A little item I’ve been working with, adapting our familar right hand lead Reed system for 16th notes, giving the rhythms in the book a dotted-8th/16th swing interpretation— as we do with this paradiddle inversion […]
Category: syncopation
Combining Reed solo systems
Lots of stuff combining Reed systems lately. Here we’re combining some solo systems with similar movements— they’ll have a timing change, and a minor sticking change, the broad movements are the same. They can be […]
Fill phrase with RH lead on toms
We’ve got a good little fill unit going here lately— usually these might be taught with a single instruction, “groove first measure / RH lead second measure”, and that’s mostly enough, but, reading from Syncopation, […]
Reed tweak: expanding a fill phrase
Opening up a stock fill phrase I use with my students, reading, as ever, from Syncopation. A couple of easy moves for not being so barline oriented. This has a pretty energetic feel, with a […]
Cymbal variation with Reed
Sketching out a thing I was working with after listening to some Jack Dejohnette. We do a lot of things with Syncopation with the cymbal and bass drum in unison, this introduces some variations in […]
Subtractive method: three way – 01
Wrote this out as an experiment, adding the left foot to a subtractive pattern, and it works quite well. It’s manageably easy to read. The underlying pattern is close to my usual pattern: BSHB SHBS. […]
Reed tweak: paradiddle inversion to toms
Another pretty substantial tweak to one of my other Reed systems— converting a very ordinary system, accented triplets, to paradiddle inversions— RLLR-LRRL. Actually there’s very little to it, I just think it’s worth spending some […]
Reed interpretation: extra accents
I was thinking of Dejohnette when I was working this out. A standard way of playing Reed is as running, alternating 8th notes, accenting the book rhythm on the cymbals, plus bass drum. Often playing […]
Subtractive systems for 16ths in jazz
Some subtractive systems for voicing your snare drum and bass drum in 16ths and partials thereof, in jazz comping. It’s a very common thing, but not usually featured in the normal materials, or included in […]
Rock beats in 5 with Reed
Surprised I haven’t written this before. Expanding on a rock beat method I use with all of my students, to make grooves in 5/4— from the book, you simply read one measure of rhythm, plus […]
Reed interpretations: 5 stroke rolls with stick shots
At a certain point in our pratice journey with the book Syncopation, restricting ourselves to things that can be done by a single set of rules becomes limiting. I was workshopping this with a student— […]
Syncopation p. 38 in quarter note triplets
Rewriting the very famous page 38 exercise from Syncopation, with all the syncopated rhythms replaced by approximately similar quarter note triplet rhythms. Someday I’ll forgo the bass drum line— which I include out of respect […]