Here’s Pete La Roca trading 4/8s (four bars horn, eight bars drums) on Homestretch, a blues on Joe Henderson’s album Page One. I’ve written out the full choruses— four total. On the fourth chorus there’s eight bars of horn, four drums. It got a little funny there, but it came out right.
Tempo is quarter note = 266 bpm, the transcription begins at 2:59. It moves by very quickly, you can always use the 75% or 50% speed setting on YouTube to follow along.
He plays the accents very strong, and the body of the triplets and rolls very soft, very slurred— it’s not always clear whether he’s playing a rhythm, or rolling. It doesn’t matter.
Here’s a bonus: the drums soloed on the whole tune. You can hear that the energy is pretty relentless; he’s really always playing the form, there’s not a lot of space to be thinking real considered interaction. It’s about form, groove, forward motion. A lot of rubadubish activity in three beat groupings, between the snare and bass drum.
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.
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