that have been incorporating into my practice routine as
methods to further organize the smaller groupings of sticking patterns and orchestration.
The continuing application of these organizational methods in my practice routine
will most likely continue to result in the manifestation of these methods as an
personalized improvisational vocabulary. The findings of this research already point
towards this direction, evident through the increased use of fundamental Carnatic
rhythmic elements and larger rhythmic designs in Territorium as opposed to Isolation has
its Advantages.
6.3 Further Implications of the Research
This reflexive account provides a personal insight into the creative process that can
become a transferable methodology for other researchers interested in undertaking
research with similar themes. The research presented here is by no means an exhaustive
account, but a starting point from which further methodologies, information and
transferable skills can be derived.

The primary research question of this investigation was concerned with exploring
the impact of learning Carnatic rhythms on my drum set performance practice and hence
developmental in nature. The analysis of my drum set playing throughout this research
has revealed the development of an improvisational vocabulary for drum set informed by
Carnatic rhythmic elements. Further expansion of this research will involve the
consolidation of a systematic approach detailing the application of various Carnatic
derived sticking patterns, orchestration and methods for the organization of rhythmic
structures to the drum set.
The salient transferable qualities from this research project stem from my
ethnomusicological study of Carnatic rhythms and engagement in the adaptation of these
learnt Carnatic rhythmic elements to the drum set. Throughout the research period, I had
explored methods to adapt Carnatic rhythms to the drum set, which were articulated in
Chapters 2, 3 and 5.
The presentation of Carnatic rhythm concepts in Chapter 2 adds to the existing
literature on Carnatic rhythms by articulating the concepts through the lens of the
Western musician. Section 2.1, Methods for Creating Variation of a Single Grouping,
articulated methods that are not commonly explicit in the literature on Carnatic rhythms.
The concepts presented in 2.1, in particular 2.1.2 Expansion and reduction, 2.1.3
Rhythmic substitution and 2.1.4 Karvai, articulated concepts that were transmitted during
lessons but were not necessarily presented as stand alone concepts. Echoing Schippers
(2009, p. 70) once again, the “rules” or methods used as improvisational tools “are often
not verbalized” during lessons. My research involved unraveling these methods and
identifying these fundamental tools used in Carnatic music. The articulation of these
methods in Chapter 2 enabled me to quantify the extent that those Carnatic rhythmic
elements had influenced my playing in Chapter 5.
Furthermore, the development of suitable sticking patterns and orchestration
methods to adapt Carnatic rhythms to the drum set were presented in Chapter 3 as
possible solutions to translating elements from one musical culture to another. The
“solutions” that were presented throughout Chapter 3, can be found in 3.1 Rudiments and
Sticking Patterns under 3.1.2 Double stroke rudiments, which highlighted methods to
create double time variations and 3.1.7 Hybrid rudiments, which detailed the various
sticking patterns used to articulate Carnatic rhythmic concepts. Similarly, 3.2
Orchestration Methods, presented methods in which Carnatic rhythms can be
orchestrated around the drum set and finally 3.3 Stylistic Considerations, presented
methodologies to articulate Carnatic rhythmic concepts on the drum set in 3.3.3 Odd time
grooves and 3.3.4 Beat displacement.
Perhaps the most useful transferable information contained in the exegesis can be
found in Chapter 5, which presented practical applications of the Carnatic rhythmic
concepts within a performance setting. Although the performance analysis in Appendix C
contained a very detailed analysis of the performance techniques used throughout
Isolation has its Advantages and Territorium, Chapter 5 distilled this information,
highlighting the Carnatic rhythm concepts used in my performance practice. Providing a

