This is partly about rhythmic education, partly about drilling a couple of basic drumset coordination ideas, and partly about education on the polyrhythmic foundation of common funk rhythms. It is based on this page of hemiola […]
Author: Todd Bishop
Transcription: Connie Kay 8s and 4s
I think of Connie Kay as the quintessential background player, so I’m always interested to hear him actually do something— like play a solo, or some more assertive comping. Here he trades some 8s and […]
Afro 12/8 – funk – updated
This page is an update of something I wrote in the wilds of 2013— a page of bass drum variations for a funk-feel Afro-Cuban 12/8, with a backbeat on 3. I had a student play […]
EZ rock beats in 5/4 – 02
More “EZ” rock beats in 5/4, this batch written to be easy to play at fast tempos, in 2+3 and 3+2 phrasing: Ways of practice— good for any page of grooves: • Repeat each pattern […]
Best books: Beyer Elementary Method for the Piano
I’m always seeking out methods for introducing people to non-drumming activities— playing the piano, in this case. Last year I bought an 80s-vintage Clavinova, and got some beginner piano books so I could learn how […]
Page o’ coordination: Idris Mozambique
A page of exercises for learning basic performance vocabulary using Idris Muhammad’s Mozambique-like cymbal rhythm from this recent groove o’ the day. Play each of the hand patterns many times— if you need to, start […]
Cymbal sounds: Art Taylor – Sonny’s Crib
This is a post I wrote about Art Taylor’s cymbals, for the Cymbalistic site blog, plus a few added comments for this site: Here is Art Taylor playing a very interesting ride cymbal that reminds […]
Todd’s methods: Gospel 6
Get me. Here’s a practice method for people who have bought my new print book Syncopation in 3/4. It’s closely related to my standard Reed 2/2 funk method, except here we’ll be doing a slow […]
Syncopated melodic solo – 01
Here I’ve composed a syncopated, non-technical, four-tone melodic solo for drum set. It is through-composed, 36 bars long, in eight bar phrases with a four bar tag. Play this with the snares off, and pencil […]
Groove o’ the day: Idris Muhammad Mozambique
Here is Idris Muhammad playing a Mozambique-like Latin groove with Melvin Sparks, on Speak Low, from the album Sparkling. Muhammad isn’t on many of the records I listen to all the time, but he is […]