Sight-reading on the drum set – stickings and foot patterns for practise
Here is fairly in-depth description of the fundamentals of sight-reading for drum set, plus the stickings used during practice, and the foot patterns we will play while practicing the exercises. Please note, this will take at least 6 months of everyday practice to develop, and should be undertaken as a consistent and diligent practice routine for those wishing to dramatically improve their sight reading and interpretation skills on the drum set. A basic grasp and understanding of common note lengths and rhythm is a prerequisite.
ART BLAKEY MAMBO
Here is an easy transcription of Art Blakey’s Classic ‘Mambo’ beat. Blakey played this groove in a variety of different ways and styles, and this is just one of them.
6/8 FLUIDITY
This next exercise is an extension of the previous Blakey Mambo beat, and it helps you to understand, hear, and feel a 6/8 or 12/8 type groove pulse in either ‘3’ or ‘4.’ ie. A 12/8 style groove can often be felt in 3/4, and indeed many non-western cultures have music that flows in and out of feeling the pulse either in ‘3’ or ‘4.’ NB: Please be aware this is a different exercise than a strict feel or style change where one would move from a triplet or ‘3’ based feel to a 16th note or ‘4’ based feel within the same beat or pulse. If this is confusing, it should become clear once you try the exercise and see it on the page, and listen to the suggested play-along material.
BUZZ ROLLS
This is a great exercise to help develop a smooth & fluid buzz roll. Contrary to the often brash and powerful sound of the ‘open’ roll (double strokes), the ‘closed’ press or buzz roll is commonly utilized in classical snare drum music & etudes. However, the buzz roll can be utilized successfully in any style of music, and is a great tool for the musical drummer to have in their arsenal.
