Category: Drum Grooves
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Hip Hop & Neo Soul Grooves – Changing Space
An interpretation and analysis of the rhythmic “swank” of artists such as J Dilla, Questlove, D’Angelo and Chris “Daddy” Dave. Specifically, swing is referring to shifting normally evenly spaced notes to the first and third triplet partials. The idea of swing also refers to the fluidity of all beat subdivisions. Notes can be moved and…
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Groove Modulation Part III – Using Dotted Notes to Modulate Between Relative Tempos
Metric modulation is a change in tempo or pulse based on a relative note value or subdivision. My previous modulation posts on this site have used different triplet and quintuplet values to create the perception of tempo changes. These groove exercises use dotted note values to stretch or contract the backbeat to create a tempo…
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Stretching Beats – Funk Modulation // Quintuplet Beats & Exercises
These exercises use an AABA form in a 4 bar phrase, shifting gears from the 16th note funk beat to quarter note triplets, quintuplets and eighth note triplets. Check out drummers such as Nate Smith and Jojo Mayer using this to great effect. Downloadable PDF : Funk Modulation – 4 bar AABA Forms Further exercises…
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Nate Smith – Skip Step
Funk in 17/8. An of example of Nate Smith “finding the 4” in odd time signatures. An interpretation of the first released track from Nate Smith’s album, “Kinfolk : Postcards From Everywhere”. Every second bar has an extra quaver to the count, making the rhythm 4/4 and 9/8 repeated throughout the song. This can also…
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Mr. Bill USA/Canada Tour – DRUM CHART
Download the drum chart I used with Mr. Bill during the 2016 North America tour. An incredible tour with Mr. Bill through the USA and Canada has all wrapped up. 24000kms (15000 miles) on the road with an awesome crew taking on 30 shows from California to British Columbia, New York to Florida, Louisiana to…
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DNB Beat Repeat – Playing 3 Beat Loops
Rhythmic hemiola is a subdivision of the beat that differs from the time signature, with the intention of playing on our expectations. These Jungle grooves take any three semi quavers of the beat and loops the pattern repeatedly, stretching across the barline before opening up to restart on beat 1 of the 4/4 time. I’d…
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REWIND! DNB Groove Exercises – Part II
DnB groove exercises played also in reverse with 16th note roll and sticking variations. Downloadable PDF : REWIND! DNB _Part II
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DNB Groove Modulation Part II – Quintuplets
Two bar drum and bass grooves time shifted across quintuplet subdivisions. Use a metronome! Downloadable PDF’s ; DNB Groove Modulation pt II
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DNB Groove Modulation Part I + Polyrhythm Exercise
The following groove exercises take 8th note drum and bass patterns and modulates the groove over quarter note triplets. Keep the metronome at 172bpm. You’ll feel the groove switch to a triplet feel, while the dance floor feels as if the tempo moves from 172bpm to 129bpm before the groove reverts back to the start…
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Metal – Double Bass Drumming Coordination & Triplet Meter Grooves
The Following 4/4 triplet based groove exercises and 6/8 double bass exercises are valuable in developing precision, control and musicality in heavier double bass drumming situations. Downloadable PDF’s ; Triplet Metal Grooves – One Bar Exercises 6/8 Double Bass Drumming Exercises Double Bass Drumming Coordination – With Ted Reed’s “Syncopation” 4/4 Triplet Based Grooves, including halftime…
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Nitin Sawheny – Remix Grooves
I was put onto Nitin Sawhney’s music when Kobra Kai was starting out, when we were still mixing some eastern sounds with different UK style dance beats. These grooves were scribbled out amongst my notes from this period, They’re some cool examples of garage / 2 step style UK grooves backing up some awesome songwriting…
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DNB Drum Grooves – Icicle / Roni Size / Shapeshifter / NOISIA
Roni Size’s In the Mode LP (2000) was the first drum and bass album I got into. I wrote out these grooves when Rehan first introduced me to the album, to get my head around everything going on with the grooves. Kobra Kai were lucky enough to support Roni Size and Dynamite MC at Home…
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6 Famous Drum Breaks
A brief selection of classic drum breaks every drummer or producer should know. I got listening to hip hop when I joined Debasa around 2002. Prompting me to research and listen to a lot of music that I wasn’t previously very familiar with. It was a lesson in stripping things right down, keeping it super…
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THE ROOTS – Things Fall Apart
A selection of Questlove’s grooves from a masterpiece hip hop record. The Roots were one of the first bands to draw me into hip hop. Still one of my all time favourite acts. Here’s a selection of grooves taken from the “Things Fall Apart” album. The track “Without a Doubt” is sampled from a Schoolly…
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REWIND! DNB Groove Exercises Part I
These are Jungle grooves repeated in the consecutive bar/s as a mirrored image – played in reverse. They’re a good variation on any looped beat you’ve been sitting on and a good exercise in shifting the backbeat off the ‘2’ and ‘4’ and moving the accents around the bar like a cut up sample. Note:…
Andrew Hutchings 