context for the articulation of Carnatic rhythms to the drum set is arguably a more useful
contribution to the field as opposed to a presentation of Carnatic rhythms as theoretical
concepts.
Simon Barker’s (2010) doctorate dissertation, Scattering rhythms: The
Koreanisation of the Western drumset serves as a good counterpoint to this research
project. As a personal account detailing the process of assimilating new musical elements
into an existing practice, Barker’s research shares many themes with this research project.
As the title suggests, Barker’s dissertation endeavors to assimilate traditional Korean
drumming practices into Western drum set playing, addressing a primary research
question pertaining to whether new improvisational vocabularies can be developed
through an engagement with Asian traditional forms of music.
Sharing similar motivations to Barker, the focus of this research project was to
develop a new vocabulary to address the challenges that arise as a contemporary music
practitioner. The increased use of odd-time signatures and advanced rhythmic concepts in
jazz and improvised music poses new issues to the drum set practitioners, which this
research endeavored to address. This research project does suggest possible solutions to
addressing these issues, but would require a longer timeframe in order to fully realize
these goals. The focus of the research would need to shift towards the creation of an
improvisational vocabulary rather than a self-reflexive investigation of the development
of my performance practice.
An improvisational vocabulary centered on the transference of the Carnatic
elements into another context also brings to light further questions pertaining to the
identity and function of the Carnatic elements. Once transferred, do the Carnatic rhythms
maintain their original characteristics and function within a new context? Will the
transferred Carnatic rhythms take on new identities within a different context? These
questions suggest possible directions to further explore the application of Carnatic
rhythms on the themes of musical language and identity.
Within this new paradigm, the identity and function of the Carnatic rhythms are
transformed yet also maintain much of their original characteristics. Drawing conclusions
from this research project, it could be posited that the function of the Carnatic rhythmic
patterns, when used in other forms of music, do maintain their rhythmic function
provided that the rhythmic idea does not deviate too much from the original Carnatic
design. To illustrate, the use of the arudie rhythmic design found in both Isolation has its
Advantages and Territorium still maintained a cadential quality within the new context
even though they did not always adhere to the rules governing the design.
Assuming that a model enabling the transference of Carnatic elements to the drum
set is successful, the question then arises as to whether all Carnatic rhythmic elements
can be successfully transferred? Larger rhythmic designs for example pose challenges to
the notion of developing an improvisational vocabulary due to their pre-composed nature.
Perhaps it is through the deconstruction of these larger Carnatic rhythmic designs that
they can be more successfully adapted to other contexts. By looking at the outcomes of
this research, the smaller rhythmic elements are clearly more adaptable due to their
mobility, while methods to adapt larger rhythmic designs would require further
investigation beyond this research before arriving at any solid conclusions.
These questions can only be addressed over time and through experimentation with
a variety of approaches in different contexts. In addition, this process could only take
place once the transferred Carnatic elements had become a natural part of one’s
improvisational vocabulary.
6.4 Summary
The study of Carnatic rhythms has been beneficial to my performance practice
and has had a profound influence on every aspect of my music making. The deepened
understanding of rhythm has proved invaluable to my development as a musician, which
has led to the expansion of my drum set vocabulary. The improvement of my skills as a
performer has allowed me to engage in more challenging musical situations.
The study of Carnatic rhythms has not only affected my performance practice but
also has been an influence on other aspects of my music making such as composition and
teaching. More importantly, the developments that continue to be made after the research
project that refine and articulate the main themes of this research project will potentially
contribute more to my field than the research presented here. It is hoped that the
information contained in this research project can contribute to the development of other
musicians interested in increasing their rhythmic awareness through the study of Carnatic
rhythms.
Appendix A: Drum Set Notation Key
Figure A1. Drum set notation key.

Appendix B: Performance Transcriptions

Figure B1. “Cepheus” transcription.

Figure B2. “Sirius” transcription.

Figure B3. “Coma Berencies” drum solo transcription.

Figure B4. “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo transcription.

Figure B5. “Perseus” transcription.

Figure B6. “Holding the Infinite” transcription.

Figure B7. “Ascending by Degrees” transcription.

Figure B8. “Nothing More Beyond” transcription.

Appendix C: Performance Analysis

Figure C1. “Cepheus” performance analysis.

Figure C2. “Sirius” performance analysis.

Figure C3. “Coma Berencies” drum solo performance analysis.

Figure C4. “Coma Berencies” saxophone solo performance analysis.

Figure C5. “Perseus” performance analysis.

Figure C6. “Holding the Infinite” performance analysis.

Figure C7. “Ascending by Degrees” performance analysis.

Figure C8. “Nothing More Beyond” performance analysis.

