Following the lead of Four On The Floor’s 5 Beat Groupings (including a hip way of using Stone on the drumset), and Trap’d’s 5 beat figures in triplets, here’s another variation of the paradiddle exercise […]
Category: exercises
3.5-a-diddles
So-called because it consists of three and a half “paras” (RL RL RL R), plus a diddle (LL), and I… never mind. I was hitting the practice pad along with an Illinois Jacquet/Wild Bill Davis […]
Todd’s methods: Son of Daku-daku-paradiddle
Right, I’m starting to regret the name I made up for this thing– until I think of the alternative, long-winded description for this very common pattern. Now if I can just bring myself to call […]
Todd’s methods: Afro-Cuban in 6/8 and 3/4
Here’s something I wrote strictly for my own use, which I thought I would share for you to make of what you will. The Afro 6/8 has been one of my stronger vehicles for a […]
Big band figure builder
Here’s another installment of a thing I’ve been doing with several students, using Syncopation lesson 4 to get familiar with the basic moves and reading associated with setting up and kicking big band figures (“cutting” […]
Paradiddles with 16th note triplets
Here’s a companion to the other pages of paradiddles I’ve posted, this time using an embellishment used in Wilcoxon occasionally- a 16th note triplet in place of the double. Playing the triplet starting on an […]
Umdaga, part 1
This is a very simple pattern I use a lot- I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the basic DNA instructions of my playing: right/left/bass. I didn’t exactly make it up, but […]
Simple variations on Syncopation, Lesson 4
That’s pages 10-11 for those of you with the old edition– as you can see I’ve given up completely and started referring to the parts by their new edition names. I’ve been working with this […]
My Vinnie Year – part 3 – superimposed metric modulation
This is a technical piece by Vinnie Colaiuta, which accompanied his 1987 Percussioner magazine interview, and he now shares with us on vinniecolaiuta.com. I spent considerable time with this- way too much, actually, considering that […]
Afro 6/8 – basic coordination
This is something I’ve been working with daily for several weeks now- getting the usual jazz coordination/comping stuff together with the Afro-Cuban/Bembe/Naningo bell pattern. It’s pretty tricky, and it’s a good idea to do it […]