Saturday, January 29, 2022

Linear Reed tweak

This is a sticking system for a Reed linear solo/fill method, which I improvised while practicing. In the past, I mostly improvised the stickings, which is not a bad way to practice, but it's limiting, and not great for developing this as a real solid, reliable area of vocabulary. This resolves that. 

Use pp. 34-45 from Syncopation. The book rhythm is played with the hands, with the bass drum filling in the gaps— usually, to make a full measure of 8th notes. I'll use the next-to-last line of the well known p. 38 (famously p. 37 in old editions) for the examples: 


Basic linear interpretation, with the bass drum filling in: 


I like to simplify the bass drum part, by only playing the first note after a hand note— so we're only playing single notes on the bass drum: 


Start all runs of two or more 8th-note-spaced notes in the book rhythm with the right hand, and alternate: 


Play any isolated single notes in the book rhythm as a left handed flam. I've talked before about why left handed flams are good to work into your drum set practice. 


Start with the one-line patterns on pp. 34-37, then try the full page exercises. Improvise varying the accents, and moving your hands around the drums. I rarely play anything like this with a flat, undynamic practice-room interpretation. I play them like I'm playing. You can do this in a fast 4/4, or in 2/2, in a funk, Latin, or swing feel. Add left foot on beats 2/4, or on all four beats. 

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