Appendix D: Transcription Analysis Table
Concept Carnatic Transcription Bars
(C)
Drum set
(D)
Metric modulation C/D “Holding the Infinite” 8-9, 19-22, 27-29, 46
“Ascending by Degrees” 38-39
“Nothing More Beyond” 1-3, 36-37, 43-53,
58-60, 61-63, 69-72
“Perseus” 2, 5, 26-28
“Cepheus” 15
“Coma Berencies” sax 13, 23, 39-42, 51-53,
solo 60
“Sirius” 8-11, 15, 18, 31
3/4 ride cymbal pattern D “Holding the Infinite” 8-9, 29-32
superimposed over 4/4
Polyrhythm C/D “Perseus” 4, 7, 10, 29-30
“Coma Berencies” sax 30
solo
“Sirius” 1, 4, 6, 37, 39, 40-44
Arudie C “Holding the Infinite” 32-34
“Nothing More Beyond” 57
“Perseus” 30-31
“Sirius” 35-36
Accented snare drum roll D “Holding the Infinite” 61-72
Double time five figure C/D “Holding the Infinite” 3-7, 10-18, 44-48
(4+6)
Jazz time feel/jazz D “Holding the Infinite” 1-2, 8-9, 27-32, 43-
coordination 44, 75-79
“Nothing More Beyond” 61-78
“Perseus” 2-4, 6-8, 18-24
Triplet six stroke roll D “Holding the Infinite” 50-53
“Ascending by Degrees” 26
Use of rests within C “Holding the Infinite” 38
groupings
Ten beat paradiddle D “Ascending by Degrees” 2, 8, 22, 32, 36-37
variation (half double/half
single paradiddle)
Odd number combinations C “Ascending by Degrees” 1-8, 15, 45, 54, 58-61
“Nothing More Beyond” 4, 7-8, 10, 11-13, 33-
35, 40, 44-72
“Coma Berencies” drum all - 7/8
solo
“Coma Berencies” sax all - 7/8
solo
“Cepheus” all - 5/4
“Sirius” 17, 25
Superimposed bar D “Ascending by Degrees” 25-26
“Holding the Infinite” 8-9, 29-32

Orchestration singles - D “Perseus” 23-25
Tony Williams lick
(cymbals/bass drum/snare)
“Cepheus” 18-20, 23
Paradiddle groove placed D “Ascending by Degrees” 13, 33-34
on quarter-note pulse
“Cepheus” 24
“Perseus” 28
Paradiddle groove D “Ascending by Degrees” 29-30, 46-47
displaced to second
sixteenth-note
Paradiddle groove D “Ascending by Degrees” 9-10, 33, 35-36
displaced to third sixteenth-
note
“Cepheus” 25-26
Paradiddle groove D “Ascending by Degrees” 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 11,
displaced to fourth 17-18, 19-20, 21-22,
sixteenth-note 23-24, 25-26, 31, 42,
44, 48, 50, 53, 55
Paradiddle combination D “Ascending by Degrees” 13, 16, 33, 35-36, 56
Double paradiddle D “Ascending by Degrees” 34, 45, 51
Triple paradiddle D “Ascending by Degrees” 3, 6, 8
Paradiddle-diddle D “Ascending by Degrees” 36, 38-39, 53, 54, 56,
57
“Coma Berencies” drum 8, 9

solo
“Perseus” 26-28
“Cepheus” 24, 25
“Coma Berencies” sax 51-53
solo
“Sirius” 8-11
6/8 funk/rock groove D “Coma Berencies” drum 6, 7
solo
“Sirius” 27
Single stroke roll D “Sirius” 11, 21
“Coma Berencies” sax 28, 44, 54, 55, 57,
solo 58, 62, 65
“Cepheus” 12, 15, 18, 20, 23, 28
“Perseus” 16, 22, 29-31
“Coma Berencies” drum 10, 11, 22, 29-31
solo
“Nothing More Beyond” 14-31, 38-41
“Ascending by Degrees” 47, 55
“Holding the Infinite” 25, 34, 40-42, 49, 59,
73-74
Accent single stroke roll D “Holding the Infinite” 68, 73
“Nothing More Beyond” 20-21, 26, 27-28
“Cepheus” 23
Flam D “Cepheus” 16, 29-31

solo
Double handed figures “Coma Berencies” drum 12, 20
solo
“Perseus” 3, 4
“Coma Berencies” drum 20-22, 24, 25, 59, 61,
solo 64
“Sirius” 2-4, 30-32, 38, 43
“Nothing More Beyond” 44-60, 62-64, 69-73
Five-note grouping C “Ascending by Degrees” 4, 6, 27-28, 37, 58,
59
“Nothing More Beyond” 11, 12, 13, 45-48, 57,
65, 66, 67, 70-71
“Sirius” 4, 17, 25
Seven-note grouping C “Ascending by Degrees” 15, 34-35, 36, 43, 45
“Nothing More Beyond” 11, 13, 49-52, 53, 56,
72
“Coma Berencies” drum 2-3
solo
“Coma Berencies” sax 30, 57
solo
“Sirius” 32
Nine-note grouping C “Ascending by Degrees” 59-60
“Nothing More Beyond” 13
Eleven-note grouping C “Ascending by Degrees” 60, 61
Thirteen-note grouping C “Ascending by Degrees” 45

