Here’s an idea I got from Glen Sobel.
It’s a sixteenth note linear pattern that sounds much more complicated than it is. Below, you can watch a video of me playing the idea and improvising with it.
But first, here’s the pattern.
If you break it down, you’ll see it’s actually pretty simple. You play RLF four times and then add RLLF. That’s it. What makes it sound good is making sure that your relative mix on the drum kit is good and that the ghost notes on the snare are quiet enough. If you play with a good mix (also make sure that the hi-hat notes are fairly high in the mix), the groove will sound fantastic.
You’ll notice that in the video, I’m NOT blazing it. I’m playing it mid-tempo (after all, I’m trying to help you learn it; playing it slower should be more helpful for you). If you want to, it’s quite possible to play it much faster; I’ve heard Glen Sobel play it at lightning speed in some of his solos.
The great thing is that it will sound good fast or slow.
A note on improvising with the pattern: most of my improvisations with this idea are based on moving my right hand around to different surfaces while keeping my left hand on the snare. The rhythm of the right hand is interesting enough that doing this works–it will sound great.
OK, here’s the video. Give this a try and let me know how it goes.
He first gained attention as one of the winners of Modern Drummer magazine's very first drum solo contest, judged by Rush's Neil Peart.
He's played with Oz Noy, Will Lee, Alison Krauss, Curtis Stigers, Emily Remler, Joel Hoekstra, GE Smith, Andy York, Marshall Crenshaw, Tony Shanahan, The Drifters, The Marvelettes, Big Brother and The Holding Company, and many other artists.
For more info: onlinesessiondrummer.com
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