Here are a couple of pages of third surdo parts, transcribed (one could say stolen) from a book purchased by a friend in Brazil, O Batuque Carioca, by Guilherme Goncalves and Odilon Costa. These are […]
Category: exercises
Todd’s methods: 11-note pattern – part 1
This is part one of something I’ve written up strictly for my own practice, but others may be able to use it as a guide for developing and exploring their own ideas. Or maybe someone […]
16th note fills using Syncopation – part 2
Here’s part 2 of my method for practicing 16th note fills using Syncopation. The goal is to practice reading interpretively, and also to give you a framework for working on the timing of your fills […]
Transcription: Max Roach – Garvey’s Ghost
Here’s my brand new transcription of Max Roach’s drum solo over an Afro-Cuban vamp on Garvey’s Ghost, from Roach’s Percussion Bitter Suite. Includes a sample of the backing vamp, and of the drums on the […]
Todd’s Methods: Samba builder
Here’s a little method I improvised for developing some flexibility with the samba- I put this together pretty quickly away from the drums, so I’m sure I’ll add to it as I work with it […]
Page o’ Gadd
Still slow getting my own stuff completed this week, so instead you’ll have to enjoy this nice page of Steve Gadd motifs from Bang! the Drum School, a Brooklyn teaching studio. They have a blog […]
Two simple rock applications
You’ve probably noticed by now that I do a lot with Ted Reed’s Syncopation? Here are two more methods which I have developed (along with my Rock beats with Syncopation piece) to introduce my intermediate […]
More metric modulation: 4:3 warm-ups and more
My last hastily-slapped together piece on 4:3 metric modulation was such a hit with my Drummerworld.com poeple, that I thought I should backfill some preparatory exercises for it. Here the emphasis is on keeping the […]
Wilcoxon rhumba studies in 5/4
Here I have rewritten a page from the Wilcoxon Drum Method, which I’ve been using a lot lately. I’ve put his “swing or rhumba” studies (p. 31, two-measure syncopation and accent studies in 4/4) into […]
Basic big band set-ups
Another in the recent series of easy stuff, here is a page of basic set-ups for ensemble kicks on the & of 4. You can apply these to my earlier piece, Kicks and Set-ups Using […]