Time Keeping Exercise

Here's a variation I came up with on a great time keeping exercise that both John Riley and Jerome Jennings showed me. I find this to be a great exercise to develop a "centre" to your pulse while at the same time working on your ride cymbal beat.

Basically the exercise is based on playing the ride cymbal pattern in 4/4 time, then modulating the same pattern except based on a quarter note triplet pulse then modulating again to a pulse based on eighth notes (double time).

Here are the cymbal patterns written out:



I would highly recommend playing this exercise along with a metronome or play-a-long CD such as Allan Cox' "Meet The Bass Player". Strive for exact execution of each pattern in time and flawless transitions between each pattern.

Now, I've been messing around with different foot patterns while playing those cymbal lines.

Trying the following feet patterns along with those cymbal exercises:









There are two ways to use these bass drum/hihat patterns with the above cymbal patterns:

1) Play each foot pattern but only change the cymbal beat (ie. the cymbal beat plays the new, faster tempo and the feet stay in the same tempo throughout)

2) Play each foot pattern AND follow the new pulse as the cymbal beat changes (ie. as the cymbal gets faster, so do the feet - locking into the new pulse)

You'll find these exercises will strengthen your inner pulse and help you hear and feel different but yet related tempos at the same time.

Warning: If you don't practice these with a metronome or external time source....you are wasting your time !