“Nothing More Beyond” 25-26
Five stroke roll D “Ascending by Degrees” 14, 16, 18, 42, 43,
44, 52
“Holding the Infinite” 54-58, 62-63, 66-68,
69, 70, 72
“Nothing More Beyond” 7, 8, 29, 31, 33-37,
39, 41, 43, 68
“Coma Berencies” drum 5, 6
solo
“Cepheus” 11
solo
“Sirius” 28
Six stroke roll D “Nothing More Beyond” 32
“Holding the Infinite” 62, 65-66
Seven stroke roll D “Nothing More Beyond” 33-35
“Holding the Infinite” 53-57, 60-61, 64-65,
70-72
solo
Nine stroke roll D “Nothing More Beyond” 30, 32
Eleven stroke roll D “Nothing More Beyond” 30
“Coma Berencies” drum 4
solo
Herta D “Ascending by Degrees” 24

“Nothing More Beyond” 23, 26
solo
Single/double time C “Ascending by Degrees” 38-39
alternating
Double stroke roll D “Ascending by Degrees” 42
Multiple bounce roll D “Sirius” 26-27
Expanding/subtracting a C “Ascending by Degrees” 49, 15-31
phrase
R-L-R-F D “Nothing More Beyond” 5-6
Swiss army triplets D “Nothing More Beyond” 9,
solo
“Coma Berencies” sax 39-42
solo
Swiss army triplet four beat D “Coma Berencies” drum 2-3
variation solo
Srotovaha yati C “Nothing More Beyond” 44-52, 69-72
Gopuccha yati C “Nothing More Beyond” 54-60
“Sirius” 2-4
Four-note figure R/BD-L- D “Holding the Infinite” 3-7, 10-18, 36-40,
L-BD 46-48, 52, 60,
solo
“Sirius” 22, 34
Three-note figure R-L-L or D “Nothing More Beyond” 1-4, 77
L-R-R
Three-note figure R/BD-L- D “Holding the Infinite” 19-22
“Ascending by Degrees” 38-39
“Coma Berencies” sax 26, 31, 35, 37, 38,
solo 43-46, 48
“Sirius” 34
Three-note figure R/HH-L- D “Coma Berencies” sax 13
L solo
Orchestrated single stroke D “Holding the Infinite” 22-23
with bass drum on RH
“Coma Berencies” sax 30, 35, 43-48
solo
Orchestrated single stroke D “Holding the Infinite” 77-78
with both hands together
with bass drum in between
R/L-BD
solo
“Cepheus” 26, 29-30
“Coma Berencies” sax 34, 61
solo
Single stroke with hi hat in D “Nothing More Beyond” 73-74
between the notes HH-R-

HH-L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 6-7, 9-10, 13
two-note figure BD-R
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 10, 11-12
three-note figure BD-R-L
solo
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 5-6
four-note figure BD-R-L-R
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 16-31
four-note figure BD-BD-R-
Hand feet coordination - 5 D “Nothing More Beyond” 4, 11, 13
note figure BD-R-L-R-L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 11, 13
seven-note figure BD-R-L-
R-L-R-L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 54-55, 64
two-note figure HH with
both hands together HH-
R/L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 44-45, 52-53, 58-60,
three-note figure HH with 62-63, 69-70, 73
R/L-R/L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 54-55, 58, 63-64
four-note figure HH with
R/L-R/L-R/L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 45-48, 56-57, 70-72
five-note figure HH with
R/L-HH-R/L-R/L
Hand feet coordination - D “Nothing More Beyond” 49-53, 72
seven-note figure HH with
R/L-HH-R/L-HH-R/L-R/L
Table D. Transcription analysis table.

