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

Polka Fun

Polkas can be fun to play... with a little creativity.

Any dance rhythm, no matter how basic the pattern, can be cool with a little touch of creativity. Take the Polka, for example. The basic pattern is rather uninspiring:

But, with some creativity, you can turn the above in this:

The modified version uses single stroke alternating hand to hand sticking on the snare drum to give the Polka a fuller sound. Take that a step further by adding a splash of chops, and you transform the Polka into the following:

The advanced version has you playing the accented snare drum part with the left stick only (providing you have the chops), which lets you add the right stick ride cymbal on the downbeat to go along with the bass drum. Playing the Advanced Polka might be too much for the entire song but it adds just the right amount of excitement when used on the choruses. For example, in the Polka "Roll Out The Barrel," the part where they sing "roll out the barrel" is the chorus.

Get Creative
Practice creating your own variations on the Polka.You can start by taking my examples and changing the ride cymbal part or varying the bass drum a bit. Although there lots of variations that can make the Polka a "fun" rhythm to play, try not to lose sight of the fact that the basic down- and upbeat of the Polka rhythm must remain solid, regardless of what you add on top. If you lose the basic pattern, you're no longer playing a Polka!

With a little creativity, you can transform any tired old dance rhythm into a beat that's not only fun to play but that really cooks! Try it. You'll be surprised at what cool patterns you can come up with, not to mention all the fun you'll have along the way.

Have fun 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...

How?
Here's How

* S I D E B A R *

Following are related
links to this week's
feature article.

Related Links on this Site:

.

STOMP Out Paradigms