As drummer we keep hearing how important versatility is. And one of the aspects involved in being a versatile drummer is being proficient in different styles.
Even before that, I believe, comes the ability to play a variety of beats, which encompass all the main subdivisions, feels and rhythmic contexts that we happen to play, irrespective of the genre.
That’s because, conceptually, a shuffle is a shuffle in Blues, in Rock, in Jazz and in any genre.
So I thought it would be useful to have a list of 10 of the most important beats and solutions that we should be familiar with, and that can instantly make us more all-around drummers.
Here is the free and printable booklet with the beats:
And here is the link to the YouTube video in which I play the examples shown in the booklet. You can also click on each bar in the PDF to access the related video demonstration.
The 10 examples showcase the following solutions:
- 8th note beat with Hi-Hat Ostinato.
- 16ths note Alternating Hands beat.
- 8th note groove Orchestrated on the Toms.
- 6/8 beat.
- 8th note Triplet beat.
- Shuffle.
- Half Shuffle (it’s a shuffle with the backbeat just on 3 instead of 2 and 4).
- Double Shuffle (it’s a shuffle played with both hands, in unison).
- 16th note Linear.
- 8th note Drunk/Dilla Feel beat.
The reason why these are important is that many of us tend to play one kind of music, with one main type of beat (for instance, straight 8th note beats). When a song with something slightly unusual comes up (like a shuffle…), it’s not uncommon to get stiff and end up playing at a much lower standard.
The given examples are not too complex, kind of intermediate level. Nonetheless, let’s keep in mind that these represent essentially 10 beat types: we can therefore take each case as a starting point and then go look for more grooves of the same type in other resources, like my ‘Ultimate Drum Grooves Collection‘, which includes 80 contemporary beats.
A few guidelines to make the most of these studies:
- Practice at all dynamics and tempos.
- Go look for songs that feature each beat type, and learn a few pieces with the most unfamiliar ones.
- After a few weeks of practice, start improvising beats in each category.
Lastly, and needless to say, make them groove hard!
Related resources:
‘Groove Mastery & Formulas’ – Altitude Drumming – Volume 8
Essential Styles – Expanding Your Versatility On The Drums – Free Excerpt
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