Appendix E: Drum Set Configuration on the Recording Sessions
B
3 1 C
A
2
4
Figure E1. Isolation
has its Advantages recording session drum set configuration.
1 - 18” Tama Starclassic bass drum
2 - 14” Tama Starclassic snare drum
3 - 12” Tama Starclassic tom
4 - 14” Tama Starclassic floor tom
A - 14” Zildjian Constantinople hi hats
B - 20” Zildjian Constantinople ride cymbal
C - 22” Vintage Zildjian A (c1930’s)
D - 16” Zildjian K custom session crash cymbal

308
B
3 1 C
A
2
4
Figure E2. Territorium recording session drum set
configuration.
1 - 20” Gretsch bass drum
2 - 14” Gretsch snare drum
3 - 12” Gretsch tom
4 - 14” Gretsch floor tom
A - 15” Zildjian K light hi hats
B - 20” Zildjian Constantinople ride cymbal
C - 22” Vintage Zildjian A (c1930’s)

309
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Adapting Indian Carnatic Rhythms to Drum Set

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The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythmic Structures and

Improvisation Methods into Drum Set Language and Performance

Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University

A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctorate of

This research project is a documentation of a developmental journey centered on

adaptation and recontextualization of new musical elements into an existing musical

endeavouring to undertake similar research journeys of musical development.

The Adaptation of Indian Carnatic Rhythmic Structures and Improvisation

emphasizing audio-as-research which places listening as the central method of

background and contextual framework for the creative works.

improvisations by Darren Moore and Carnatic percussionist Suresh Vaidyanathan,

codification of Carnatic rhythmic elements into thematically related material, selections

manifestation of Carnatic rhythmic elements.

Further implications of this research may include the development of an

improvisational vocabulary that synthesizes Carnatic rhythmic concepts with Western

practitioner. A Carnatic-derived improvisational vocabulary for Western drum set may

include the development of a systematic approach to the application of various Carnatic-

addressing of issues concerning musical language and identity.

Statement of Originality..................................................................................................... iii

Chapter One: Introduction to the Research Project .......................................................... 23

1.1 Research Background ............................................................................................. 28

1.2 The Creative Works ................................................................................................ 29

1.2.1 Isolation has its Advantages…………………………………………………………….30

1.3 Lessons .................................................................................................................... 33

1.4 Learning Theory...................................................................................................... 36

1.5 Improvisation .......................................................................................................... 39

1.6 Jazz and Carnatic Forms ......................................................................................... 41

1.7 Ethnomusicological Perspective ............................................................................. 42

1.8 Indian Rhythms in Western Music ......................................................................... 46

1.9 The Study of Indian Rhythms ................................................................................. 48

1.10 Research Design.................................................................................................... 52

1.11 Summary ............................................................................................................... 56

Chapter Two: Carnatic Rhythmic Designs and Concepts................................................. 57

2.1 Methods for Creating Variations on a Single Grouping ......................................... 59

2.1.1 Basic building blocks…………………………………………..…………………………59

2.1.2 Expansion and reduction…………………………………………………………………61

2.1.3 Rhythmic substitution……………………………………………………………….…....66

2.2 Methods of Creating Rhythmic Variation with Multiple Groupings ...................... 71

2.3 Summary ................................................................................................................. 80

Chapter Three: Drum Set Techniques and Styles ............................................................. 81

3.1 Rudiments and Sticking Patterns ............................................................................ 82

3.1.1 Single stroke rudiments………………………………………………………………..…83

3.1.2 Double stroke rudiments……………………………………………………………..….84

3.1.3 Drag rudiments……………………………………………………………………………..89

3.1.4 Paradiddle rudiments………………………………………………………………………90

3.1.5 Multiple bounce rudiments………………………………………………………………92

3.1.6 Flam rudiments……………………………………………………………………..……..96

3.1.7 Hybrid rudiments………………………………………………………………………….99

3.2 Orchestration Methods .......................................................................................... 104

3.2.1 Addition of bass drum or hi hat to rudiments……………………………………..105

3.2.2 Linear drumming……………………………………………………………………..….109

3.3 Stylistic Considerations ........................................................................................ 114

3.3.1 Jazz drumming……………………………………………………………………….…..115

3.3.2 Fundamental popular music styles…………………………………………………..120

3.3.3 Odd time grooves……..…………………………………………………………………123

3.3.4 Beat displacement………………………………………………………………………..127

3.4 Summary ............................................................................................................... 128

Chapter Four: Methodology............................................................................................ 130

4.1 Stage One: The Study of Solkattu ......................................................................... 130

4.3 Stage Three: Application of Carnatic Rhythms in Performance .......................... 143

4.3.1 Isolation has its Advantages……………………………………………………….….144

4.4 Stage Four: Comparative Performance Analysis .................................................. 152

4.5 Summary ............................................................................................................... 156