This 7-part series becomes more interesting as crossovers–a true staple of tenor drumming–are explored in a variety of ways. This video covers 13 crossover patterns, including a long “Crossover Builders” exercise that goes through all 18 crossover positions.
This “nerdy” tenor solo is dedicated to math geeks everywhere! This is multi-tenor drum etude #19 from The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. The main theme is derived from the Fibonacci sequence, and it focuses on developing sweeps, a.k.a. scrapes, around the drums.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
I originally thought of titling the next three etudes Sweep Fest #1, Sweep Fest #2, and Sweep Fest #3. (I ultimately settled on that title for etude #21 alone.) The idea was that each of the three etudes would focus on sweep patterns, but they would increase in difficulty. This idea still generally holds true, but a few ideas came to me based on mathematics, and they lent themselves to sweeps quite well. I think this gives the following etudes a very interesting structure, much more interesting than what I would have created if I was simply trying to write a sweep etude from scratch.
I was reading how the Fibonacci sequence is used in the music of Bartók, Debussy, Satie, and others. This gave me the idea to do a few experiments. The main theme of this etude, Fibonacci, is derived from the Fibonacci number sequence. In short, Read more “Multi-Tenor Drum Etude #19: “Fibonacci””
Here is a visually exciting tenor solo from The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. The book contains 33 multi-tenor etudes, and this is etude #6 entitled “Double Crossed.” As the title suggests, the focus is on developing crossovers.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
This flashy etude utilizes an abundance of crossovers. The first half begins with an 8th note pattern. The second half, beginning with measure 16, utilizes the same pattern with doubles on every note. Both halves feature a repeated section—the first time through at mezzo-forte, the second time at fortissimo. Be careful not to play the mezzo-forte section too loudly; otherwise the contrast will be obscured, or you will be forced to overplay the fortissimo section. Stark dynamic contrast will really help to sell the ideas in this solo. There is a more intricate 16th note sweep section during the last two lines. Take care to aim for the proper beating spots to avoid rims. You may want to review the 16th note doubles section in the rudimental exercises [contained in the book].
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Bit by bit, I am posting videos of the etudes from my book The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. This is multi-tenor etude #7 entitled “The Fool in the Mirror.” Its main theme is pretty catchy, and it focuses on developing 16th note patterns around the drums.
Here are the performance notes from the book:
There is nothing in this etude exceptionally flashy from a visual standpoint, but the melody is quite catchy, and this is one of my favorite etudes to play in this book. (Of course, I think all of the etudes are great!) The whole piece gradually moves from playful syncopated rhythms to more intense driving rhythms, but it returns to a light-hearted note at the very end. The first section (mm. 1-5) establishes the playful syncopated main theme. The second section (mm. 6-9) contrasts the first with a slightly less syncopated 8th note double stop quasi-groove pattern. The third section (mm. 10-13) is a more driving segue that reiterates the main ideas of the first section. The fourth section (mm. 14-19) is the longest (with repeats), and it is the most driving; it has very little syncopation, and it focuses on some basic paradiddle patterns mixed with doubles and 16th note singles rhythms. The final section (mm. 20-22) is the shortest, and it caps off everything by quickly highlighting the previous themes.
Here is the next installment of videos from my book The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. In addition to thousands of exercises, the book contains 33 etudes. This is etude #27 entitled “Maze.”
Here are the performance notes from the book:
This etude is dedicated to DCI snare champion, Ken Mazur. His books have done a lot to help me grow in my playing, and they were a great inspiration to me in writing this book. The etudes in this section were largely inspired by the “Rudimental Performance” etudes in his orange book [The Basic Technique of Rudimental Drumming]. In fact, this etude can be played as a duet with the final “Rudimental Performance” etude, or it can be played as a stand-alone solo. If played as a duet, the first two measures are a solo introduction, and the snare part would come in on measure 3. I have always loved the snare etude, and I thought it would be nice to have a tenor version of it. (With the added arounds and sweep patterns, the tenor part is slightly more difficult, but you have to be a pretty good player to play either version well.)
