These are some steps I was running through with an adult beginner, to get oriented with some normal things you do on the drums, and to practice counting 16th notes. There are a number of […]
Month: September 2022
Groove o’ the day: Airto Afro 6
An Afro 6* groove played by Airto, on the intro of Casa Forte, on Flora Purim’s 1974 record Stories To Tell. It has some big shot LA musicians on it, including saxophonist Hadley Caliman, who […]
Reed interpretation: paradiddle inversion – key and warm-ups
Preparatory page for a Reed system using the highly useful RLLR-LRRL paradiddle inversion— we’re doing a lot with it for a reason. It’s easy to play fast, works great on the drums, and fits a […]
Transcription: Ndugu Leon Chancler – Man in the Green Shirt
Quick little transcription that includes one of the great opening drum fills ever— Ndugu Leon Chancler playing Man in the Green Shirt, from Weather Report’s album Tale Spinnin’. I’ve just written out the opening, some […]
Thelonious
Thinking about the tune Thelonious, by Thelonious Monk. It’s fun and unusual, based on a single note riff. I don’t believe the form comes from another tune, it’s just a little self-contained bebop invention. It’s […]
First page of Bossa Nova
Working on this with a couple of students, I couldn’t find a simple straightforward page of Bossa Nova rhythms, with all the parts written out. Seems like a basic thing that should exist somewhere. I […]