Some Stuff I’m Working On 3: Applications of RLF as 32nd notes

Here’s some more new stuff I’ve been shedding.

I began writing about this pattern on the BANG! The Drum School blog with the somewhat academically named Pattern Control For Drum Set: RLF as 32nd Notes. You’ll find a fairly exhaustive study on how to play the pattern RLF (meaning right hand, left hand, bass drum) as 32nd notes if you check out that worksheet.

But experimenting with that is only the first step. That step gives you some control over the idea you wish to express. The next step, the beginnings of which are presented in this article, is to apply the idea in a musically interesting and hopefully tasteful context.

That’s what I began doing in the practice room the other day.  The attached worksheet is the result of those experiments that I felt had some musical merit. I am continuing to work on these. What makes me feel that these are musical?  I like that these phrases experiment with putting backbeats in different places,  and I like that they allude to military/marching band patterns.  Of course, this is my musical taste, and just my opinion, so you should feel free to do as you please with these ideas.

Heres’ the PDF: Some Stuff I’m Working On 3

A few notes for clarity:

• Each exercise begins with a pick-up measure that is one eighth note long. After that, the full 4/4 measure should be repeated until it flows.
• The basic sticking is RLF, repeated, but you’ll see a note here and there when I thought the sticking was not obvious.
• Every Floor Tom note is played with the right hand, while every Hi Tom note is played with the left.
• Exercise 5A is the same as exercise 5 with the addition of a paradiddle on beat four.
• The tempo range where this sounds insanely good is at 96 bpms and above.

OK…off to the practice room!