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drums.lesson2.html Lesson 2 - Some Eightnote Patterns

If you tried the first lesson and liked it , I guess it's time to move a little further ...
You did practise the first lesson thoroughly, didn't you? Well, of course you did, I'm joking ...

Today we're going to lay the focus on a few small variants of the pattern you already learned in Lesson 1, the eight-note pattern with hihat, bassdrum, and snaredrum. If you're in doubt about the use of symbols, you also find them there.

Contents of lesson 2:

    1) 8th-notes ; "+ 3"-pattern
    2) 8th-notes ; "3 +"-pattern
    3) "+ 3"-pattern ; all the "+"'s left out
    4) "3 +"-pattern ; all the "+"'s left out
    5) combining two patterns
    6) A fill, 8th-note pattern used
Pattern #1 for those of you that can't wait, right now, you count like this:
"One-plus-Two-plus-Three-plus-Four-plus"

You do have to count with regular intervals of time, for the rhythm 'only "grooves" if you learn it slowly and accurate... Don't let that stop you from having fun with it.. Practise makes perfect!

The patterns you play are variations on the basic pattern of Lesson 1. The only difference is that here I added a bassdrum on the "+"-count of "2" at the first pattern, and at the second pattern you'll discover another bassdrum added, on the "+"-count of "3", instead.
An odd little habit of me is that I like to give patterns like these a "name": that's why I call the first one " + 3" and the second "3 +"


  1)            1   +   2   +   3   +   4   + 
                 ____    ____    ____    ____          
                 |  |    |  |    |  |    |  | 
      HH        X . X . X . X . X . X . X . X .
            |-------------------------------------|
            |                                     |
      SD    |:----------0---------------0--------:| 
            |          |               |          | 
            |----------|---------------|----------|
      BD        0      |    0   0
               |       |   |   |       
               |       _____   |


  
  2)            1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +
          
                 ____    ____    ____    ____  
                 |  |    |  |    |  |    |  |
      HH        X . X . X . X . X . X . X . X . 
            |-------------------------------------|
            |                                     |
      SD    |:----------0---------------0--------:|
            |          |               |          |
            |----------|---------------|----------|
      BD        0               0   0
               |               |   |
               |               _____
If you worked your way through all of this I do have another temptation for you:
The same pattern, but you leave out ALL of the "hihat"- beats on the SECOND Eighth-note (i.e. the "+"). This one is slightly more difficult than the other ones.
You'll find out that it is really helpful to COUNT also the "+"-notes. (Consider this an understatement!)

  3)            1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +   


                 |       |       |       |
                 |       |       |       |
       HH       X . . . X . . . X . . . X . . .
            |-------------------------------------|
            |                                     |
       SD   |:----------0---------------0--------:|
            |          |               |          |
            |----------|---------------|----------|                             
       BD       0      |    0   0
               |       |   |   |
               |       _____   |



  4)            1   +   2   +   3   +   4   +

                
                 |       |       |       |
                 |       |       |       |
       HH       X . . . X . . . X . . . X . . . 
            |-------------------------------------|
            |                                     |
       SD   |:----------0---------------0--------:|
            |          |               |          |
            |----------|---------------|----------|
       BD       0               0   0
               |               |   |
               |               _____
Of course you can also make a combination of patterns, for example this one: pattern #2 combined with pattern #4.
The following will give you a better insight in the differences between the two patterns. It looks like this:


  5)          1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +   1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +

               |     |     |     |      ___   ___   ___   ___
               |     |     |     |      | |   | |   | |   | |
      HH      X     X     X     X      X  X  X  X  X  X  X  X
           |-------------------------|-------------------------|
           |                         |                         |
      SD   |:-------0-----------0----|-------0-----------0----:|
           |       |           |     |      |           |      | 
           |-------|-----------|-----|------|-----------|------|
      BD      0           0  0         0           0  0
             |           |  |         |           |  |
             |           ____         |           ____
First remark: you'll notice that I used somewhat smaller version of the normal "measure-bar" ; this could be done, when you need space. You can make it bigger as well ... The only thing, that really matters is, if you write down your musical patterns yourself, that you're careful and precise with what has to be a "fourth"/"eighth"/"sixteenth"/"whatever-subdivision -you-want-to-make"-note. It means using flags and bars!

Second remark: what you did with patterns #2 and #4 you can do with almost all the patterns you learn(ed). Be creative as much as you can and you'll be amazed by your own performance!

To end this lesson there's one easy fill to be combined with patterns #3 and #4. It's quite similar to the one you've learned in lesson 1, but you leave out every "sixteenth-note" on the "&".


    6)             1  +  2  +  3  +  4  +  

                          ___
                          | |   ___
        Tom 1   |--------0--0---|-|---------| 
        Tom 2   |--------------0--0---------|
        SD      |:-0--0--------------------:|
                |-|--|----------------------|
        FT      |-|--|---------------0--0---|
                  ____              |  |
                                    ____
Well, I hope this wasn't too bad for you. Keep on the good work. See you at the third lesson!

If you want to re-read something, then you can go to:

    Drums On The Internet
    If you have any questions about the lessons, you can always E-mail me at:
    [harald_o@dds.nl]