The 'Show Yer Licks/Practice Tips' Thread

[toolskid]

I'll kick this off:

BIG APOLOGIES for the lack of proper scoring!!!

1. "Rudiment Your Rudiments!!"

for example:

'paradiddle' your:

paradiddles

RLRR LRLL RLRR RLRR LRLL RLRR LRLL LRLL

3 stroke ruffs

RLR LRL RLR RLR LRL RLR LRL LRL

6 stroke rolls

RLLRRL LRRLLR RLLRRL RLLRRL LRRLLR RLLRRL LRRLLR LRRLLR



'Swiss Army Triplet' your: (where F=flam: play the flams hand to hand if you like!)[

reverse paradiddles

RRLR FFFF LLRL etc..

four stroke ruffs

RLRL FFFF LRLR RLRL FFFF LRLR

Ok... hope thats clear enough!

So you can apply this with any of the main rudiments, just working through the inversions of paradiddles is a good place to start!

hope you like!

[toolskid]

2. "Hidden Shuffles"


Heres a nice little 'time within time' lick! Its a little hard to explain in text but here goes.

Its a transposition of a group of fives into 4/4 sixteenths which when orchestrated around the drums in a specific fashion reveals a slow shuffle groove!

the sticking is RLLRL with R=ride/backbeat and L=snare or hat ghosting


i'll try and score it for ya! forgive the uneven matching of the top and bottom lines! The K indicates Kick and S indicates snare accent or backbeat! If theres any confusion with my dodgy diagram below: the kick and snare accent always land on a 'R'.

Enjoy, its cool when its swung too!! I like ghosting and accenting the toms in fills with the left hand + I sometimes use this in solos and am much more free with the orchestration and often substitute doubles and flams for the single stickings...

Its also freaky to go to these subdivisons when playing an actual shuffle part - sometimes in a solo context its fun to break out these flowing ghost notes on snare hat and toms around the main shuffle groove!

you can apply this to groups of seven and nine sixteenth notes with the same formula!!

[C_F_H_13]

Here's a great one I stole/borrowed from a video I saw.

1. Play alternating 16th notes with both hands and feet in unison. Do 16 bars
2. Switch hands to parrididdles while keeping feet alternating L/R. Do 16 bars
3. Switch Feet to parrididdles and hands back to alternating L/R. Do 16 bars

[toolskid]

Ok, again apologies for the lack of scoring!


This is a fast and slow shuffle played at the same time one in each hand over constant 16ths:

left on hats and right on a bell is cool.

you can put in a samba bass drum pattern with open hats too for extra spice!!

[ArnieInTheSky]

Here's one you may already know. 5's. It's good to use the metronome. Kick on quarters, right and left alternating sixteenths, (then twentieths!)

RLRL RLRL|| Repeat x 4 RLRLR LRLRL||

Kind of a falling down the stairs triplety feel. Now apply a Paraddile and put your Right hand on the ride and the Left hand on the snare.

RLRRL RLRRL ||or XSXXS XSXXS ||

Sorry about the novice notation.

jl

[pan60]

cool!!! thread toolskid!!!!!

[pan60]

i only wish i was a drummer so i truly have nothing to add.:(

[Bounce]

One of my favorite fills I've been using lately is 16th note triplets (sextuplets) played using regular paradiddles (groups of 4 notes WITH the accent on the first single of each hand as in a normal paradiddle) for a one measure fill. Try an inverted paradiddle as well with the doubles in the middle for variation :-)

It's cool to practice with 8th notes on kick and hatfoot.

RLRRLRLLRLRRLRLLRLRRLRLL


Sounds CRAZY around the kit. Try alternating between floor tom with right hand (if right handed) and hi tom with left hand on snare. Then try moving both hands having the accents fall on different drums and/or closed hat.
Crazy!!

[toolskid]

this is a cool idea to extrapolate to paraddidles in quintuplets in the same vein!

also

accent the first two hits of each paradiddle on a different cymbal with the kick!! and the double beats on either a tom or snare!!!! Very Akira Jimbo!

Originally Posted by Bounce

One of my favorite fills I've been using lately is 16th note triplets played using regular paradiddles (groups of 4 notes WITH the accent on the first single of each hand as in a normal paradiddle) for a one measure fill. Try an inverted paradiddle as well with the doubles in the middle for variation :-)

It's cool to practice with 8th notes on kick and hatfoot.

RLRRLRLLRLRRLRLLRLRRLRLL


Sounds CRAZY around the kit. Try alternating between floor tom with right hand (if right handed) and hi tom with left hand on snare. Then try moving both hands having the accents fall on different drums and/or closed hat.
Crazy!!

[Jax]

A habit I've fallen into, sounds cool and lets my singles sound faster than they really are:

RLRLRLL RLRLRLL RLRLRLL

switch hands or flip it while continuing to play:

LRLRLRR LRLRLRR LRLRLRR

Pretty simple but it sounds great between tom and snare, and like a really disjointed salsa beat if the kick is holding down quarters. Also, mess with accents that approach a clave and it sounds extra broken (and cool).

