Music Lesson

Okay, let's take a look at y'all. Or, if you're from the north of England like me, you'd say "y'all." But anyway, let's take a look.

Overview of the Piece

This is a pop alternative feel, as you can see in your grade book. It features:

• An eight-note pop groove
• Open hi-hats and inflections
• A right cymbal with an electronic backdrop

This piece is influenced by bands like Beck, N.E.R.D., Gorillaz, and Outkast. It feels like it's in two separate parts:

1. A very tight, precise, clean open hi-hat with a big backbeat.
2. A more open ride feel.

Setting Up the Groove

When you come into the tune, make sure to preempt the first bar with some kind of internalization of the count:

1, 2, 3, 4
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and Bang.

Just set yourself up with that count. That'll be really beneficial for you in those opening bars and sets the theme, and the rhythmic time feel for the rest of the piece.

Open Hi-Hat Tips

In terms of the open hi-hat in general:

• Get right on top of the hi-hats.
• Ensure a very good connection for a solid feel.

If you look at the A section where we have a groove going on with a single open hi-hat, I'll demonstrate that for a sec. It has a very definite, precise feel.

B Section Challenges

When we get into the B section and encounter the double open and closed hi-hat, it's quite tricky. I recommend cycling those two or that four-bar section as many times as you need to.

Hi-Hat Connection

• Maintain a close distance to the hi-hat.
• Play on top as usual on the shoulder, but you can also achieve a similar result playing on the edge.

Putting that together with the right line and the backbeat, you'll create a very tight pop feel with:

• Nice, clean open hi-hats
• A big rim shot backbeat

Make sure you catch the rim on the head for a solid, hard sound that projects well for recording. You need to be really definite, play with energy, and have lots of conviction on that hi-hat. Don't let it splash open; get right into it.

The Flam Technique

Coming out of that section is a classic kind of high-mid-low flam. I'm using a power flam here, which I have discussed before:

• Play both notes at the same volume, not alternating.
• Personally, I play from right to left ? the flam note with the right hand and the main note with the left.

Ensure that you're flaming and not unisoning, and that the flam isn't too far apart, just thickening the two single notes.

Practice Example: Right to left, right to left, right to left.

16th Note Fills

Coming out of that section, there are a couple of 16th note fills, a very common phrase:

1, 2, 3, ba, ba, ba.

We'll play that on the floor tom and later on the snare. You need to decide where you're going to go from the fill. Transitioning from the snare to the crash back to the hi-hat requires quite a bit of anticipation.

I remember working through the tune and realizing the importance of the transition:

1, 2, 3, ba, ba, ba, crash, double open hi-hat.

There's quite a lot going on, so you could cycle that sound.

Section Transitions

When moving from one section to another, particularly if you go from a hi-hat to a ride, or crash to a ride, or tom to crash, those transitions are very important.

Final Thoughts

I think that covers the main ingredients of this chart. I hope that's been helpful.

As always:

• Pay attention to the time feel.
• Focus on the repetition of the groove for a balanced sound.
• Be aware of the techniques you're using, especially flams and unisons.

Speak to your teacher if you have one, and check out the walkthrough and overview in your grade book for additional information.

So, yeah, I think we've covered quite a bit. All that remains for me to say is:

Good luck with y'all, or Yao.

I'll see you very soon. All the best with that! Bye for now.