Music Lesson: Exploring Groove and Tom Patterns

Introduction

Okay, so in this song's lead sheet, we've got a really interesting groove. It's very simple, but very difficult to play well. It makes me think of drummers like Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Drum Sound and Tuning

It's really important to have a solid bass drum and backbeat on the snare drum for a tune like this. Consider the following:

• Tune the drums for a deep, fat sound.
• Use a wallet or some other dampening object on the snare drum to eliminate high-end ring and keep it sounding more fat and dead.

Section B: Tom Work

In this tune, there's a really interesting section at B, where there's a lot of tom work. Another great example of this is another Red Hot Chili Peppers song called "Throw Away Your Television."

Consider the following:

• Compare how different tom patterns can work differently.
• There's a lot of room for experimentation in these types of sections.
• Try using paradiddles, different rudiments, and stickings.

Grooves and Backbeats

You'll be surprised at the interesting grooves you can come up with by:

• Playing the same rudiment on the toms and snare drum.
• Moving around the orchestration.

Having said that, this groove maintains the backbeat on the snare drum. At the end of beat four, you have these little rolls, which serve as textural embellishments leading back to the beginning of the bar.

Hi-Hat Usage

Once again, in this tune, we have a lot of use of the open hi-hat. This is consistent throughout the whole song, as it's a high-energy piece from beginning to end.

Key points include:

• The open hi-hat helps create forward drive and rocky energy.
• During the bass solo, maintain a focus on keeping the hi-hat with your foot to keep time for yourself and the other band members.

This then leads back into a different tom figure than we've seen previously. Again, experimenting with different rudiments and stickings will help you create interesting tom patterns.

Fast Fills

One tricky element of this song is the fast 16th and 32nd note fills.

To approach this:

• Use single stroke rolls for a clean, sharp attack.
• If it's too fast, try double strokes.

Focus on maintaining articulation to help you significantly.

Tom Pattern Examples

Now, I'm going to play examples of some different tom patterns. For instance, if I take the paradiddle, which is:

• Right, left, right, right
• Left, right, left, left

Play it on the snare drum, and then move your right hand to the floor tom and your left hand to the high tom. You'll hear a melodic line.

You can also:

• Move the backbeat back onto the snare drum.
• Add eighth notes on the hi-hat with your foot.
• Double the bass drum with some of the right-hand notes.

This will create a fatter groove typical in this style. Experiment with the inverted paradiddle, double paradiddle, and have fun with that.

Drum Solo Development

These sticking ideas and tom work can be really useful for your drum solo.

• Here we have quite a long solo, and the dynamic markings indicate that it should build.
• Don't blow all your energy in the first couple of bars.

Experiment with:

• Flams,
• Different rudiments,
• Changing stickings.

All of these will help you develop your solos.

Flam Phrase Example

One of the phrases I play in the solo is a kind of flam split between the low tom, the snare drum, and the bass drum. This is actually a seven-note grouping.

Consider this approach:

• Count it out: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
• The flam occurs on counts 1 and 4, while the bass drum hits on count 7.

The rest is up to you to fill with ghost notes or grace notes.

Overlapping Phrases

Playing groupings of seven over a 4/4 beat can be challenging. To practice:

• Play along to music in 4/4.
• Hear these overlapping phrases on top while counting in 4/4.

Be aware that you're playing in a different time signature, or that your phrase has a different numeric grouping.

Tension and Release

These kinds of phrases are useful for creating tension in solos. When you finally release it with a big crash on the one, it can be really effective.

• Play around with grouping ideas, such as sevens and fives.
• Experiment with three against two or two against three phrases, which can be developed in infinite ways.

Fast Fills Demonstration

Another challenge in this piece is the really fast fills, including 32nd notes and triplet fills.

I'll now demonstrate playing fast rolls around the drums.

• First, I'll use single strokes:

1, 2, 3...

In that example, I was playing single strokes, but I was getting a little tense. This tension can sometimes add to the intensity of the fill and the energy with which you deliver it.

However, don't hurt yourself.

Practice the single stroke roll slowly while moving around the drums, focusing on articulation and hitting the drum in the center.

Next, I'll demonstrate fills with double stroke rolls so you can hear the difference. This allows you to pick and choose the best technique based on the desired effect.

Conclusion

So have fun experimenting with these ideas. Listen to examples in progressive and arranged music, such as Frank Zappa or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to hear these concepts in action!