[ImJohn]

Back to back paraddidles (with the second one reversed) makes a great ride pattern. I think this is a Billy Cobham thing but I don't know for sure.

RLRRLLRL

Put your right hand on the hihat or crown of the ride and your left on the snare. Play the bass drum on the accented (bolded) notes. Play it really fast for a bit then do an explosive roll around the toms . . . .hhhmmmm Mahavishnu Orchestra . . One Word???? ;-)


My other fun thing to try is what I call "single stroke paraddidels". To get the idea, start out with your right hand on the snare and your left on a tom, then play normal paradiddles (RLRR LRLL etc) See how that sounds? Now, play only single strokes (RLRL RLRL etc) but make it SOUND like paradiddles by moving your hands back and forth between the two drums. You wont be able to obtain the insane speeds that you can doing regular paraddidles (because no double bounce advantage) BUT you'll be able to do things you wouldn't be able to do . . . like a "paraddidle" using your highest tom + floor tom + main snare + aux snare! ;-)

Have fun!

[Jax]

Originally Posted by toolskid

left on hats and right on a bell is cool.

The curse of being a lefty! It always slows me down having to reverse all the exercises. I tried holding my Stick Control book in front of a mirror, but then it looks like it was written in Russian...

I end up practicing them righty first. That could work out to be an advantage someday.

[ImJohn]

Originally Posted by Jax

The curse of being a lefty! It always slows me down having to reverse all the exercises. I tried holding my Stick Control book in front of a mirror, but then it looks like it was written in Russian...

I end up practicing them righty first. That could work out to be an advantage someday.

OK, hows about we change standard notation to be "politically correct/sensitive" for everyone?

Something generic that takes no convertion for either right or left handed people?

Main hand and Alt (alternative) hand?

MAMM AMAA

Main Alt Main Main Alt Main Alt Alt

hhhmmm . . .

MAMM AMAA MAMM AMMA MAMM AMAA MAMM AMMA WHOA Black Betty BAM THE LAMB!

ee

[toolskid]

nah!

sod 'em

Originally Posted by ImJohn

OK, hows about we change standard notation to be "politically correct/sensitive" for everyone?

Something generic that takes no convertion for either right or left handed people?

Main hand and Alt (alternative) hand?

MAMM AMAA

Main Alt Main Main Alt Main Alt Alt

hhhmmm . . .

MAMM AMAA MAMM AMMA MAMM AMAA MAMM AMMA WHOA Black Betty BAM THE LAMB!

ee

[Jax]

Originally Posted by toolskid

nah!

sod 'em

The cool thing is it forces me to learn everything for both hands (or feet and hands, or foot/hand/tentacle/appendage 5, etc). Raz!

[Curtis Franklin]

i went through stick control ambidextrously (is that even a word?!?!). it has helped my playing immensely.

stewart copeland believes that everyone should just practice really fast singles and different paradidle combination, because that is most of what is used on a drumset.

i tend to agree.

[ImJohn]

Originally Posted by pumadrum

stewart copeland believes that everyone should just practice really fast singles and different paradidle combination, because that is most of what is used on a drumset.

i tend to agree.

I whole heartedly agree about the single strokes! I think paradidles are over rated though. (and that's probably just because I'm not all that good at them! )

[rmproduction]

Blimey where do i start!

Depends on if your looking at flashy or appropriate i suppose!

If your into co-ordination -

RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL

Between say ride and snare with 3 over two between your bass and hats - then once you've got it try a) reading a newspaper on a music stand and b) singing the notes your playing.

Not and i REPEAT NOT to be used in the middle of your next ballard or such - great for building up 4 way independance!

Paras are great - if you play with them - try accenting different beats in them:

rLrr lRll rLrr lRll - rlRr lrLl - rlrR lrlL

play the accents on the toms, cymbals etc - if your into linear stuff play it between snare and bass or tom and hats

Same as ruffs - work very slow to start but play the ruff between your bass drum and floor tom - if you can get a quick ruff between them its a wicked little thing to through in!

try crossing the beats with fills using 3's 5's and 7's :

1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a1
R l r Lr l R l rLr l R l r LR......

Not sure if that'll make sense!

Linear stuff is cool:

RLRLFF RLRLFF RLRLFF RLRLFF

Then turn that into a groove accenting say the 2+4

The list goes on and on - take the rudiments then split them between all the drums, dont forget your bass and hats can be used for fills as well and so forth

[pan60]

Originally Posted by rmproduction

Blimey where do i start!

Depends on if your looking at flashy or appropriate i suppose!

If your into co-ordination -

RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL RLRLL

Between say ride and snare with 3 over two between your bass and hats - then once you've got it try a) reading a newspaper on a music stand and b) singing the notes your playing.

