Jazz Independence: Quarter Note Triplets Accent Combinations

Welcome to 2024! We inaugurate the year with two exercises to develop jazz drum set independence based on quarter note triplets. We start with the basic preliminary pattern.

jazz pattern quarter note triplets

Once comfortable, we add accents: accenting the left hand every three notes, starting with the first and then displacing the accent to the second and third notes. In this way, we have a polyrhythm between the snare and the ride cymbal, bass drum, and hi-hat part.

jazz drumming quarter note triplets exercises

The second exercise introduces an advanced idea, accenting the left hand every two notes. As a further study, you can decide to play the accents on the toms (alternating between tom and floor tom), creating a connotative polyrhythmic layer.

jazz polyrhythm exercises

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Check out my previous lessons on jazz comping and quarter note triplets, including a series of hand/foot exercises to develop your coordination and independence. Elevate your drumming!

Jazz Comping Ideas – Hand/Foot Combinations: single, double, paradiddle-diddle

In this lesson, I introduce a series of exercises to develop coordination and independence. We will apply rudiments to create hand-foot combinations and play jazz comping ideas inspired by Elvin…

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