In a previous lesson we have looked at moving the right hand from a cymbal to playing ghost notes on the snare and in this version we will be looking at using a half time feel. This is a really simple change, all you have to do is switch the left hand from playing on counts 2 and 4 to playing just on count 3. As with all grooves, make sure everything lines up correctly and you are playing in time. Those ghost notes should be played considerably softer than all other strokes and really lay into the back beat accents to make them more prominent. At the bottom of the page you will find links to other Half Time Groove Concepts, read through these if you are struggling with any of the given parts.
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This style of groove sounds far more complex than it is as you have both that constant snare and a hi hat sound going together at the same time. I also find they can sound a lot more precise as there are no washy cymbals muddying up the sound. The downside of this is that your strokes are much more exposed, so any slips in dynamics or timing will be much more exposed.
Groove Example 1
Riding On The SnareExample 2
Half Time Groove Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Half Time Groove Example 6
Example 8
Example 9
TASKS
- Learn the grooves above up to a tempo of at least 120bpm.
- Create some 4 bar phrases using these grooves.
