Music Lesson: Rolling

Introduction

This tune is a lot of fun to play. It goes through quite a few different sections. I'll go through each one of them one by one.

Section A

The A section opens up with a nice riff on the guitar and this groove we've got to go with it. If you listen closely, the bass drum moves with the rhythm of the guitar.

Internalizing the Groove

It might be an idea to actually sing these beats once you've learned how to play them:
Boom boom, bap, boom boom, bap, ba, boom boom, bap, boom boom, bap.

Things like this will really help you internalize the groove.

Section B

Moving on to section B, we have a rather challenging little hi-hat part. Just go through each beat; I think you'll figure out exactly what's going on there.

Hi-Hat Technique

Starting on bar 11, we have this "diddly dee" on the hi-hat. To play that:

• Make sure to flick the wrist a little quicker and aim for the last note.

Section C

In the next section, we switch to the ride. This is a great way to embellish on another section.

Steve Gadd Influence

We're moving into something that feels more like a Steve Gadd section. It has that vibe. Here's what to focus on:

• An accented pattern on the snare drum.
• Splashing the hi-hats on all four beats.

This adds something for the music to float on.

Hi-Hat Splashing

To give you an example of splashing the hi-hat:

1. Start by playing the hi-hat alone.
2. Get used to pushing the hat into the bottom hat, letting it come up.

Then, try adding in the snare drum.

Transition to the Drum Solo

Coming out of that section, I've decided to have a crescendo leading into the drum solo section.

Drum Solo Dynamics

However, I'm not really thinking of it as a drum solo. In a typical drum solo, everyone shuts up, but here, we have this figure:
"degadat gat G"

• Write that in your book, as it happens four times.

I decided to play with the first part of that and then overlay a heavier groove in the second half. It's not about pyrotechnics; it's about playing with the band, giving a spotlight to the drums.

Building the Intensity

As you build intensity, it's nice to send off the guitar solo with strength. You can choose to incorporate more crashes at your discretion, especially away from the exam context.

Reverting to Section A

Finally, we revert right back to the first section. You could have some fun here too.

Creative Variation

Again, away from the exam, you might try putting that little skip beat on the snare drum instead of the bass drum. Here's how:

• Instead of playing on the bass drum, play like we did in section C on the ride cymbal.

Final Section: Coda

In the last section of the coda, we're really rocking out!

• Use the snare drum on all four beats while the bass drum pushes that along. Build up a crescendo to that final Bosh to end the piece.

Conclusion

It's a really good, fun piece! I hope you enjoy playing it.

Creativity Beyond the Exam

This piece goes through many different sections, and you can come up with all sorts of ideas. Away from the examination, it would be really fun to use your imagination and see what your teacher suggests for different sections.

For example, in the last section, instead of a hi-hat, you could really open out with crash cymbals and go completely wild.

Come up with lots of different ideas, and most importantly, enjoy playing this piece, it's a lot of fun!