In adapting this etude to tenors, I looked to the Marty Hurley/Lee Hansen snare/tenor duets, such as Phantom of the Phield and Phantom Phrenzy. Of course, Ken Mazur was a student of Marty Hurley, and you can hear Hurley’s influence in Mazur’s writing. The Hurley solos were originally written as stand-alone solos. Later, Lee Hansen (another student of Hurley’s) wrote tenor accompaniments that could be played as either a stand-alone tenor solo or a duet with the snare part. These solos were all written for quads (four drums), and I decided to do the same here.
As you play through this etude, you will find that the structure has a really good sense of momentum, and a lot of different rudiments are incorporated. It’s a lot of fun to play, and there are several rudimental surprises throughout. Whether you play it as an individual solo or as a duet with a good snare drummer, it should thoroughly engage any audience.
At the beginning of the year, I announced that I intended to record a number of the etudes from my book The Art of Multi-Tenor Drumming. There are 33 etudes total, and here is my first video toward that goal. This is etude #11 entitled “Believe It or Not.”
Here are the performance notes from the book:
This lively etude is intended to be a good overview of fundamental skills. The initial theme is presented in the introduction and hinted at throughout the rest of the solo. Each subsequent section works on a specific skill—movement patterns, triplet rolls, crossovers, flams, odd-metered time signatures, tuplets, extended 32nd note rolls, and extended 24th note singles. Finally, the original theme is reprised, concluding with a final challenge of rapid fire dynamic changes. All of this is packed into 34 energetic measures. Younger players should take this at a moderate tempo, as it will serve as a good solo for incorporating fundamental techniques. More advanced players will find it a challenge to take a more lively tempo. The etude works well at a variety of tempos.
Here is a new exercise for marching tenors that focuses on the three most common crossover sweep patterns: helicopters, butterflies, and figure eights.
In case you are unfamiliar with these terms, helicopters are found in measures 2 and 4. Butterflies are found in measures 6 and 8. Figure eights are found in measures 10 and 12. The final pattern, found in measures 14 and 16, is not as common, but it makes logical sense in the context of this exercise. I call the pattern inward figure eights. With all of these patterns, they are presented first with right hand lead and then with left hand lead.
All these sweep patterns are based on the visual “picture” created from their movement when played rapidly. Helicopters look a bit like helicopter blades moving. Butterflies create sort of a butterfly wing shape. Figure eights create an “8” shape. Inward figure eights follow the same motion, but the sweeps move inward instead of outward.
The measures that do not contain sweeps are meant as a groovy check pattern. I find the accent and rim shot patterns more fun to play than a measure of straight singles (or something similarly basic). I suspect most readers will enjoy them more as well.
This exercise is great for all ability levels. Beginner players will want to take each measure very slowly in order to learn these patterns. You may need to start around 80 beat per minute (bpm) on the metronome. Advanced players may be able to treat the exercise in more of a double time fashion, playing in a tempo range of 240 bpm—or faster!
As always, focus on proper playing zones. Avoid rim clicks and aim for 100% accuracy. Maintain even sounding doubles, so that both notes are of equal volume. Enjoy!
Do you know how to count 24th notes, 40th notes, or 48th notes? James walks you through some terminology that may just revolutionize your understanding of rhythm. The following is a modified transcript of the video above:
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Hello, everybody. This is James Christian with RudimentalUniversity.com.
Today I want to talk about rhythm terminology. Most musicians don’t frequently deal with this particular concept I’m going to discuss, but drummers and percussionists deal with it all the time.
We’re used to whole notes, half notes, quarter, notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, etc. And we also have tuplet patterns, such as half note triplets, quarter note triplets, 8th note triplets, 16th note triplets, and so forth. In this article, I’m going to talk about the way we discuss tuplet patterns and how we can make it a little bit easier.
This method is especially easier when you’re writing on the Internet and typing. It also makes your terminology more consistent, regardless of the type of note you’re discussing. When you’re writing, this method will save space, and it’s just a nice shorthand for your terminology.
This fun bass exercise can be played with the snare and tenor exercises posted yesterday, or it can stand alone as a good splitting workout for five players. As the title indicates, there are 12 sections, and each has a specific focus:
Sections 1-2: Unison one-handed accented 8th notes. Focus on maintaining a clear distinction between accents and taps. Keep your taps controlled and close to the drum. Make sure your accents are strong, not wimpy. Matching stick heights and angles will help in staying together.
