CLICK FOR

  Advertise With Us
  Contact Us
  Link to Us
  Newsletter
  News & Press Room
  Order Info
  Permissions & Reprints
  Privacy Policy
  Products
  Register for Free
  Welcome


  Auctions
  Books for Fun
  Books for Education
  Business
  Buying Drum Gear
  Chops Challenge
  Clinics & Events
  Concerts & Tours
  Contests
  Discount Drum Shop
  Drum n Bass
  Drum Skills Evaluation
  Fame & Fortune
  Famous Drummers
  Forums
  Fun With Drums TV Show
  Gear & Accessories
  Gladstone Technique
  Healthy Drumming
  Hip-Hop / Rap
  History & Culture
  How To Guides
  Interviews
  Laugh It Up
  Lessons for Free
  Loops & Samples
  Magazines
  Member Links
  Merchandise
  MIDI Files
  Moeller Technique
  MP3
  Newsgroups
  Radio
  Record Your Own
  Reviews
  Schools
  Sit-in & Play
  Software
  Sponsors
  Store
  Tabs
  Tension Free Drumming™
  Ticket Sales
  TigerBill and Friends
  TigerBill's Bio
  TigerBill's Gear Picks
  TigerBill's Clinics & Events
  TigerBill's Drum Shop
  TigerBill's Lessons  
  TigerBill's Place
  Tips and Tricks
  Videos
  Vintage Gear
  WFD

Fun With Odd Note Groups

  Incorporating odd note groups in your playing can give you new ideas not to mention cool new sounds.

Mix It Up
The way you practice is the way you will play when you're on the gig. If your normal practice routine consists of exercises made up of the standard note groups (like those shown in Example A), you are missing out on a lot of cool possibilities.

Example A

Take a look at the odd note groups in Example B, below (Note that "odd" refers to less often played, as opposed to odd numbers). First, practice them on a practice pad or snare drum. Play each note group four times and go to the next without stopping. This will help you develop the feel for playing these odd groups and transitioning from group to group evenly. After you become comfortable working with these odd groups, practice the exercises in Example C. Play them slowly at first and use a metronome.

Example B

Example C

Applications on the Drumset
If you attempted to play the 10 bars of exercises in Example C, you're probably wondering whether this stuff has any practical application. Trust me, once you become comfortable switching between odd and even note groups, you will be able to use them not only in the context of an extended drum solo but for fills as well. To reach that level, however, does take lots of practice.

In addition to the examples I've written here, I encourage you to make up your own combinations of odd and even note groups for practicing. You should also play around with adding accents in various places to give them a little more kick After you get comfortable playing these exercises on a drum pad or single drum, apply them around the drumset. You'll be surprised at how good they can sound with a little woodshedding on your part.

Until next time: Think "Odd" and Stay loose!

Join the largest, most Comprehensive Drum & Percussion site on the Web and
Learn TigerBill's Innovative Tension Free Drumming techniques designed to take you to the next level!

You'll also receive TigerBill's free, informative Newsletter with Monthly Chances to
Win Valuable Drum Stuff & Much More...