Originally Posted by rmproduction

Blimey where do i start!
Not sure if that'll make sense!

nope lost here:(

[QUOTE=rmproduction;1146269]
Paras are great - if you play with them - try accenting different beats in them:

rLrr lRll rLrr lRll - rlRr lrLl - rlrR lrlL

play the accents on the toms, cymbals etc - if your into linear stuff play it between snare and bass or tom and hats

Originally Posted by rmproduction

Same as ruffs - work very slow to start but play the ruff between your bass drum and floor tom - if you can get a quick ruff between them its a wicked little thing to through in!

whats ruff?

Originally Posted by rmproduction

try crossing the beats with fills using 3's 5's and 7's :

1e+a2e+a3e+a4e+a1
R l r Lr l R l rLr l R l r LR......

Not sure if that'll make sense!

Linear stuff is cool:

RLRLFF RLRLFF RLRLFF RLRLFF

Then turn that into a groove accenting say the 2+4

The list goes on and on - take the rudiments then split them between all the drums, dont forget your bass and hats can be used for fills as well and so forth

Originally Posted by rmproduction

Blimey where do i start!
Not sure if that'll make sense!

[Goliath|Audio]

Originally Posted by pan60

whats ruff?

lllR

three gracenotes preceeding an accent.

-------

it all comes down to the building blocks. Practice technique in front of the mirror. Start slow, ramp up to top speed and then back down without breaking technique.

[pan60]

thanks!!!

[RobDrmz]

Recently my favorite chop to break out ANYWHERE that fits is the PARADIDDLE TRIPLET. I especially like using it as a four bar solo in jazz.

[3] [3] [3] [3]
RLR RLR LLR LRR

[3] [3] [3] [3]
LRL LRL RRL RLL

Playing this as a groove with serious gut bucket feel is awesome.

best,
-Rob

[Bounce]

Originally Posted by RobDrmz

Recently my favorite chop to break out ANYWHERE that fits is the PARADIDDLE TRIPLET. I especially like using it as a four bar solo in jazz.

[3] [3] [3] [3]
RLR RLR LLR LRR

[3] [3] [3] [3]
LRL LRL RRL RLL

Playing this as a groove with serious gut bucket feel is awesome.

best,
-Rob

Yeah, me, too (see above haha!)

[Goliath|Audio]

Originally Posted by RobDrmz

Recently my favorite chop to break out ANYWHERE that fits is the PARADIDDLE TRIPLET. I especially like using it as a four bar solo in jazz.

[3] [3] [3] [3]
RLR RLR LLR LRR

[3] [3] [3] [3]
LRL LRL RRL RLL

Playing this as a groove with serious gut bucket feel is awesome.

best,
-Rob

Which notes do you accent?
[3] [3] [3] [3]
RLR RLR LLR LRR

or

[3] [3] [3] [3]
RLR RLR LLR LRR

[RobDrmz]

Accent? Well that is where the musicality shows up.

In Jazz breaks, I usually accent the FIRST RIGHT on the ride and the fourth LEFT on the SNARE. Sets up a groove you can breakdown into and TIGHT, HARD Funk groove.

[firby]

I am a jazzer brothers. I will offer the following things.

First get your ride straight. The ride is the thing. Play triplets on your snare. put the hihat on two and four. Play the ride cymbal, you know, swing it. Do that at varying tempos for as long as you can stand it. Play so absolutely tight that it is sick. Play it to a click that is only on two and four. Play it so long you are going to throw up.

Got it ? You probably don't so repeat. I am serious here.

Ok. You really have it now ?? Really ?? Grooving to a click on 2 and 4 to the above.

Great.

Now play the and's of the swing patterns on the ride slightly behind. Flam every 'and' that you play on the ride with the snare drum. Every thing else stays linked.

That will take you a while.

OK. Now play every 1 every so slightly late on the ride only with the rest of you linked up.

That will take a while too. Remember to try different tempos. All of this rhythmic sliding must be done to a click. Somewhere time has to be solid and represented in your swing.

Ok. Now do both at the same time. late ands and late 1's but pull it all together with the rest of your body. It should all relax and become second nature after a long time.

Ok. Now go play with a great bass player and a good horn player like a trumpet or a sax.

If you did it all right you're welcome. You will be swinging like a mother.

Regards.

[RobDrmz]

"..the ride cymbal is the center of the universe." -Tony Williams

[vegafreak]

This is a sweet thread!

[Rolf Fiesel]

Best advice for reading drummer is... YouTube - DRUM LESSON: TED REED'S SYNCOPATION FOR THE MODERN DRUMMER

[drumzealot]

Set your metronome to a very very slow tempo.
Set it so that it clicks on the quarter and whole notes.
Play a groove, lick, or ostinato counting the quarter note click as the down beat.

Play totally locked in for at least a few minutes (I do it for about 5-10 minutes)
Then turn the quarter note clicks off. At this point the only click is happening every four bars of your groove, lick, or ostinato.
Are you still locked in?

To make this more difficult, PLAY AND MOVE LESS. This is one of only exercises that gets more difficult the less you do.

Only play a single note with the whole note click. Of course, the goal is to play right on the click. Try it without moving any part of your body in between beats. This helps to internalize the time.

To make it even more interesting, try on your breathing while doing this. So, your body is totally still with the exception of breathing and when you play that one note.