Altering a solo motif

UPDATE: Pdf download link is fixed!

Talking a bit about how you think while soloing— some mental cues for what you do with a solo motif, by which I mean “something you played that you noticed.” It all happens too quickly to be thinking and planning. It’s a kind of impulse thinking, where you’re making order out of something as you’re doing it.

Here we’re taking a simple solo motif, and changing it some ways you might do while soloing. You could play through them, or just look at them and see what’s happening. There’s no right or wrong way to “do it”, a move or cue either works for you or it doesn’t.

There’s a book called Motivic Drumset Soloing by Terry Mahoney, that develops these ideas basically ad nauseum— really adapting some ways composers alter a melodic motif to the drum set. I don’t think it’s necessary, or even helpful, to go that far with it.

Get the pdf

I am happy to help you with any of the materials on the site, and with anything else drumming related— contact me for private lessons, online world wide, or in person in Portland, Oregon. All levels of players, and all people, are welcome.

Email Todd | Call or text +1(503)380-9259 | Chat on WhatsApp