Rock Section Summary

With
Sophie AllowaySophie Alloway recaps the rock section, from rests and stickings to single strokes, double strokes and paradiddles, and how to lock in with the bass line.
What's in the course
114 lessons (3h 47m) · 1 free
01. Rock Drumming Introduction
7:55

02. Example 1 - Single Strokes
2:44

03. Example 2 - Double Strokes
1:28

04. Example 3 - Paradiddles
2:37

05. Bonus - Combining Singles, Doubles, and Paradiddles
2:22

06. Rock Lesson 2 - Adding Rests
1:48

07. Example 1 - Rest on Beat 4
1:56

08. Example 2 - Rest on Beat 2
1:36

09. Example 3 - Moving Rests
1:05

10. Example 4 - Piston Bars 12-16
1:56

11. Bonus Exercise 1
1:49

12. Bonus Exercise 2
1:02

13. Rock Section Summary
You are here1:50

01. Pop - Adding the Hi-Hat
1:31

02. Example 1 - Quarter Notes on Hi-Hat
1:40

03. Example 2 - Resting on Beat 1
1:42

04. Example 3 - Two Consecutive Quarter Note Rests
1:28

05. Bonus Exercise 1
1:11

06. Bonus Exercise 2
1:10

07. Pop Lesson 2 Example 1 - Combining the Hi-Hat & Snare
1:11

08. Example 2 - Moving Quickly Between Drum Voices
1:17

09. Example 3 - Two Drum Voices in One Bar
0:59

10. Example 4 - Take It to the Top Bars 1-4
1:10

11. Bonus Exercise 1
1:08

12. Bonus Exercise 2
1:04

13. Pop Music Section Summary
0:51

01. Introduction to Country Music
4:13

02. Skills Checkpoint
1:54

03. Example 1 - Half-Note Rest
1:18

04. Example 2 - Placing of the Half-Note Rest
1:31

05. Example 3 - Bass Drum Phrases
1:29

06. Bonus Exercise 1
1:27

07. Bonus Exercise 2
1:10

08. Country Lesson 2 - Combining Bass Drum, Snare, and Hi-Hat
3:07

09. Example 1 - Combining the Bass Drum & Hi-Hat
1:40

10. Example 2 - Adding the Half-Note Rest in Various Positions
1:10

11. Example 3 - Moving Quickly Between Drum Voices
1:10

12. Example 4 - Borderlands Bars 1-4
1:06

13. Bonus Exercise 1
1:30

14. Bonus Exercise 2
0:56

15. Country Music Section Summary
0:26

01. Metal Introduction - Playing Two Drum Voices
3:35

02. Example 1 - Focusing on Coordination
2:19

03. Example 2 - Bass Drum Variations
1:16

04. Example 3 - Coordinating the Hands
1:09

05. Bonus Exercise 1
1:05

06. Bonus Exercise 2
0:50

07. Metal Lesson 1 Summary
0:25

08. Metal Lesson 2 - Playing Your First Full Beat
1:56

09. Example 1 - Basic Rock Beat Hi-Hat Pattern
1:08

10. Example 2 - Adding the Back Beat
0:58

11. Example 3 - Adding the Bass Drum
0:59

12. Example 4 - Power Trip Bars 13-14
1:32

13. Bonus Exercise 1
1:10

14. Bonus Exercise 2
0:53

15. Metal Section Summary
1:05

01. Indie - Introduction to the Style
1:26

02. Example 1 - Resting on Beat Three
1:01

03. Example 2 - More Variations
1:00

04. Example 3 - Coordinating the Limbs
2:16

05. Bonus Exercise 1
1:10

06. Bonus Exercise 2
0:50

07. Indie Lesson 1 Summary
0:25

08. Indie Checkpoint - Mallets
2:46

09. Indie Lesson 2 - Introducing 8th Note Bass Drum and Snare
1:25

10. Example 1 - Eighth-Note Snare
1:36

11. Example 2 - Eighth-Note Bass Drum
1:04

12. Example 3 - Eighth Note Phrase
0:59

13. Example 4 - 'Big Mouth' Bars 1-4
1:48

14. Bonus Exercise 1
0:38

15. Bonus Exercise 2
0:59

16. Indie Section Summary
0:34

01. Hip-Hop Introduction - Basic Beats and Fills
1:33

02. Example 1 - Snare & Bass Drum Fill
1:10

03. Example 2 - Snare & Hi-Hat Fill
1:08

04. Example 3 - Fill Using Snare, Hi-Hat & Bass Drum
1:09

05. Bonus Exercise 1
1:38

06. Bonus Exercise 2
0:47

07. Hip-Hop Lesson 1 Summary
0:32

08. Hip Hop Lesson 2 - Introduction to Eighth Note Beats
3:53

09. Example 1 - The Basic Eighth-Note Beat
1:19

10. Example 2 - Snare Drum Variations