Sections 3-4: Unison alternating accented 16th notes. This should follow the exact same technique as sections 1-2, except the opposite hand is now “filling in” the 16th notes. All taps should be consistently at the same height and volume. Keep the accents strong and the taps consistently softer.
Sections 5-6: Split 8th note patterns. Focus on precise note placing. Mentally subdividing the beat is essential.
Sections 7-8: Split 16th note patterns. Make sure the 16th notes are placed exactly in time, so that the transitions from player to player are smooth.
Sections 9-10: Split 16th note triplet patterns. Once again, take care to maintain precise note spacing. Be careful not to “crush” or “stretch” the triplets.
Sections 11-12: Split 32nd note patterns. As the note speed increases, technique becomes even more important. Maintain control without becoming rigid. Stay relaxed without becoming sloppy. Take care to achieve clarity on every single note.
This exercise has gone through many tweaks and additions over the years. In its current version, I think it’s a great tool in the arsenal of any percussionist. When I first encountered this exercise, the first four sections were taught to me and the other students at Princeton High School (Princeton, Texas) by Rick Beckham. This covered the accented 8th notes off the right hand and left hand, plus the accented 16th notes off the right hand and left hand. He later added the next four sections (8th note flams leading with the right and left, plus the accented paradiddle patterns leading with the right and left).
The four main patterns—8th notes, 16th notes, flams, and paradiddles—are great for developing the control needed to distinguish accent and tap heights. I have used this core exercise with several different drum lines, and it has been quite effective.
Over time, I decided to expand the exercise. In personal practice, I used the basic accent structure on a number of different rudimental patterns. When teaching it to a full drum line, I decided that I wanted to write a mallet part that went through the circle of fifths, covering all 12 major keys.* I also wanted a bass drum part that worked split 16th note triplets and 32nd notes. So I picked two of my favorite rudimental patterns that worked with that rhythmic structure to add sections 9-10 and 11-12. In short, this exercise has something really useful for every section.
Since 12 sections are covered by going through the circle of fifths and the snare drum part is similar to the standard “Bucks” exercise, I decided to call the exercise “12 Bucks.” Here is the breakdown of the skills required for snare drum and tenors:
Sections 1-2: One-handed accented 8th notes. Focus on maintaining a clear distinction between accents and taps. Keep your taps low and controlled. Make sure your accents are strong, not wimpy. The tenor exercise is deliberately on one drum, so that the player can focus on the Y-axis motion and the fundamental accent/tap control.
Sections 3-4: Alternating accented 16th notes. This should follow the exact same technique as sections 1-2, except the opposite hand is now “filling in” the 16th notes. All taps should be consistently at the same height and volume. The tenors now move the accents to an adjacent drum. Keep the accents strong and the taps consistently softer.
Sections 5-6: Alternating 8th note flams. These sections are excellent for focusing on the three heights of accents, taps, and grace notes. The accents and taps should remain the same from the previous sections. The additional grace notes should be softer and lower than the taps. Once again, the tenors are deliberately on one drum in order to focus on the fundamentals of good flam technique.
Sections 7-8: 16th note paradiddles. These patterns get a bit trickier. Watch out for the sticking on measures 2 and 4! The key to these section is that they should sound the same as the 16th notes in sections 3-4. Do not let the “diddle” part of the paradiddles sound weaker or stronger than the singles you played in sections 3-4.
Sections 9-10: Single stroke fours and single stroke sevens. These rudimental patterns get your hands moving a bit quicker with the 16th note triplets. They also require more precise timing focus. Many drummers have a tendency to “cheat” the length of the initial 8th note by starting the triplet too soon. Of course, you should practice the whole exercise with a metronome, but this section would especially benefit from doing so.
Sections 11-12: “RLLL” quad groupings. Once again, the 16th notes patterns should sound the same as sections 3-4 and 7-8. Of course, these sections require more finger control in order to move each hand at the speed of 16th notes.
Tag ending: A final syncopated measure to cap off everything! Notice that the snare and tenor triplet rhythms are slightly different. The tenors start on the downbeat, while the snares conclude on the upbeat. Both parts should be played precisely in time in order to hear the tradeoff between sections.
Have fun learning these patterns. Once you have them down, be adventurous and create your own variations!
*[Yes, I know there are technically 15 keys, but I’m not going to get into that debate right now.]
