Minute of Drums
Short drum lessons to inspire your next practice session.
Minute of Drums - Episode 18: Jack DeJohnette Inspired
This week's lesson is a comping phrase that gets the hihat involved. I heard Jack DeJohnette play something similar to this on a record I was listening to recently and got inspired!
Minute of Drums - Episode 17: Sonny Payne
Some inspiration from swing legend Sonny Payne this week. This phrase comes from a video of a solo feature performance with Harry James's band in 1970. Just a small snippet from a solo filled with great (and always swingin!) ideas. Check out the original video on YouTube!
Minute of Drums - Episode 16: Tony Williams Inspired
A comping idea inspired by Tony Williams. I came up with this while exploring the phrasing ideas I transcribed in Minute of Drums Episodes 1 and 4. Every measure of Tony Williams I've transcribed opens up a world of possibilities!
Minute of Drums - Episode 15: Tony Allen Inspired
Here's a groove I came up with inspired by Afro-beat pioneer Tony Allen. I think there's a hint of New Orleans second line in there as well! Transcription below…
Minute of Drums - Episode 14: Jimmy Cobb
Here’s a trading phrase from the late, great Jimmy Cobb. This is from “Mack The Knife” off of the album “Introducing Wayne Shorter” right around 5:23. This is only the first 4 bars of an 8 bar phrase, but the rest of the phrase (and the rest of the trading… and the album) is great too! Check it out.
Minute of Drums - Episode 13: Three + Four
Minute of Drums is back! Here’s a fun groove that I originally thought of in 3, but also happened to be in 4 at the same time. A happy accident! The real trick is to try and feel both at the same time. Transcriptions of both the 3 and 4 versions below.
Minute of Drums - Episode 12: Another Solo Phrase
Here’s another solo phrase for you to try. This is a 3 count sticking that I turned into a longer phrase. There are definitely more ways you can orchestrate this, so get creative! Transcription below.
Minute of Drums - Episode 11: Prince Groove
No one makes a funky drum machine groove like Prince. His music is on constantly in my house, and I’m a bit obsessed with “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” from the Sign o’ the Times album. (In the song he orders a fruit cocktail and takes not one, but two bubble baths with his pants on… what more could you want?!) The drum machine groove on this song has several rhythms layered on top of one another, making it particularly challenging to pull off single handedly. Good luck! Transcription below.
Minute of Drums - Episode 10: Djembe Phrase
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study and perform with many incredible West African musicians during my time in NYC. This phrase is inspired by one great djembe player in particular, Pablo Dembele @pablodjembe. I think Pablo’s heart beats in 3 and 4 at the same time, because his ability to seamlessly flow between subdivisions is unbelievable. Here’s my attempt to capture a bit of that phrasing on the drum set.
Minute of Drums - Episode 9: Bossa Variation
This groove comes from my favorite Brazilian jazz record “Cannonball’s Bossa Nova”. Featuring Cannonball Adderley and a Brazilian band led by Sergio Mendes, this record was a revelation for me. Dom Um Romão’s drumming is grooving, interactive, and exciting. Far from just playing a single “Bossa Nova” drum beat as young drummers are often taught, his cross stick patterns are COMPING. This variation is just one of the pieces of language he uses woven in to his rhythmic interaction. He plays it all over the place, but it caught my ear on the track “Batida Diferentes”. Check this record out!
Minute of Drums - Episode 8: Inverted Paradiddle
For years as a young drummer I knew I was supposed to practice paradiddles, but had no idea how they could actually be applied in a musical way. It turns out there is a world of possibilities if you move the starting note around and experiment with accents. I find that this “inversion” lends itself to melodic phrasing around the set and has a natural groove to it.
Minute of Drums - Episode 7: Elvin Jones Inspired
Though this isn’t a verbatim transcription, this phrase is undoubtedly Elvin Jones inspired. His use of rolling triplets and 3 beat phrases changed the course of drumming (not just jazz!) This one is a bit complicated, so I’ve included a transcription. Happy shedding!
Minute of Drums - Episode 6: Mali Groove
I’ve been playing around with this groove for a few years, and thought I’d share it. This comes from the track “Bena bena” from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré’s 2017 record Mogoya. The groove starts out simple, but as the percussion layers in (around 3:40 into the track) it gets more complicated. I’ve included a transcription this time so you can see what is going on. Definitely check out this record if you haven’t. Beautiful music, unique production, and it features the late-great Tony Allen on two tracks. Enjoy!
Minute of Drums - Episode 5: Solo Phrase
Here’s a triplet solo phrase to explore. The demonstration is in 3/4, but it also works great as a way to phrase over the barline in 4/4 (or any other time signature for that matter!) These orchestration ideas are only the beginning. Experiment with different drum combinations and accents, and find your own ways to play it. Enjoy!
Minute of Drums - Episode 4: More Tony Williams
Here’s another Tony Williams phrase from “Oliloqui Valley” on Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles. Tony plays this at about 2:46 into the track. You can hear him exploring ideas like this all over the record. Drop the needle anywhere and you’ll find something to shed… This record is a jazz drumming gold mine!
Minute of Drums - Episode 3: Tony Allen
Check out this groove from Afrobeat innovator Tony Allen. This comes from the track “Obama Shuffle Strut Blues” from the recent album Rejoice co-led by Tony Allen and the late great trumpeter Hugh Masekela.
Minute of Drums - Episode 2: Paradiddlediddle
This is no secret to more advanced players, but can unlock a world of pathways around the drum set for intermediate players. “But…” you might ask…”isn’t this just that 6 stroke roll thing that everyone shreds with on YouTube?!” Why yes, it sure is. I never learned this as a 6 stroke roll, but as a displacement of a paradiddlediddle. Conceptually, I teach it to my students as an extension of the ways we can use paradiddles and the related variations to find melodies around the drum set. I find that starting this phrase with the right hand on the upbeat lends itself well to crafting syncopated melodies with the toms and cymbals. Call it what you want, either way it’s useful! Though, it is way more fun to say “paradiddlediddle” than “six stroke roll” isn’t it?!
Minute of Drums - Episode 1: Tony Williams
One of my all-time favorite recordings of Tony Williams is on Herbie Hancock’s Empyrean Isles. This is a phrase that stood out to me upon a recent dive back into the album. Tony plays this on “Oliloqui Valley” at about 1:43 into the track.