Exploring Afro-Cuban 6/8 Vocabulary Using Ted Reed’s Syncopation

Some of the main rhythms in West Africa are based on 6/8 feels and the essential concept of clave. The application of Afro-Cuban 6/8 on the drumset opened the way for new rhythms and ideas, involving coordination, independence, and polyrhythms. With this article divided into two parts, I introduce a lesson to develop your coordination … More Exploring Afro-Cuban 6/8 Vocabulary Using Ted Reed’s Syncopation

Groove Displacement – Polyrhythmic Independence 4 over 3

Things are not as harder as we think if faced with the right approach. Polyrhythms can drive you to new rhythmic destinations, increase your knowledge, improve your timing, your independence, and inspire you with new ideas. In this lesson I introduce a series of exercises to “displace” the bass drum-snare pattern, a rhythmic solution played … More Groove Displacement – Polyrhythmic Independence 4 over 3

2021 Recap

It was an intense and productive year. Thank you to all for buying my transcriptions and books, the transcription commissions, and the donations. Your support is amazing and truly appreciated. The blog reached more than 30,000 visitors and 100k clicks, with organic traffic from all over the world (a warm thank you goes to the … More 2021 Recap

Left Foot Hi-Hat Development – Groove Workout

A way to develop creativity on the drums is to use the left-foot hi-hat to create new rhythmic solutions. Drummers like Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, David Garibaldi, and Jason McGerr, to name a few, have experimented a lot with playing the left-foot hi-hat to create new memorable grooves. To achieve this, we start with some … More Left Foot Hi-Hat Development – Groove Workout

Paradiddle Grooves – Stick Control Application Part 2

Last month I talked about paradiddle application using the book “Stick Control”, in particular the exercises 5 to 8 of page 5. Here’s a summary of all the things discussed in the previous article. The grooves are played with the hi-hat on the downbeat. Here below the variation of the first groove (exercise 5) playing … More Paradiddle Grooves – Stick Control Application Part Two

More Paradiddle Grooves – Stick Control Application Part 2