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The PDF file above contains the notation for a level 2 drum solo. This piece combines various ideas learned in levels 1 and 2 lessons and focuses on playing offbeat rhythms in 6/8. Below is a list of recommended lessons to help with this solo along with a brief breakdown of each section. The intention with this piece is to give you an idea of how individual ideas from this level can be combined to create a piece.
Recomended Reading
- Sixteenth Note Fills In 6/8
- Dotted Crotchet Right Hand In 6/8 Grooves
- Adding A 16th Note Snare After Beat 1 Of A 6/8 Groove
- Delayed Right Hand Crotchets In 6/8
- Simulating Four On The Floor In 6/8
Piece Breakdown
Intro (bars 1 - 4)
The piece starts with a short bar pattern that is the first beat of the bar accented on a crash and kick with fills. Bars two and three can be a bit tricky rhythm wise so it might be worth writing in some counting to check you are playing it correctly.
A (bars 5 - 20)
This section is built of two eight bar phrases based on a two bar groove. The fourth and eighth bar add in some variation to this original groove. The part is quite quick with a lot of sixteenth notes falling between right hands. Slowing down is always a good idea with this kind of part, get a feel for it then gradually build up the tempo. Both fills make use of syncopation by using blocks of two or four over the six note phrase.
B (bars 21 - 36)
This part looks pretty complicated, and to be fair it is! You are playing a sixteen beat style groove with the right hand on the ride and the left on the hi hat. Under that you are playing a syncopated rhythm on the kick. it might be useful to know that the first kick falls on a right hand and the second a left. Through the second set of two lines starting at bar 29 some toms are added in, these all fall on the left hand so there will be a bit of jumping around the kit.
A (bars 37 - 44)
Here the original A section is repeated but with a lot of variation in the parts. The main change is that the right hand has moved over to the second crash cymbal. There is a big fill at the end as well that involves a lot of triplets. This fill will be much easier if you can use a Standard Triplet sticking.
C (bars 45 - 61)
In the third section you start of by playing a syncopated rhythm over toms, snares and cymbals. This is a linear pattern that is decorated with flams. The sticking for the second half of will be 'R L F L R F'. From bar 53 the same rhythm is played but split between kicks, snares and toms whilst the right hand maintains a dotted quarter note china. The ride and hi hat motif is still used, only it is reversed to allow the part to flow more freely.
A (bars 61 - 68)
Another repeat of the A section, this time starting on a dotted quarter note rest. The only other major difference is the fill at the end. This is a little odd as it is based on a seven note grouping that is played three times.
Outro (bars 69 - end
The piece ends on a snare rhythm played over an eighth note kick. The rhythm used is that played through the A section. Notice at the end that the last two sixteenth snares are doubled on the kick.