1:28

11. Example 3 - Bass Drum Variations
1:09

12. Example 4 - 'The Dogg' Bars 13-16
1:56

13. Bonus Exercise 1
1:04

14. Bonus Exercise 2
1:09

15. Hip-Hop Section Summary
0:32

01. Introduction to the Pieces
1:04

02. Piston (Rock) - Walkthrough
4:57

03. Piston (Rock) - Performance
0:46

04. Take it to the Top (Pop) - Walkthrough
3:58

05. Take it to the Top (Pop) - Performance
0:50

06. Borderlands (Country) - Walkthrough
3:49

07. Borderlands (Country) - Performance
0:48

08. Power Trip - Walkthrough
5:04

09. Power Trip (Metal) - Performance
0:51

10. Big Mouth (Indie) - Walkthrough
5:26

11. Big Mouth (Indie) - Performance
0:52

12. The Dogg (Hip Hop) - Walkthrough
6:14

13. The Dogg (Hip Hop) - Performance
0:51

14. Overload (Rock) - Walkthrough
5:23

15. Overload (Rock) - Performance
0:50

16. Slam (Metal) - Walkthrough
4:28

17. Slam (Metal) - Performance
0:51

18. Under the Radar (Indie) - Walkthrough
5:02

19. Under the Radar (Indie) - Performance
0:50
Lesson transcript
Summary of Today's Music Lesson
In today's session, we focused on several key concepts that are essential for improving your drumming skills. Here's a recap of what we've covered:
Core Concepts
- Rests and Stickings
- Single Strokes
- Double Strokes
- Paradiddles (combinations of strokes)
Practice Tips
-
Engage with the Music
- Don’t see these exercises as just drills; immerse yourself in the music.
- Pay attention to where the guitar and bass lines are.
- If the bass line is playing eighth notes, use it as a timing reference to lock in with.
-
Working with a Metronome
- When practicing away from tracks, vary the speed of your metronome:
- Slow Practice: Take it slow to allow space between notes and focus on precision.
- Counting in between notes can help ensure they land exactly on the beat.
- Fast Practice: Speed up the metronome and try the same exercises at a quicker pace:
- Ensure that your rests don’t feel overly prolonged.
- Slow Practice: Take it slow to allow space between notes and focus on precision.
- When practicing away from tracks, vary the speed of your metronome:
Sticking Variations
- As you practice, experiment with:
- Different sticking patterns (like doubles)
- Focusing on one hand for certain bars
Conclusion
Remember, keeping your practice varied and interesting is vital. All these approaches will contribute to your overall improvement as a player. This foundation will make you more confident when we move on to playing the entire piece.
Next Steps
- We will explore the next examples in a bit. Keep practicing! Enjoy the process!
114 lessons
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Meet your guru

Meet your guru
Sophie Alloway is a session and touring drummer at the heart of the London jazz scene. She has performed with Jason Rebello, Yazz Ahmed, Laurence Cottle and Tony Allen, and notably played for Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace shortly before he became King.
Touring credits include Roots Manuva, the Thriller musical and Paul Stacey (Oasis / The Black Crowes). She is also the drummer in original fusion band Lydian Collective, with over six million Spotify streams.
Sophie has recorded sessions at Abbey Road, AIR and Angel studios, and her television appearances include Later… with Jools Holland, Glastonbury and two series of Adrian Dunbar’s drama Ridley. She is featured on Abbey Road Masters: The Drum Sessions and performed for the BBC Young Jazz Musician 2024 finalists, broadcast on BBC TV and Radio. Jon Newey of Jazz FM dubbed her the “goddess of groove”.




















